Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-08-13

tary Still on the Ofensive-Con.
gresham Bland Opposes Annexa.
ton; Says Finance IL Paramount
Issue-News From the BIOcka de-
Dewey Is Grateful-Japan Is
Friendly-War News and Notes.
Washington, Aug. 1.-THE negotia-
tons for peace advanced to Il point yes
terday where nothing but fiat re-
pudiation by Spain of the action of the
French amba ssadOr can prevent an i'm
mediate suspension of the war. For
the first time since peace was suggested
Mr.. Cambon appeared at the state de-
partment prepared to act as the special
envoy Of Spain, empowered with au-
thority to act in her behalf. Hitherto
he has been merely messenger of good
will, conveying the communications be-
tween the two governments and ex-
planning to each as best he could the at
titude of the other. Wednesday he
presented credentials authorizing him
to act for Spain, and with this authority
he proceeded to examine closely the
draft of a protocol which Secretary Day
presented, embodying the terms of
peace, and assured the secretary that
it was satisfactory and would receive
his signature.
The meeting between the secretary
and the ambassador, therefore, was by
far the most important which has taken
place. In giving his approval to the
protocol the French ambassador moral
ly binds the Spanish government. and,
from a diplomatic point of view, it
would be out of the question for Spain
to go back on what he has done. He
has not affixed his signature to the pro.
toco, but he has done everything short
Of this. and has cabled to Madrid for
confirmation of his action which alone
preccdes the signing of the document.
If, after his assurances. Spain should not
allow the document to be completed
she would offer an affront to the French
ambassador and through him to his
government, which no nation would do.
In just how far the Spanish response
failed of the full requirements of the adj
ministratiOn is not known, for members
of the cabinet and all others have been
pledged to secrecy in all matters of de-
tail. 1t is sufficient to know that it was
evasive and quibbling, and that if the
president had not seized it herocally
and turned it to his own purpose, it
might have been made the entering
wedge for diplomatic correspondence
as fruit'ess as our previous negotiations
with Spain.
Washington, Aug. 1.-THE preliminary
negotiations looking toward the con-
hrmation of peace advanced a long
state and the French ambassador agre ed
stride yesterday, when the secretary of
upon the terms upon which future ne
gotiations for treaty are to be con-
Quoted, and reduced them to the form of
protocol. This protocol, it is true, is
yet to be signed, and is to be submitted
to the Spanish government before the
formal signatures are affixed but the
administrations view as to the progress
made was set out in Secretary Days
sentence: 1T is expected that this
protocol will be executed"
There is always the possibility in deal
ing with the Spanish government that
it may recede at the last moment from
an implied agreement. but it Is scarcely
probable that it would be willing to in
volve the French ambassador in the
difficulties that would follow what to
the world would seem to he a repudia-
ton of his benevolent efforts in behalf
of Spain.
There must be delay-pOssibly from
- to 4S hOurs-before the next step can
be taken and the protocol mao binding
upon both the United States and Spain
by the attachment of the signatures of
the plenipotentiaries Secretary Day for
the United States and Mr.. Cambon for
Spain. The delay will be largely at
tributable to physical causes The
protocol is long: it must be translated
and turned back and forth into code and
simple language no less than five times
before it reaches Madrid through the
French foreign officers. This work was
not begun until late Wednesday after
room. after the best energies of Assistant
Secretary Adee of the state department
and Mr.. Thiebaut, secretary of the
French cmbassy, had been exerted in
the preparation of two copies of the
protocol, one in English and one in
French. These were prepared very care
fully, the idiomatic variance in the two
languages necessitating the greatest
caution in order that the essential char
acter of the two copies should be pre-
served. The length of the protocol i'm
posed great amount of labor upon the
cipher clerks, or whoever is charged with
the work of rendering the original into
cipher. so that altogether it is apparent
That the consumption of time involved
in purely mechanical functions will be
so considerable as to make the rendition
of very carly answer improbable.
AS to the character of the protocol II
can be stated on authority that the terms
are in all practical points those set Gu;
In the abstract of the presidents rondi-
tons. published from the White House
week ago. From his fact il is deduced
that the extra conditions or quaIifica-
tons souGht t" he imposed by the Span-
ish government were abandoned. at least
in Lang part by the French ambassa-
do.. This deduction is supported by the
circumstances that in the early morn
ing. and before the conference bet Wpcn
Secretary Day and Mr.. Cambon which
resulted in the agreement, there was a
prevalent impression, based upon the
utterances of public men who had ia liked
with the. president. that the Spanish
answer was unsatisfactory and that the
negotiations looked as If they might
terminate suddenly. AS this situation
changed ST. suddenly after the confer
encc. it may he fairly assumed that the
am In Sa1ot. abandoned hn condition.