Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-11-16
SPAIN WANTS MORE TIME
American Peace Commissioners Are
Asked to Grant Eelay.
IS AGAIN DELAYED.
Apparently, if the Dons' ENJOYS Ccde
Philippines They Dare Not
Go Home.

Paris, Nov. Att has been decided
hat there will be no joint sessions Of the
peace commissions today.
Secretary Moore of the United States
commission received from Secretary Ole
da of the Spanish commission this morn
ing a note saying that the Spanish com
missioners had found it impossible to pre-
pare their memorandum for presentation
today and asking if the United States
commissioners would be Inconvenience
if, owing to the late arrival from Madrid
of expected data, the Spaniards SHOULD
request that the next meeting be deferred
until Wednesday. Secretary Moore re-
piled that American commissioners were
quite ready to accommodate the Span
iards in this matter, and the joint session
was practically deferred until Wednesday
next.
Importance is attached to this delay, it
being regarded as indicating that the
Spanish commissioners are preparing TOR
a final stand in these negotiations and 1t
may now be definitely stated that they
will not sign a treaty of peace Whlch
yields to Spain no more from the Philip
pine islands than has thus far been of
fered or indicated by the Americans.
Should the latter that the
United States is only willing to reimburse
Spain for her Pacific expenditures in the
Philippine islands, the Spanish commits
sioners will reply that their mission is fin
ished. Should this occur, it is possible
the Spaniards will also suggest a suspen-
sion of the negotiations through the com
mission and a resumption of negotiations
between Madrid and Washington.
This attitude of the Spaniards is X
pected by the fact that the members of
the Spanish commission have political al
Iiances and personal responsibilities to con-
StifranoiaS anH tho nofinno1 apo1itorS of
Spain which restrict them to certain lines,
which are as far as the ministry at Mad
rid cares to go. 1t is pointed out that ii
the five Spanish commissioners here
signed a treaty yielding the Philippine
islands to the United States without les
sening SPANS deb in an appreciate de-
gree, they would not return home with the
prospect of any political future before
them and possibly would be in danger of
violence at the hands Of mobs.
At the next meeting OF the commits
sions the Americans will learn the definite
attitude of Spain on any proposition thus
far made. The Spaniards, however, in
this presentation, will not declare all ne
gotiations closed. They will insist that
the sovereignty of Spain over the Philip.
pine islands is beyond question, but will
announce SPANS readiness to yield that
sovereignty for an adequate equivalent
and will then invite negotiations under the
Spanish construction of the protocol.
The American commissioners may then
communicate their final attitude to the
Spaniards. but the Americans are eX-
pected. at a future meeting, to present a
carefully-prepared conclusion of their po-
sition and conditions. Should they be no
different from those already presented
the time will then have arrived when
Spain will declare herself helpless though
~steadfast and will await the next step Of
the United States. whatever it may be.
Thus Spain will be able to say to her
creditors that she has lone her utmost
and that the issue must rest between
them and the United States.