The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-16
ARE FULLY INSTRUCTED
The Peace Commissioners Confer
With the Cabinet.
NOT MERE MOUTHPIECES
They Will Have an Opportunity to Shape
Affairs - The Main Line OF Policy
Will Be Determined by the
Administration.

Washington. Sept. 15.-The cabinet
met In special session at 3 o'clock this
afternoon and adjourned at o'clock.
All of the members were present ex-
cept Secretary Alger. who is not in the
city. All united in the statement. after
the meeting, that they had agreed to
say nothing more OF the deliberations
than that the peace commissioners had
been fully instructed. AS to the ma
ture of these instructions, they con-
veyed not a word. Each one pointed
out that to do so would be extremely
impolitic. and would amount to arm
ing the Spanish commissioners in ad-
vance against themselves. The peace
~ mmissioners who were approached
on the subject made similar responses,
thus closing all official avenues of in
formation.
1t was said that the commissioners
were fully instructed" and upon seek
ing a further explanation of this
phrase. IL appeared that the cabinet
had patiently gone over in their dis
cussion with the commissioners every
subject that, in their opinion. could be
brought into the proceedings before
the Joint commission. on each of these
the American commissioners were
made acquainted with the views and
wishes of the administration. Ii is
not to be understood from this that the
commissioners go under ironclad and
Interchangeable instructions at all points,
for there is a certain amount of flexi-
bility in the instructions. also. as one
of the cabinet members put IL. the
president might just as well have re-
duced his wishes to paper in the form
of an ultimatum and have sent that
to Paris by messengers. The peace
commissioners are in no sense mere
mouthpieces. but having chosen with
the greatest care and consideration five
men in whom he puts the most explicit
confidence, the president feels that
they are to be trusted with the inter
ests of the United States. They could
not expect that they will have a free
rein in the larger questions of policy
but with ample opportunities for con-
sultations by cable and otherwise,
there is no reason why the commits
sioners should not be able to carry out
the desires Of the administration and
at the same time have the opportunity
TO somewhat shape those desires.
For instance. II is expected that at
Paris the commissioners will meet Gen
eral Merritt. fresh from Manila, and in
addition they will there have the bene-
fit of a special report from Admiral
Dewey. These will be of the greatest
value. for the commissioners are not
acquainted with the Philippine ques-
tion in detail and even information that
Is to be acquired from the Spanish
police commissioners is not to be des-
pissed when IL takes such an official
form that II can be relied upon as TO
accuracy.
All the arrangements have been COM
pleted for the departure of the COM
mission and it's staff. Most of the
party will leave Washington about 4
n affnFnnnD for New
York, but circumstances may detain
some of the commissioners until the
night train. The Campania sails at
2 y. m. Saturday and explicit instruc-
tions have been given all members of
the party to be on board at that
time.
Special baggage tags have been
printed for the belongings of the mem
bers and a small paper paster. show
ing red and blue bars crossed on
white background. gives a handy way
of making a red. white and blue"
Identification of the personal and gen.
eral luggage of the party.
The state department tonight gave
out the following concerning the discuss
sion to-day between the members of the
cabinet and the peace commission:
THE members Of the peace commits
sion. with the exception of Senator
Gray, whose absence was due to his in
aDllltY TO Withdraw as COunSei IN a case
In which he was enga ged some time be-
fore his appointment as one of the peace
commissioners. have spent the greater
part OF yesterday and to-day in a free
discussion of the duties with the dis
charge Of which they have been en-
trusted by the president. Senator Gray
is expected during the evening and be-
fore sailing viii have a full conference
with the president and his associates.
while for obvious reasons il was de-
termined that the nature Of the instruc-
tions as to the negotiations about TO be
entered into should for the present be
kept secret and made known only after
definite results shall have been reached.
I is possible to state authoritatively
that the commission goes to Paris fully
prepared to follow a course of action
consultations OF the last few days.
cat the very outset IL will be made
clear TO the Spanish commissioners that,
as In the case OF the preliminary proto-
col, there can be no deviation from or
modification Of the demands made by
the United States
The decision arrived at by the presi-
dent after a full consultation with the
members OF the commission subse-
auently received the cordial and unsni-
nous approval Of the cabinet at the
meeting held this afternoon. As pre-
viously announced, the commission sails
from New York on the Campania at ?
o'clock Sunday afternoon"