Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-11-10

session of the peace conference Friday
iatly refused to accept Monday s
proposition by the Americans to take
the entire Philippine group and REIN
burse Spain for her pacific expendi-
lures there. This negative action was
expected. The Spanish commissioners
had also q number of positive declara-
tons which filed some 81 sheets of a
typewriter presentment. In this
statement the Spaniards held that the
! United States had no ultimate rights
III the Philippines and could have none
save by the consent Of Spain in these
negotiations and upon terms salts
factory to her. According to the
Spanish contention, the United
! States entertained no thought of
anneXing the Philippines when the
protocol was signed, or it would have
been expressed as clearly as the con-
ditions regarding the cession of terri
! tory in the antilles and orient. Cam
bon, before the signature of the pro-
| tocol, received from Madrid-the pre-
! sentiment alleged-a cable message
! clearly setting forth that the main
tenance of SPANS authority over the
Philippines should not be affected ov
the protocol, to which reservation the
United States made at that time no
protest or objection. This dispatch
to Cambon, as the Spaniards claimed,
embodied also the view that the Unit
ed States had no valid basis for
claims in the archipelago. 1t was
further held Friday by Rios and his
colleagues that the capitulation of
Manila, having occurred after the
signing of the protocol and thus after
the suspension of hostilities, was in
valid. With all this for ground
work, the Spaniards made their
first positive move against the Amer
icans and it constituted their counter
proposition. They charged upon the
United States wrongful appropriation
Of public moneys belonging to Spain
by Selling tariff duties at Manila, and
they formally demanded & return Of
these moneys in the sum of nearly
81 000,0 900.
On the same premises the United
States was Friday declared to have
made and held as prisoners Spanish
troops at Manila in violation Of inter
national law, because it was done after
the suspension Of hostilities under the
protocol. 4 further charge was that
by the imprisonment of such troops at
Manila, the United States had prevent
ed Spain from quelling the instruction
ha5 ri 70
ton against Spain after the cessation
of hostilities
Fridays sessions presentment also
cited the refusal Of the Americans to
consider the Cuban debt on the ground
that it was not sanctioned in the pro-
tocol and demanded adherence to this
as a precedent in discussion of the
Philippines regarding the cession Of
which the Spanish commissioners held
the protocol to make no mention. In
support OF these assertions, arguments
and demands, the Spanish presentment
| inVokes SPANS record in. correspond
ence by mail and telegraph, though it
is not known unoficially whether the
| Spaniards prefXed the message said
! to have been sent from Madrid to
| Cambon, at the time that the protoGOI
| was signed, in which it was affirmed
| Friday that Spain reserved her Philip
| pine sovereignty.
At the close Of the reading of the
! presentment the Americans said they
wished to have the Spanish statement
rendered into written English for more
careful consideration and adjournment
was taken to Tuesday.
friday evening the Spaniards at
fected to believe that the Americans
had planned to develop the spirit of
their Philippine demands before the
American elections, but they declined
to say whether they expect easier
terms after election.
The counsel of the commissioners
last night examined the Spanish pre-
sentiment with a view to today'S pri-
Vate session of the American commits
sion, when the response will be form
ulated.
1t may be asserted on the highest
authority-as bearing on the Spanish
argument-that when the protocol was
signed there was no understanding
verbal or otherwise, which the proto-
col does not show forth. Nor have the
American commissioners at any time
on the other hand, held or believed
that the protocol determined
anything against SPANS sover
f eighty in the Philippines. The
= American representatives have
= however, held and doubtless will hold
= that the protocol was meant to pro
2 vide and does provide for decision
= BY the Paris conference regarding the
, ownership of the Philippines. In this
2 connection, too, the Americans viii
: undoubtedly cite the fact that origin
. ally the protocol contained the wore
2 possess instead OF "disposition," the
l latter having been substituted at Cam.
, bon's request and in Difference to Span
ish sensibilities. The original readins
U will unQuestionably be REQUIRED tt
now, as indicating the mental attitude
of the American signers of the proto
Philippines. This reasoning NATURAL!
will include the question of preceden
l which the Spaniards say was Gre
ated by the refusal of the United
5 States to consider the Cuban debt be
cause 1t was not mentioned in the pro
D tocol.
1t is possible that the American