The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-16
TO LET SPAIN OFF EASY.
The President is Not Disposed to Be
Hard on Her

AarQ on d6r.
Washington, July 16.-In view of re-
newed reports that the French ambas-
SadOr at Washington, NJ. CambOn, had
opened peace negotiations or inquiries
relative to possible terms of peace. it
can be stated authOritatively after in
quiry at the French embassy that no
negotiations or inquiries of any char
acter relative to peace have been made
as yet, officially or unofficially, directly
or indirectly, by the French ambassa--
The reports grew out of NJ Cambon's
call at the White House on July IL.
The purpose of this call and the, entire
conversation which passed between the
president and the ambassador are
fully known and it can be stated posi-
lively that it contained no reference to
the present conflict between Spain and
the United States or to the prospect Of
its being brought to a close. It related
to subject wholly outside the war or
its close by peace or otherwise, and the
question of the war did not come up
even incidentally. The only incidental
question referred to was the loss of the
French steamship BOurgOgne. for
which the president expressed the
deepest regret as well as his satisfac-
ton that the inquest had mitigated the
early reports of the occurrence. The
main question discussed, however, re-
lated solely to the United States and
France without the remOtest bearing
on Spain, and in due time it will bear
fruit in certain expressions of good will
between this country and the French
republic.
Notwithstanding the well established
character of this conference between
the president and the French am
baSsadOr, it has served as a, text for re-
ports that NJ Cambon was sounding the
government on the terms of peace.
This has been asserted so positively
that. even some officials have accepted
it as accurate, and as an Indication
that the peace movement at last had
assumed tangible form. The report has
even been accepted at Madrid after be-
ing cabled to the Impartial. The
French ambassador was not authorized
by his government to make oVertures
for peace, and in the absence of such
instructions he would not assume such
a delicate duty.
Without assuming to speak for him
in a matter of this Importance, it is
gathered from high members of the ad-
min1StratiOn that the president himself
is disposed to be moderate in his de-
mands and while securing all that the
United States is fairly entitled to exact
from a nation in SPANS distressed con-
ditiOn he is not disposed to embark in
a world cOnQuer1ng enterprise and in
sist upon the retention of remote terri
tories that would be unserviceable to
us. In other words, unless there is an
overwhelming demand on the part of
the American people for the adoption
of such a course, it is not believed the
president would as finality, insist that
Spain abandon all of her colonial pos
sessions.
While the proposition is tentative, it
is felt that as a minimum demand, he
viii De content with the acquisition of
Porto Rico an admission of the indie
pendence of Cuba, a cOaling station in
the Philippines with provision for some
kind of protectorate over the island and
a moderate indemnity. 1t is judged !
that the Spanish government has pretty
fairly imbibed some such idea as this
and that the utterances of Premier Sa-
gasta and the cautious declarations in
the pro- Spanish newspapers are simply !
to gradually bring the Spanish |
populace into a state of mind where |
they will be willing to submit quietly |
to the imposition of some such terms |
of peace 1t is realized that at present |
the conditions in Spain are not ripe and |
that some time, how much can not be |
estimated now-win be required to Gull |
tivate public sentiment in Spain to the /
proper point