The record-union., 1898-07-31

l oI IeeilnS which made deep impression
on the President and the others pres
ent. He spoke in French, each sem
tence being caught up and interpreted
| by M. Thiebault with rapidity, SO that
/ the earnestness of the ambassadors ex-
preston lost little by this indirect
method of communication. The Presi-
| dent spoke with equal frankness and
| in the lengthy discussion there was
scarcely a point in the whole range Of
the war which was not met and freely
| considered
| What the modification is that has
been agreed upon can only be conjec-
tured, but there is reason to believe
| that it relates either to the time when
actual hostilities will be suspended or
else to the extent of our interest in the
Philippines, leaving unchanged the
condition that Spain shall withdraw
| from Cuba and Porto Rico, grant the
| United States coaling stations in the
| Pacific, and make important conces-
| sions in the Philippines.
| 1t is now for the Madrid Government
| to give final approval to what was
partly accomplished to-day. 1t is even
possible that this approval may come
very speedily. within a day or two. for
|
| ences or correspondence.
All that was accomplished to-day
when NJ. Cambon acted as plenipoten-
! tiary. From the fact that he acted
under instructions. the prospect would
| seem to be hopeful for Spain's ratifying
| what has been done. But it is for
| Spain herself to determine between the
| issue of peace or war as now presented.
q nj in
and important consultations, the reply
of the United States Government to the
| Spanish overture for peace was at last
this afternoon placed in the hands of NJ.
Cambon, the French Embassador, to be
by him translated to the Government Of
Spain. 1t was half-past o'clock be
fore the Minister received the answer
and as it makes about LOO words in
all, and must be reduced y the diplo-
matte cipher and then transmitted by
cable, the Madrid authorities probably
y ~ ~-l receive it until some time to-
morrow, Sunday
AT half-past 10 o'clock this morning
in accordance with the agreement
reached yesterday, the members of the
Cabinet began to assemble at the White
House, but it was nearly II o'clock be-
fore they were all present and ready
to resume their discussion at the point
where it was interrupted yesterday by
adjournment. Secretary Day had pre-
pared a draft Of the answer on the ex-
pressions Of his colleagues in the Cabi-
net yesterday and it was hoped that
only short time would be consumed in
going over this and giving it formal
| approval 1t turned out otherwise,
| however Probably overnight new
! factors had suggested themselves, or
| fresh influences had been brought to
bear, for the Cabinet was soon engaged
| in an animated discussion of the Phil
| ippine Islands settlement
! On the other points of the answer
| there was no disagreement and these
propositions were ratified as they stood
yesterday, namely: Cuba to be freed; !;
| Porto Rico to be ceded to the United
| States: one of the Ladrone Islands
| (probably Guam) to be ceded to the
! Z ItAd States IS a coaling station and
| as an immediate step, all Spanish mil-
| itary forces in the West Indies to be
withdrawn, with the formal relinquish-
ment by Spain of her sovereignty over
any possessions among those islands
| AS to the Philippines, the Cabinet
/ agreed upon the following point: That
| Manila Bay. with the city and sur
rounding territory, should be retained in
! the possession of the United States. at
| least for such length of time as is
necessary to devise and put in opera
! tiOn some plan for the future GOVERN
ment of the group. After that point.
i the main divergence of opinion began
| and all sorts of propositions We're put
| forward and urged by individual mem
| bers as the best means of dealing with
/ the future of the islands. In the very
midst OF the discussion the element
that had strongly urged the necessity
| OF protecting Aguinaldo in any settle
ment we should arrange received a Sc
| we're check through the receipt of a
cablegram from Admiral Dewey, stat
| ing that the insurgent chief had as
sumed a defiant attitude, and Admiral
| Dewey expressed the opinion that the
| United States would be obliged to make
war upon them. necessitating the re-
quirements of 10000 troops to subdua
| the insurgents
| While this did not bring about COM
| plete dismissal of the proposition to
| take the insurgents into account in
setting the terms of peace, it did have
| the effect to cause an agreement upon
the proposition to defer action upon the
! question as to- the disposition of the isl
ards until the other phases of the peace
negotiations have been satisfactorily
| adjusted, meaning by that the matter
| goes over until the last Spanish flag
| has disappeared from the Western
Hemisphere, and the American flag is
| holSted to stay over the coaling sta
tions we require in Micronesia The
| discussion lasted two hours and a
! quarter before the Cabinet hit upon the
| best course for the United States to
adopt. 1t was finally decided that what
we desired could best be done by the
! appointment of a joint commission.
| limited in its representation to the Gov
ernmentS of the United States and
Spain. which commission is to endeavor
to settle the details of the Government
OF the Philippines and determine what
treatment shall be accorded the insur-
gents, the United States army and navy
me anWhile occupying Manila and Ma
MIA Bay. and thus retaining a position
TO force speedily the verdict that shall
be hnally reached by the commission.
After the Cabinet meeting adjourned
the members went off to their lunch
cons, with pleasant consciousness
that they had succeeded in disposinr
properly of the very difficult problem.
Assistant Secretary John Moore. who
had been called into the meeting at the
last moment went hastily to the State
| Department to put the views of the
PFGGi6anf ND 70 -,