The Saint Paul globe., 1898-10-20
CRISIS is AT HAND
SPANISH PEACE COMMISSIONER
ASK AND ARE GRANTED
A DELAY
SITUATION Is SIGNIFICANT
American Commissioners Are Evil
IDENTIFY Prepared for the Critical
Stage OF the Negotiations Which
Will Neither Invite Nor Shirk
HOstiIities.

PARIS. Oct. 19.-The Journal
des Debats thinks the United
States should compel the Gu
ban government to assume the debt
and believes the Spanish would submit
to arbitration, which, it understands,
the United States declines to accept. 1t
says: "Of this the Spaniards may not
be wholly convinced, but the firm re-
frsal of Judge Day and his colleagues
to assume the Cuban debt, because the
United States will not take over the
sovereignty, has Widened Spanish per-
ceptions and has unquestiOnably has
tened their convictions. Wherefore it
may, in a sense, be true that, having
for the first time a feeling that Amer
lean pledges and American perform
ance are coequal terms. the Span
iards are now practically on the
Threshold of properly lighted negOti-
ations
When Spain approached these nego-
tiations, she was confronted by a wall
of fast agreement, which she, however,
regarded as possible of break or pune
ture at the point of Castilian diplo-
macy. Thus she poised and has
launched against the protocol struc-
ture Of seeming solidity the keen
lances of her finesse. They have fallen
broken at her feet. The wall of Amer
lean purpose and mutual compact has
proved not only apparent, but real and
now Spain'S commissioners pause In
their Cuban work and ask post
pOnement for the purpose of reargu-
ment and also to reform their lines
and advance new reasons. The pur-
pose Of the delay is believed to have
been to allow an interchange of COM
munications with Madrid and to for
mulate final attitude on the Cuban
matter. This attitude of the Span
iards, to be developed on Friday, will
be watched with no little interest.
Their alternatives are few, but preg
nant They accede to the American
attitude themselves, assume the Cuban
debt and go forward to consider the
next protocol point Of Porto Rico and
the choice by the United States of an
island in the Ladrone group, or they
may at this juncture formally ask for
arbitration, or, as an extremity, which
Is not likely. may retire from further
negotiations
SIGNIFICANT STATEMENT.
The tone during the last four days of
the Spanish and French press is sig
nificant Of widened condolences by the
the Spaniards as to the attitude they
have assumed in the negotiations here
and the reassuring assurances of
Spain's desire for arbitration may have
had a meaning. The Spaniards NAV
not have sought to promote sympa thy,
but had they desired to lay down
basis upon which to set up plea to
Europe to prevent which it is sought to
present as her raViShment the surface
indications could not have been more
favorably disposed for that purpose
than they have been.
The American commissioners after
CANy aix,r- f1..,
lay, held brief meeting, principally to
discuss the project Of further Spanish
delay The brevity of these meetings
and other indications warrant the de-
auction that the American attitude ia
Wei formed and that the commission is
thoroughly advised on all the points
and features which it is possible to
foresee in subsequent conferences.
The amount of information acquired
by the Americans since their arrival
here is large. They have examined old
residents of the Philippine islands, and
the information and testimony from
this and other sources is valuable.
A distinguished Roman Catholic
churchman from New Orleans is now
in this city in connection, 1T is said
with the interests of the Roman Cath
oliC church In Cuba.
The holders Of Spanish securities have
not been inactive, and it is not un-
likely that the American commission
has been called upon to consider writ
ten presentment Of figures, facts and
pleadings in behalf of those interests
Were it not that the spirit and atti-
tude Of the American commission are
so dignif1ed, it might be said that they
are now holding the fort and invite at
tacks. Their personality and proceed
ure here, however, is such as to make
it fair to say that, While not courting
attack, they fear none.