Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-04
SLIGHT CHANGE MADE
An Unimportant Modification of Peace
Terms.
EFFECT OF Yesterdays CONFERENCE
Concession by the President to
French Ambassador.
AWAITING FINAL REPLY

| Waiting to hear again from Spain and this
time 1t is expected the reply will be final
| Firmly but courteously the President has
declined the earnest appeal of the Frenca
ambass ador to modify the United States
demands except in enc respect. This is re-
garded by the administration as an abso-
| luteiy unimportant amendment of the orig
| inal demands, but has been conceded as
the French ambassador seemed to- attach
| great Importance to it. 1t is believed to
| relate to one of the details of the proposals.
| in fact that touching the place of meeting
| of the peace commissioners and not in any
way to affect the broad principles Of
| basis Of peace laid down by the President
and Secretary Day.
| 1t was midnight last night before the
| concession of the President on this one
| point was communicated to the Madrid au-
| thoflties, so that allowing for the offer
| ence in time it was impossible for an an
| sWer TO have been received this morning.
| However, ii is expected that the delay will
| not be long, probably at most not more
| than day or two, and that The answer
when it comes Will be found to be an un-
| conditional acceptance of the terms as
| they now stand. There does not seem to
! be occasion for further prclcngsd cons.d-
| Grafton in Madrid either before rnakina,
| this reply, inasmuch as the propositions
that confront the Spanish cabinet are prac-
tically the same as those with which they
dealt at the prolonged meetings Sunday
and Monday.
! There is no doubt that the peace negotia-
! tions are progressing to the entire salts
| facticn of the President and the members
| Of the cabinet. \ statement to that effect
was made today by high official of the
| aGmOiS,ir tion who beljef
| that within very short time there would
| be complete cessation Of hostlities.
Yesterdays Conference.
The conference yesterday Afternoon at the
| White House in which the President, NJ
Cambon and Secretary Day participated
| was DEVOTED almost entirely to a discussion
! of details which are regarded by the Presi-
| dent as unmportant. one of these
| was that the commission to be ap-
| pointed to settle the terms of peace, shall
| meet outside of the United States, and pre-
ferably in France. The President sees no
| material objection to granting this request,
| and it is said to be practically settled that
| the conferences VIII be held in Paris.
| The Madrid government, through NJ. Cam
| bon, propounded Il number of questions as
| 20 the time when Spain would be expected
- tNdCudtt NuDd tl4t ltiiltolS ~ ~
| ceded the United States, and as to what
| provisions would be made by the United
| States to protect the interests Of Spanish
| subjects in these islands while the evacua-
ton was in progress. NJ. Cambon was in
| formed upon all of these points, presumably
! to his satisfa elton.
There is one point, however, which the
Spanish authorities, judging from their
communication to their representative here,
fail fully to comprehend and Secretary
Day called upon the ambassador last night
for the purpose, principally, Of making per-
fectly clear this one point which was that
the evacuation of Cuba, Porto Rico and
one of the Ladrone Islands to be selected
by the United States, and the permanent
cesson to this government of all of these
islands except Cuba, was made condition
precedent to all peace negotiations, and
that not until these terms had been fully
complied with would this government con-
sent to entertain any peace propositions
whatever. This very important condition
does not, it is said, seem to be fully COM
pretended by the Madrid authorities The
questions upon which the Spanish govern
ment have so far asked for additional in
formation are regarded by the adminstra-
ton as perfectly legitimate and proper, and
bring in question the sincerity of their mo-
tives. Under these circumstances it is the
purpose of the President to deal with them
in spirit of perfect fairness and to make
the road to peace smooth for them as
the rights and dignity of this government
will permit, and to this end unimportant
concessions will be readily granted
Spain's Plea Prevented
The French ambassador was not disap-
pointed in the result of his meeting with
the President yesterday. He realized that
the Spanish plea for an abatement of the
conditions would be useless so far as it
touched the vital points of the demand He
had reached that conviction undoubtedly
at the second interview, when the Presi-
dent had, in going over with him the terms
he proposed as basis for peace, impressed
SO strongly upon him the determine ton Of
our government not to indulge in haggling
Tor advantage; not to be equipped with two
sets of terms. maximum and minimum con-
ditions, but to lay down at once the propo-
sitions that the United tates deemed to be
fair and just as a basis for peace and.
having done SO, to adhere to them firmly
SO far as all matters of principle were con-
cerned. But the Frerch ambassador felt
that it was his duty, regardless of his per-
sonal convictions, to lay the plea of the
Spanish government before the President.
and that is what yesterdays meeting
amounted to. Now, with the Spanish gov
ernment assured that no further nodifi-
cations can be expected, there is nothing
remaining but an acceptance of the terms |
outright or rejection without further de-
bate, which is not expected
1t is realized to be perfectly natural
and justifiable act on the part of the Span
ish government to endeavor to secure a
further explanation of any article in the |
Presidents note that seemed to be doubt
full of Interpretation. But while willing to |
explain in such case. it must be perfectly |
evident to tie President and to Secretary
Day that the curiosity is genuine and the !
object is not delay. /
Protection OF Spanish.
Something has been said about an effort |
on the part of the Spanish government to |
secure some guarantee from the United |
States that the Hives and s,raY,x.rtxy re