Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-12-10
NOTABLE DECLARATION
Peace Treaty Can Contain Any
thing Victors Put Into IT.
AND THE DoNs ARE DEsPoNDENT.

AMI lib UUNS AkE UESFUNUENT.
Our commissioners Determined At
titude Causes the Spanishto Hagale
For Concessions-They Want Uncle
Sam to Export Philippine Prisoners.
Paris, Dec. 6.-The joint peace COM
mission was in session for two hours
yesterday. Much of the discussion con-
cerned details as to the guaranteeing Of
the rights Of the Spanish citizens in the
ceded colonies. The debate was occa-
sionally energetic, and the Spaniards
on emerging appeared to be detected.
Secretary Ojeda, OF the Spanish COM
mission, when questioned after the
meeting as to the progress made, an
swered excitedly: II am almost mad. l
cannot talk. We are making progress"
The history of the document which
will certify the passing of the Oldest
colonial power in the world and the ad-
vent of the newest was epitomized by
Judge Day last evening in a single
sentence:
"a peace treaty can contain anything
which the victors put in it,
The Americans had listened for hours
with their customary patience to the
technicalities convoked by the Span
iards with their customary shrewdness
and persistency against every proposal
making for the dismemberment of the
empire. The burden of the Spanish ar
guments was that matters outside the
bare cession and evacuation OF the con-
| quered territory which the Americans
proposed to cover by the treaty were
beyond the legitimate and customary
scope of a peace treaty. Behind this
bulwark Senior Montero Rios. president
| of the Spanish commission, fortified
| himself, bombarding his opponents
with a supply of arguments and pre-
cedents which inspired the freely eX-
pressed admiration of the Americans.
Finally Judge Day summarized the
American position in the foregoing
memorable utterance. 1t was given and
taken in good spirit. and from that mo-
ment the proceedings were entirely
friendly.
The session accomplished much.
Eight open questions were canvassed,
seven being practically settled without
noteworthy friction.
The commissioners decline to say
! what conclusion was reached. but the
I bargain for a coaling station in the
Carolines was not cemented. and, ac-
cording to present prospects, 1t is likely
to fail. The temper of the Americans
in this matter is: We made you good
offer for the island. You may take it
or leave it.
The Spaniards seem disposed to leave
it. The Americans do not regard 1t as
a prize which they can demand as one
of the natural fruits of the war, while
the whole policy of the Spaniards is to
confine the negotiations as narrowly
as possible to the letter of the protocol
signed in Washington. and to exclude
all eXtraneous matters. The result OF
this policy may be the leaving OF many
details involved in the change OF SOW
ereignty over the various possessions to
settlement by the regular diplomatic
processes when normal relations be-
tween the two governments have been
resumed.
The Spanish commissioners continue
fighting with tooth and nail to procure
every possible pecuniary and other con-
cession. The Americans had already
promised to guarantee the release or
Spanish prisoners in the hands of the
Filipinos. Yesterday Senior Montero
Rios proposed that the United States
should pay the expenses of shipping
them to Spain. The American COM
missioners thought the request IN
reasonable, and good deal of time
was consumed in discussing the ques-
ton.
Another problem entailing a long de-
bate was the disposition to be made
Of Spanish munitions OF war in num-
Der of military posts outside Manila
which the Americans have not captur-
ed. The Spanish commissioners con-
tended that Spain should be permitted
to ship such munitions home. The
Americans replied that, as the United
States had conquered the Philippines,
these munitions were sDoils of war.
The Spaniards finally waived their
bubble.
They appear resigned to the newt
able. and now seem to realize that
their best policy is to save as much
from the wreck as their keenness in
raising technicalities can secure for
them.
The question of the status Of the
Standards in the West Indies and the
Philippines who wish to remain there
was nearly settled, as we'll as certain
commercial questions involving the
rights of shipping under the Spanish
flag, which will be given advantages.