The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-27


dinpefs and banQsets without end;
bssssdSr: s. the French foreign min
lister. ~ h American chamber OF
commexpes un1 toasts n healths to
prv11oo1ts q queens and LAfayettes.
ana oooh . u>on01Ing OF Spanish and
Fvonch on1 Amor3con representatives,
and such . torrent Of good feeling and
good wine that would make . peace ad-
vocate fairly dance for Joy At the spec
tacle. Have N fear Of the outcoms
Of the pace conference. 1t u fairly
Swimming along IN : beautiful stream
Of brotherly love and champagne.
While The commissioners have a
great deal to attoud 20 In Paris. besi1es
the mere settling Of . treaty. still the
treaty hae . oouD66orable share Of At
tention. In the morn1ng after coffee.
there b usually . conclave In the ele-
CANT apartments Of Whitelaw Reid.
This n conducted with a. much mys-
tery ~ the joint seeotous- The news
pspemen have to content themseives
with keeping . careful account OF the
time spent 1t these moetlngs and then
guD9ug ~ what was sod ond done
behind the doors, which are guarded
faithfully By . colored gentleman' who
was brought from Washtngtoa for the
purpose. 49,
Down stairs, in the Hotel Continent
tai. there II another coiored gentleman.
extremely dignined. and also from
Warrington. The latter gentleman
has had years Of experience In separ-
atfng bore0 and impooterB nom the fav-
ored few who are allowed to enter the
sacred precincts. He 10 assisted BY a
short man with large buttons on his
coat. who has not the same amount OF
dignity. but who . q collection Of
In 0rsA~oa that naAh9~~ hln CAal-
lenge all corners. These two manage to
keep the strsight and narrow way
which leads to the busy ofices. pure
and undehled by i~uterlopers. Within
is q series of connecting rooms. with
imposing desks In the center of the
floors, and secretaries and e M
graphers and translators who are turn
ing the talk at h secret meetings into
piles Of typewriter sheets. til
II there 10 a meeting OF the Joint COM
mission. the members whirl on about
2 o'clock In he afternoon 70 the for
eign once. There they q and listen
to the interpreter. and grow extremely
weary OF the Philippines before dark.
when they return for dinner to the
hotel or prepare for the evenings ban
Quet.
In the Intervals Of these occupations,
there are the newspaper men to dodge.
The latter haunt the corridor OF the
hotel. wayiay the unwary commissioner
and .endeavor to trap him
into some hin OF the lat
est developments. with very lit
tie success. however. for these gentle
men are sworn to awful secrecy and
they are experts In the matter OF hold
ing their peace.
Mr.. Ferguson. the oficial interpre-
ter. acts unoficially as press agent At
least he succeeds fairly we'll in keeping
the representatives punched In the cafe.
and that ID . good thing. In this c3fe
h of1cial interpreter talks quite freely
about everything but h subject the
newspapers want him most to talk
about. He the ability to hold his
tongue on this subject In the two ON
ctal languages Of b commission There
are plenty OF interesting stories snd
"reminiscences told by the members of
this congenial group. however. The
ever-interesting details OF the Cuban
campaign are graphically described by
Mr.. Creelman. who In beginning ~ use
his wounded left arm again. To the
accompaniment Of clouds cf smoke and
gushing liquor. old campaigns are
fought again and old assignments talk
ed over. But all asree that the task
of extracting news from the Paris
peace commission IL about the toughest
proposition ever faced.