Evening star., 1898-09-14
SAW THE PRESIDENT
Members of the Peace Commission
at the White House.
CONFERRED At STATE DEPARTMENT
The Cabinet Believe in Holding
luzon.
CONTROL OF THE ISLANDS

| Senator Davis and Whitelaw Reid, men,
| bers of the peace commission called upon
| President Mckinley this morning having
arrived in the city last night to be present
| at the first full gathering of the men who
| are to represent this country in the peace
tribunal soon to convene in Paris. Senator
| Frye and Senator Gray are expected in the
city tonight Secretary Day, the other
member of the commission, is here. and all
| will be with the President tomorrow to
| hear the instructions he will give as to the
position of this country in the settlement
| of the war with Spain. Secretary Day was
at the White House short time this morn
ing. but was not in company with Senator
| Davis and Mr. Reid.
| The President will give a dinner TO the
peace commission tomorrow night. He has
also invited members of the cabinet to be
present, but this is not for the purpose of
irdulging in any discussion of the Philip
pine question.
| At the State Department.
Secretary Day Senator Davis and Mr..
| Reid were n conference for two hours at
the State Department this morning.
| The meeting at Secretary Days office was
for the purpose of going the whole
subject 1t is the first time Mr.. Reid has
| exchanged views with his colleagues the
| subject The same rigid retcence which
| has thus far prevailed continues to be OBJ
| served, and the commissioners came
from their two hours meeting they posi-
| lively declined to discuss any questions re-
| lating to the commission. Leading MEM
bers of the commission stated positively
that all reports relative to the instruction
of the commission ers or the attitude of the
| United States were purely conjectural.' 1t
| is obvious that the interests of this
country might be seriously prejudiCed If
known world
| over in advance of the meeting at Paris
that the commissioners nave agreed among
| themselves 10 authorize no statement OF
| their views body or as individuals.
The Cabinet Satisfied.
1t is stated positively today by high au-
thority that the cabinet yesterday after
noon finished its discussion of the position
| of the United States and adjourned salts
fed with the Instructions which President
Mckinley viii give. There will not, there
Efere,- be any further discussion of the sub
| ject at the cabinet session F'riady. What
| ever was decided upon by the President
and his advisers remains u secret, but there
is reason today to believe that no iron-clad
| instructions can will be given the peace
! commission. Much is to be left to develop
ments The President Will be in constant
touch with the commission, and VIII aid
! and direct as the negotiations proceed. 1t
| Is impossible to now, it is said, what
may arise in Paris. Far-Seeing ones pro-
| fess to believe that all of Europe may be
| more or less involved before the commits
! sioners of Spain and the United States
| have sat a month. A hundred other things
| may come up it is said, to entirely change
| the situation and render null and void any
| instructions which may now be given as 10
| certain features.
The Cabinet I'm Accord.
| The entire cabinet agreed with the Pres
| ident yesterday that this country must hoid
clrsively stated in The Star To some ex-
| tent this is a step forward from former
| views as to territorial acquisition. Two
| months ago the President was Inclined TO
| think that we did not need more than
| ccaling station in the bay of Manila but
| he has found that public opinion demands
| more than this, and he has decided, as he
| has always done, to follow the people.
| He has not. however, come to the con-
| clUSion that public opinion in this country
| demands that the United States shall take
immediate possession of all the islands of
| the archipelago. His instructions to the
| peace commission will not be to make this
| demand 1t is not believed that such a
| demand will ever be made unless the inter
| ference of Europe becomes such as to cause
| public opinion to unanimously decide that
| Europe cannot in any way dictate the po-
| siton of this country. In this manner the
| United States may be driven in few
| months to a point not now intended that
| she shall occupy.
| Europe's Intentions.
| This very question of Europe's intentions
| is one seriously considered. With the
United States holding and occupying the
| Island of Luzon, she will in a way, eXer
| else a supervision over the other islands
| of the group. How she can best do this is
| the problem now seriously under con-
! sideration. Can she do at all if she does
! not take full possession indirect control
| of the group? To take the Island of Luzon
| and leave the others to Spain is no guar
| antee that Spain will not at once dispose of
| her interest to Germany or some other ma
| ton. In that case the United States would
| have an unruly and ambitious neighbor,
who would dispute the supremacy that
| should belong to her by right of her owner
| ship of the largest and richest of the is
| lands.
| The Insurgents.
| Here also comes the question of the in
| surgents. If Spain is forced to relinquish
control of the islands the United States
must either become the possessor or turn
| them over to the insurgents, with a meas
ure of responsibility for the government to
| be established by the Filipnos. 1t is doubt
| ed by all officials of the administration
| whether the natives are capable of self
| government, and it is also doubted whether
Aguinaldo and his followers would consent
| to an arrangement by which they should
| have nothing to say as to the Island of Lu-
| Zon.
Control of Islands.
| These knotty problems, for which a clear
| solution cannot be seen, may result in the
| islands eventually coming to the United
States or in a promise from Spain that she
| shall not sell or dispose of what is left her
| without the consent of the United States
j ;'his promise would be equivalent to die
tatoiship over the other islands Spain
| must not only promise this, but she must
| promise to reform her government in the
| Islands left to her. The United States will
| be there to see that she carries out what
ever she promises to government
II this government could receive assur-
anoes that the remainder of the islands
would secure a good government and that
Spain would not dispose of them in a man
| ner derogatory to the United States the
American peace commissioners would prob
| ably not insist on retaining more than the
Island of Luzon. In any event, Uncle Sam
| Is to be made secure in whatever It Is de-
| cided to keep, and does not propose to al
low disagreeable neighbors to move into
| the same neighborhood with him.