Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-12-08
D0NS ASK EAyORS.
Plea for Privileges to Spanish Ship.
pers to Porto Rico and Cuba.
open DOOR FOR The WEST INDIES,


to conclude their work, the Unite
! States and Spanish peace commission
! did not hold joint session yesterda,
Their next meeting was to be held q
two o'clock this afternoon. This della
arose from the fact that the SPANS
commissioners at Wednesdays sessio
offered several urgent proposition
which called for special deliberatio
upon the part Of the Americans
Spain asks the United States +
grant, for term Of five years, to Span
ish ships carrying Spanish goods o
products to Porto Rico and Cuba, tn
same privileges as American vessel
engaged in the same trade may hav
and she qualities this request by pro
vision that trade privileges be extend
ed to Cuba so long as the United State
government dominates over the is
land. In support Of this re
quest the Spanish commission
ers assert that Spain cannot, with
out vital harm, Immediately abandon
or cut the business relations so lonf
maintained between the mother coun
try and the West Indian territories
They declare that family ties and so
cial relations, added to affairs of trade
maintained through centuries, require
gradual dissolution. They invoke the
terms of the treaty Of 1919 by which
the United States took over Florida
from Spain and the fifteenth article
of which granted Spain for 10 years
the right to send her goods and prod.
ucts to Florida in Spanish ships on
the same terms as the ships carrying
thither goods and products Of the
United States.
The Spanish commissioners cite
further the fact that the treaty of 1903
with France for the cession of Louisi-
ana granted French and Spanish
goods and products the same terms as
Americans in New Orleans and other
ports in the coded territory, Finally,
Spain points to the American proposed
open door, policy in the Philippines
and asks guarantee Of the same ad-
vantages in her West Indian colonies
until trade relations can by degrees
accustom themselves to the change Of
sovereignty.
This proposition and the arguments
by which it was supported are con.
sidered strongly stated and the Amer
lean commissioners desired time for
elaboration. Thus, although they
were busy until nearly two o'clock
yesterday afternoon, they were not
fully prepared, and Judge Day sent a
message to Senior Montero Rios. re-
questing that the joint session fixed
for yesterday afSnrnoon be postponed
until to-day.
Meanwhile the Spanish commission.
ers had been preparing list of sub.
jects for negotiations, supplemented
by suggestions counter toany amenda-
tory of the subjects the Americans sub.
mitted yesterday. This came to the
American commissioners yesterday In
Spanish, rendering it even more desir-
able to postpone the joint session in
order to give time for translation and
consideration. The translation was
made yesterday evening and the sub
ject was laid before the American com
missioners this morning.
Now that the first gust of grief and
chagrin has passed, the Spanish COM
missioners are meeting the Americans
in frank spirit that is helpful to an
early completion Of the negotiations.
From information which comes to the
correspondent of the Associated press
from a we'll authenticated source it
seems unlikely that the commissions
will finish their work as soon as had
been expected. It, is probable that
the negotiations will last considerably
longer.
Madrid has instructed the Spanish
commissioner on three points to which
the Americans attach much impor.
lance. These are the cession of an is
land in the Carolines, the granting of
religious freedom over the whole Of
the Carolines and the cession OF cable
and coaling station at Ceuta. The
Spanish government has instructed
Senior Montero Rios to grant none Of
these, and, while Spain may ultimate
ly yield to them all, it is admitted
that the American missioners have
no power to enforce their demands on
points not covered by the protocol.
Before Spain does yield, the negotia.
tions are likely to be prolonged and
the United States may have to give q !
quid pro quo.
Hope to Get Gen. Brooke's Statement
Washington, Dec. "A majority Of
the war investigating commission ar.
rived here yesterday after a visit to
New York and Boston. The commits