The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-23
.SpainNOtAble
to Answer
ABOUT PHILIPPINES
The Prediction Is That Am
rican Offer VIII Be Refused.

Paris, Nov 22-The memorandum of
the United States was telegraphed to-
Madrid last night Early this morn
ing a Spanish commissioner said he
and his colleagues did not know what
to do regarding the American offer. The
prediction is that Spain will decline the
American offer Of money, that She will
refuse to cede the Philippines and will
say to the United States:
You may take the archipelago be-
cause you have the power to do so. AS
you advance, we will retire protesting
against greedy aggression. We will
faithfully carry out our protocol
pledges and Ieake Cuba and Porto Rico
in your hands. You came here to en-
gage in a discussion, under the terms
Of the protocol, but you evidently
meant when drawing up that document
to provide a conference in which,
though we differ, man to man. you
proposed to announce at the proper
time what you will do, whether we
agree to it OF object. Such an attitude
robs the conference of q negouatlVe
character and sets up the United states
as a dominant power whose hrst pur-
pose Is TO listen, but whose ultimate
determination is to do its own Will
AS a matter of fact, Senior Montero
Rios is reported to have used virtually
such language and arguments as the
foregoing. He said more, even indtc9t-
ing a high degree Of evaporation at the
American offer Of 100000 900. His man
ner, no less than his words, betrayed
his repugnance
MT ,l;a,1,rr faoIi1o- and nj era noes
however, are not wholly approved by
his Spanish colleagues, who did not
hesitate to say as much after yester-
days session. UtteranceS later by a
Spaniard of importance. whose name is
withheld for the present, indicate an
other line of action-a treaty ceSSlon OF
the Philippines,
Suppose" said the speaker in ques-
ton. that Spain says to the Unltcd
states. we are exhausted. We have
no funds with which to continue the
war We do not want to continue IT,
and we cannot. You serve us with an
ultinatum. We must submit to your
power. Prepare your treaty; and when
you want us to sign we will sign. we
must bend to physical force. You nave
the Antilles: and you will possess the
Philippines as a conquest from a he!p-
less people. We yield, but we decline
$50, O0O, 900 for property on which our
valuation was not asked or respected.
You have your will. We trust you Will
not continue the war upon our helpless
ness because. forsooth, we decline your
$50, 900, O00 Surely this waiver by US OF
your money will not provoke q further
use of arms against Spain.
&c We sign, we cede, we are dumb IL
is finished: and we may be permitted
to retain the privilege of assuring our
people and our national creditors that
we at least have not stolen and reSoid
territory we had pawned.
Should Spain cede by treaty or, on
the other hand, should she refuse ana
break off the negotiations here, her
protest will embody some such declaI a.
ton as this
AS against such sentiments it is ar
gued that the business in hand is worn
for grown men, that it would be child
ish folly to refuse $50 100000 ana that
the Spanish government could not jus
tlfy such a refusal before the Spanish
people or the public creditors of Spain
a deliberate throwing away Of $20OO0,-
600 in addition to the loss OF the Phil
ippines.
Last night the Spanish commission
ers sent the American proposition by
special messenger to Madrid, where 1t
will arrive tomorrow. 1t is felt that
the Spanish government must now an
swer the American ultimatum; but as
1t is not likely that the answer Of Mad
rid will arrive tomorrow in time for the
commissioners to formulate their re-
ply to the Americans by the afternoon,
IT is probable that the joint meeting
will be deferred from tomorrow to a
day later in the week.
The Gaulois today says: 1.-The COM
missions being divided into an equal
number of voices on the subject Of the