The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-08-17
SUMTER. S. c.. WEDNESDAY AUGUST IL 1898.
aWE HAVE AGREED
UPON A PROTOCOL, .
"Em bodying Proposed Terms
for Negotiation of a Treaty
of Peace"

lOT N6SOtldtlOu VI q Treaty
of Peace
Washington, August 10 The pre-
liminary negotiations looking toward
the confirmation of peace advanced
long step to day when the secretary
of state and the French ambassador
agreed upon the terms upon which
future negotiations for treaty are to
be conducted and reduced these to
the form of protocol This proto-
col. it is true, is yet to be signed and
is vet to be submitted to the Spanish
government before the formal sigma
lures are affixed, but the administra-
tion view as to the progress made to-
day was set out in Secretary Days
sentence "It ia expected that this
protocol will be executed"
There is always the possibility in
dealing with the Spanish government
that it may recede at the last moment
from an implied agreement. but it is
scarcely probable that it would be
willing to invoke the French ambas-
sador in the difficulties that would
follow what TO the world would seem
to be reputation of his benevolent
efforts in behalf of Spain.
NAY BE 4S HOURS BEFORE IT
Is SIGNED.
There must be deIay-possibly
from 81 to 4S hours-before the next
step can be taken and the protocol!
made binding upon both the United
States and Spain by the attachment
of the signature of the plenipoten,
tiaries, Secretary Day for the United
States and NJ Cambon for Spain
The delay will be largely attributable
to physical causes The protocol is
long it must be translated and turn.
ed back aud forth into code and sim
pie language no less than FIVE times
before it reaches Madrid through the
French foreign Office This work
was not begun until late this after
noon after it had consumed the best
energies of Assistant Secretary Adoo,
of the state department. and NJ THE
baut, secretary of the French embas-
sy, in the preparation in formal shape
of the two copies of the protocol,
one in English and one in French.
These were prepared very carefully
and idiomatic variance in the two
languages Decessitating the greatest
caution in order that the Identical
character of the two copies should
be preserved The length of the
protocol imposed a great amount of Ia
Dor upon the cipher clerks, or who
ever is charged with the work OF
rendering the original into cipher, 80
that altogether it is apparent the con
sumption of time involved in purely
mechanical functions will be 80 con-
siderable as to make the rendition Of
very early answer improbable.
As TO the character of the protocol
it can be stated on authority that our
terms are in all practica! points those
set out in the abstract of the Presi-
dents conditions published from the
White House week ago. From this
fact il is deduced that the extra con.
dition or qualifications sought to be
imposed by the Spanish government
were abandoned at least in large part
by the French ambassador.
This deduction is supported by the
circumstances that in the early morn
ing, and before the conference be-
tween Secretary Day and M. Cambon
which resulted in an agreement, there
was prevalent impression, based
upon the utterances of public men
who had talked with the President,
that The Spanish answer was unsatis-
factory and that the negotiations look
ed as if they might terminate sudden
ly. AS this situation changed 80 sud-
denly after the conference it may he
fairly assumed that the ambassador
abandoned the conditions which the
President was repnted to have re
garded as unsatisfactory. It is be.
lieved that the protocol carries with
and in Itself provision for the cessa-
ton of hostilities. On this point the
naval contingent is urgent that our
government adopt tbe Napoleonlc
policy of refusing to enter into an ar
mistice without acquiring some sub
stantial pledge to secure the consum-
nation of peace What they partic-
ularly desire is that our government
shall demand as condition of ces-
sation of hostiii:ies. the surrender to
the United States military forces of
MORO Castle at the entrance of Ha-
vana harbor and some such points of
vantage at the other important ports
in the territory soon to fall under our
control