Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
UNLIKELY
Between the United States and
Spanish Peace Commits.
sIoners "a Paris.
FINAL BREAK NAY SOON OCCUR.

| Dur Philippine Demands Too Much for
the Don-Reported Instructions from
Washington That Are Practically an
UItimatum, but No Time Limit Is Fixed
Dispute as to the Philippines as AT
fected by the Preliminary Peace Ne
GOtiItions.
Madrid, Nov. lei impartial says
the government has forwarded instruc-
tions 70 Senor Montero Rios, president
of the Spanish peace commission at
Paris, and that today's conference may
be the last or the last but one unless
the American commissioners moderate
their claim" According to El Impair
cial a member of the cabinet has Writ
ually declared as much
Paris. Nov. Il. - Among on-lookers
here the impression eXists-tkOugh 1t is
not the result Of any official statement
that the Spanish peace commissioners
Will not consent to a treaty which the
american commissioners could sign. II
seems almost possible, also, that in thu
pitiable pressure TO which the Spanish
commissioners are subjected between
their large creditors, who are on the
spot watching them. and the stern at
tItude Of the United States the Span
iards may abandon their struggles and
leave the two forces to confront each
other. The statement is printed here
that the last memorandum from the
Americans is regarded by the Sp1niards
rs a virtual ultimatum. But as a mat
ter Of fact the Americans have not pre-
sented an ultimatum, save as their
treatment Of the subjects in hand may
be unswervable. It is only since
Wednesday last that the Spaniards
have begun to feel that the Americans
purpose taking over the Philippines.
and that. too. without any assumption
of Spanish Indebtedness.
Time Limit Has >ot Been set.
As they are now convinced of this it
may be that Spain's next presentment
in conference will be the supreme rally
Of her diplomatic. aTEumeutatiVe and
tactical forces. 1t may even mark the
conclusion Of all she has to say, but il
the rules of procedure are followed the
Americans would stil have another pre-
sentiment to submit. Ever since oct l
il has been within the range of posi-
bility that at any meeting an open
rupture might occur. and on one or two
occasions il might have been easily n
fact even before the taking up of the
Philippine question. The boundaries Of
the field in which that question is being
worked out are becoming more ap-
parent and the angle OF final settle
ment cannot be far off. If 4 treaty is
10 result here it may fairly he expected
within three weeks, although it is not
true - as reported from the United
States-that the Americans have in
structions embodying a time limit for
the conclusion of the conference.
Not Unlike AN UItimatum.
Washington, Nov. Is. - The cabinet
held a special session Saturday night
at which instructions understood
to be Of n positive character bear
ing on the Philippine question were
drafted for dispatch TO the American
commissioners in Paris. These irstruc-
tions We're the outcome Of the confer
enCe held earlier in the day, and in
struct the American representatives to
admit of no further discussion as to the
right to consider the disposition of the
islands. and state that on that point the
Instructions already sent must stand,
the only matters for discussion from
the American view being the manner of
giving over the islands.