The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-20

joint session today, and the next ses-
sion of the two commissions has been
fixed for Friday next.
Judge Day, president of the Ameri-
can commission, received a communi-
cation today from Senior Montero Rios,
saying that advices expected. but not
received from Madrid, made it neces-
sary for himself and his colleagues to
request a postponement of any further
conferences until Friday next a cour-
teous reply was returned by Secretary
Moore in behalf of the American COM
missioners, granting an extension of
the time for the next meeting as re-
quested.
While the deferring of any one con-
ference for two days is in itself not an
important request, the delay by the
Spanish at this juncture is something
more than significant. The game of
diplomacy now progressing here has
reached a stage which makes 1t neceS-
sary that the next move be made by
the Spanish commissioners. They are
confronted by the plain fact of their
protocol to relinquish and evacuate
Cuba without ifs and butts" 1t has
become clear here that the Spaniards
cherished the hope that they could un-
conditionally covenant to follow
given path and ultimately wander else
where, and 90 less or more than named
in the protocol compact. The Ameri-
can commissioners, however, have firm
ly adhered to the boundary lines al
ready mutually established, and with
in which they insist the SpaniardS as
we'll as themselves shall duly proceed.
1t is not too much 20 say that Spain
now has more light than ever before
on the integrity and steadfastness in
word and purpose of the United States.
Nor is it wide of fact to say that the
Spaniards are now initially appreciat-
ing that the United States did not
make war on Spain to acquire Cuba as
q conquest prize. OF this the Span
iards may not yet be wholly convinced,
but the firm refusal of Judge Day and
his colleagues to assume the Cuban
debt. because the United States will
not take over the sovereignty. has wild
ened Spain's perceptions and his un-
questionably hastened their convic-
tons.
The assigned reasons for today's re-
quest for delay is believed to be to al
low an interchange of communications
with Madrid and to formulate a final
attitude on the Cuban matter. This at
titude of the Spaniards to be developed
on Friday will be watched with no lit
tie interest Their alternatives are few,
but pregnant. They may accede 10 the
American attitude, themselves assume
the Cuban debt and go forward to the
next protocol point of Puerto Rico and
choice by the United States CT an is
land in the Ladrone group, or they may
at this juncture formally ask for ar
bitration, or as an extremity. which
is not likely, may retire from further
negotiations.
The Americans yesterday held a brief
session, having no reference to the ne
gotiations, and the brevity of these
meetings and other indications warrant
the deduction that the American atti-
tude is well formed. and the commits
sion is thoroughly advised on all the
points and features which tits possible
to foresee in separate conferences. The
amount of information acquired by the
Americans since their arrival here is
| large. They have examined old resi-
/ dents of the Philippines and the infor-
nation and testimony from this and
other sources is valuable.
The holders of Spanish securities
have not been inactive. and it is not
unlikely that the American commission
| will be called upon to consider writ
ten presentment of figures, facts and