The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-05
CAN'T SECURE CONCESSIONS.
Peace Terms First offered to BE Ad-
hered to.

hercd to.
Washington, Aug. 4.-The United States
government IS now waiting TO hear again
from Spain, and this time it is expected
that the answer will be final. Firmly, but
courteously, the President has declined the
earnest appeal of the French ambassador
to modify the United States demands ex-
cept in slight and comparatively unlm-
portant respects.
There is no doubt that the peace nego-
tiations are progressing to the entire salts
faction of the President and the members
of the cabinet. A statement to that ef-
feet was made to-day by a high official
of the administration who expressed the
belief that within a very short time there
would be a complete cessation of hostih-
ties.
The conference yesterday afternoon at
the White House, in which the President,
NJ. Cambon and Secretary Day participat-
ed, was devoted almost entirely to a dis
cussion of details which are regarded by
the President as unimportant. The re-
quests of tho French ambassador for the
most part viii be agreed to.
One of these is that the commission ap-
pointed to settle the terms of peace shall
meet outside of the United States, and
preferably in France. The President sees
no material objection to granting this re-
quest and is said to be practically set
tied that the conferences will be held in
Paris. The Madrid government, through
NJ. Cambon, propounded a number of ques-
tons as to the time when Spain would be
expected to evacuate Cuba and the terri
tory to be ceded the United States, and
as to what provisions would be made by
the United States to project the interests
of Spanish subjects in these islands while
the evacuation was an progress.
M. Cambon was informed upon all of
these points, presumably to his satisfac-
ton.
There is one point, however, which the
Spanish authorities judging from their
communication to their representative, fail
fully to comprehend, and Secretary Days
call on the ambassador last night was for
the purpose principally of making perfect
ly clear this one point, which was that
the evacuation of Cuba, Porto Rico and
one of the Ladrone Islands to be select
ed by the United States, and the perma-
nent cession to this government of all of
these islands except Cuba was made
precedent to all peace negotiations, and
that not until these terms had been fully
complied with would this government con-
sent to entertain any peace propositions
whatever.
The questions upon which the Spanish
government have so far asked for addi-
tional information are regarded by the ad-
ministration as perfectly legitimate and
proper, and up to this time nothing has
| occurred to bring in question the sincerity
of their motives.
Under these circumstances it is the pur-
pose of the President to deal with them in
spirit of perfect fairness and to make
the road to peace as smooth for them as
the rights and dignity of this country will
permit, and to this end unimportant con-
| cessOns will be readily granted.
It was midnight last night before the
| concession of the President, regarding the
| meeting place of the peace commissioners
was communicated to the Madrid author
tiles so that allowing the difference in
time il was impossible for an answer to
have been received this morning.
However, it is expected that the delay
| VIII not be long, probably at most not
more than a day or two, and that the an
swer, when it comes, WI be found to be
an unconditional acceptance of the terms
as they now stand
Now with the Spanish government as
| sured that no further notifications can be
expected, there is nothing remaining but
an acceptance of the terms outright, or
a rejection without further debate, which
is not expected.
Something had been said about an ef-
fort on the Part of Spain to secure some
| guarantee from the United States that the
lives and property of Spanish citizens IN
the conquered territory shall be cared for
| The idea of tho administration is n Il no
| such pledge oI sddI'ntee is necessary.
| Assuming Sovereignty over conquered
! territory and exercising it either through
civil administration as viii be the case
with Porto Rico in the end, or through
military governorship as will be the case
in Cuba for an indefinite time, the United
| States assumes strict obligation TO pro-
tect the lives, interests and property Of all
| citizens Of all neutral states, and II must
be remembered that when the treaty Of
peace is signed the citizens Of Spain, now
! enemies viii fall in that category.