Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-12-15
PEACE PACT SIGNED.
LABORS OF COMMISSIONERS
ARE AT AN END.
Americans Happy at the Successful
Conclusion of Their Mission, and
Spaniards Assume Pleasant Faces
Sudden Death of Gen. Garcia.

The treaty of peace between the United
States and Spain was signed in Paris Sat
urday evening The momentouS scene Ia
the historic drama of the nations was inn
pressively simple in all of it's details.
group of gentlemen gathered about ta-
BILE in room overlooking the Seine and
signed their names to duplicate copies of d
document which transfers the colonial en-
pire of one of the Oldest countries of Eu-
rope to the youngest adult member of the
family Of nations.
There was no ceremony expressive Of
the momentous significance of the occa-
sion. The plain, undramatic record may
be set down in few words. 1t was the
twenty second session of the peace COM
mission, whose labors had covered just ten
weeks. It's members gathered tardily at
o'clock in the afternoon. Before all or
them had assembled, in addition to the u.s.
ual thirteen, several of the attaches OF
each commission came to witness the exc
cution of the treaty drafted under so
many difficulties.
1t was known that the engrossing of the
treaty was still unfinished, but the COM
missioners, after being photographed with
doubtful success, occupied an hour in re-
vising and signing each protocol, which
is the diplomatic name for such records.
Then, as it was known that the engross-
ing was still unfinished, half an hour was
spent in chatting and taking tea. About
$50 D. m. word came that at least an
hour more would be necessary to complete
the Spanish copy of the treaty, so a recess
was taken until 1880 o'clock.
1t was nearly o'clock before the impos
ing parchments were finally placed upon
the large table around which the commits
sioners sat in their usual order, the Span
iards on one side and the Americans on
the other. Each copy of the document
consisted of seventeen articles, in both
English and Spanish, in parallel columns.
Interpreter Ferguson read aloud the text
of the treaty.
The only difference between the two
copies was that the Spanish copy, in the
usual preamble set forth first the names
of the Spanish commissioners, with list
of their titles and the past and present
offices they have held following each, and
then the names of the American commits
sioners. The American copy gave first the
plain names of William X. Day, Cushman
X. Davis, William p. Frye, George Gray
and Whitelaw Reid describing them SIM
ply as "citizens of the United States
Then followed the names of the Spanish
commissioners, with all of their titles and
offices.
The reading of the treaty was interrupt
ed only once, when it was found that in
the article about the release of the Span
ish prisoners who are to be returned to
their homes, the English version used the
words, Cuba, Porto Rico and the Island
Of Guam and the Philippines" The Span
ish translation had it ''or' instead of of"
AID there was slight delay while this
trifing inaccuraey was corrected.
The American copy was handed to
Judge Day and the Spanish copy to Senior
Montero Rios, and the two presidents
signed their names simultaneously. The
two treaties were then passed quickly
down the respective sides of the table.
Senator Davis followed Judge Day, and
Senators Frye and Gray and Mr.. Reid
signed afterward in the order named. AZ
ter Mr.. Reid had signed Mr.. Ferguson
took the American copy to Senior Rios and
brought back the Spanish copy to Judge
Day, when the documents were passed
down the table again. the Americans sign
ing beneath the English version and the
Spaniards beneath the Spanish version in
each case The secretaries then prepared
the seals and each commissioner affixed
one opposite his name. The whole opera
ton occupied only about fifteen minutes.
Senior Montero Rios said a few words
expressive of his personal esteem of the
Americans and thanks on behalf of his
colleagues for the Americans courtesy,
and Judge Day responded in two or three
cordial sentences. The commissioners
then shook hands and the work of the
Spansh-American peace conference was
finished.