Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-11-26
OUR DEMANDS ON SPAIN
Talk If Refusing Our ofsr Of
Twenty Million Dollars.
Bur sPASIARDs WILL Hof FIeHf
'sIoa Nay Take enc Ayebtpelase Be-
ssoss Yos Have the Power 30 Do
SO = We WIN Ressrs Protesting
Aeainss eroedy Aa1resssos.

Paris. Nov. 2s.-The Spanish peace
commissioners have sent TO Madrid the
substance OF the United States memo
randum presented en- Monday. and a
Spanish commissioner affirmed yester-
day that he and his colleagues cid not
knew what to do regarding the Ameri-
can sfrer. There is q difference OF opin-
ion smsng unofficial people near the
commissions. but the prediction Is made
that Spain viii decline the American
offer Of msney. that she will refuse 10
ceae the Philippines and will say TO
the United States:
"Tsu make take the archipelago. be-
cause ysu have the power to do so. As
ysu advance We will retire. protest.
ing against greedy aggression. We win
faithfully carry out eur protocol
pledges ana leave Cuba and Porto
hice In ysur hands. You came here
to engage in discussion under the
tcrHse Of the prstscol, but you evidently
meant when drawing up that dccumen.
to provide q conference In which,
though we differ man to man. you pro-
pssed to announce at the proper time
what ysu will do. whether we agree to
IL or object. Such an attitude robs
the conference. or a negotiative char
acter and sets up the United States
as dominant power whose first pur-
pose is to listen. but whose ultimate
determination is to do its own will"
AS matter of fact Senior Montero
Rios is reported 20 have used virtually
such language and arguments as the
foregoing. He said more even indicat-
ing high degree OF evaporation at
the American offer OF $50. 600. 900. His
manner. no less than his words. oetray-
ed his repugnance. His display OF
feeling and utterances. however. are
not wholly approved by his Spanish
colleagues. who did not hesitate to
say as much after Mondays session.
Utterances later by a Spaniard of
Importance. whose name is withheld
for the present. Indicate another line
OF action, a treaty cession of the Phil
ippines.
Suppose" said the speaker in ques-
ton, that Spain says to the United
States. We are exhausted. We have
no funds with which to continue the
war We do not want to continue It,
and We cannot. You serve us with all
ultimatum. We must submit TO your
power. Prepare your treaty. and when
you want us to sign we will sig-. We
must bend to physical force. You have
the Antilles and you will possess the
Philippines as a conquest from a help
less people.
We yield, but we decline $50. 900. 0G0
for property OF which our valuation
was not asked nor respected. You have
your will. We trust that you will not
continue the war upon our helplessness,
because, forsooth. we decline your $20,-
100000 Surely this waver by us of
your money Will not provoke a further
use OF arms against Spain.
We sign. we cede. we are dumb. IL
is finished. and we may be permitted
to retain the privilege OF assuring our
people and our national creditors that
we at least have not stolen and resold
territory we had pawned.'
Should Spain cede by treaty or, on the
other hand. should she refuse and break
off the negotiations here her protests
will embody some such declaration as
this.
AS against such sentiments IL is ar
gued that the business in hand is work
for grown men. and that IL would be
childish folly to refuse $40 000, 900. and
that the Spanish government could not
Justify such a refusal before the Span
ish people or the public creditors OF