The record-union., 1898-12-07

ban and Porto Rican Waters
Rejected.
PARIS, Dec. 6.-The peace treaty of
Paris is practically an accomplished
fact To-day's session disposed Of the
essential features of the treaty, which
will be embodied in the following eight
articles:
First-The customary preface. of trea-
ties. in the nature of an expression of
amity and of hope for perpetual peace.
Second-The REIMBURSEMENT of Spain
of her sovereignty over Cuba.
Third-The withdrawal of the Spanish
troops.
Fourth-The REIMBURSEMENT by Spain
of her sovereignty over Porto Rico.
Fifth-Spains cession of the Philip
pines.
Sixth-The withdrawal of the Spanish
troops there.
acknowledgement by the United
States of $2O,O0OO00 for the Philippines.
Eighth-The provision for the "open
door, commercial policy in the Phil
ippines.
The rough draft of the treaty, which
may be considerably changed. covers
the proposals. 1t makes a long docu-
ment, which Senator Davis of the Unit
be found to be one of the most inter-
esting papers in its character ever writ
ten. So completely are the details of
the evacuation of the Philippines stip-
ulated that commission such as ar
ranged for the Spanish withdrawal
from the West Indies will be unneces-
sary
Among the questions not yet settled,
however, are the coaling station and
religious freedom in the Carolines, the
Spanish Commission not having replied
to the American offer.
The Americans have agreed to trans
port the Spanish prisoners home, in
cluding the garrison and sailors at Ma
nila captured by Admiral Dewey and
General Merritt, as well as the soldiers
and civilians held by the Filipinos,
whose return thekAmericans have guar
anteed. AS compensation, Spain prom
ises to liberate all Cuban, Porto Rican
and Philippine political prisoners. Span
ish soldiers electing to remain in the
matter of economy for the Americans
to return the others, as they must be
fed as long as they are kept, and Spain
is unable to bear the expense of the
repatriation.
Also the Americans have rejected
Spains request for free shipping for
ten years in Cuban and Porto Pican
waters, they having given the Spanish
Commissioners such poor consolation as
the latter may derive from the permis-
sion to reapply when the diplomatic
relations have been renewed for ship
ping concessions under the reciprocity
scheme Of the Dingley law, for which
Senior Dupuy de LONE was negotiating
in Washington when the war broke out.
There are still under discussion eight
secondary subjects which the Spanish
Commissioners broached last week, in
Guiding the status of patents and copy
rights. The American Commissioners
to-day handed to Senqr Montero Rios
written reply covering these questions.
tomorrow, as the Spaniards desire time
to consider this document.
1t has developed that yesterdays ses-
sion was of far greater Importance than
generally supposed. 1t resulted in the
Americans uncompromisingly rejecting
Spain's request that for a term of years
the ships of that country and its pro-
ducts be admitted to Cuban and Porto
Rican ports under the same regulations
and customs tariff as American ships
and products.
The Spanish Commission for some
days has been playing for time The
Americans were anxious for a decision
on the question of a coaling station in
the Caroline Islands, religious tolerance
in the Carolnes and the release Of
political prisoners. The Spaniards were
unwilling to answer these points until
they heard what the Americans pro-
psed to do for their industries which
had been built up by the Cuban and
Porto Rican trade. This is why Spain
contended that the articles of the
treaty should be disposed of in their
order, while the Americans wanted first
to settle their pressing need.
The session of yesterday was practi-
cally a fight on the order of procedure
Finally the Americans yielded. and then
the Spaniards proposed their shipping
ana COIIlIlIGIC ICIdl QdCSllOu, WHICH lflG
Americans rejected in it's entirety The
session then adjourned. with neither
side in an especially amiable frame of
mind.
1t is learned that there were differ
ences of opinion among the Americans
on the shipping question, and numerous
telegranls were exchanged with Wash
ington Finally the American Commits
sion was instructed to refuse, the prin-
cipal reason being that Porto Rico is
about to be declared within the coast
line of the United States, while as re-
CARDS Cuba, the authorities at Wash
ington would make no promises, as the
American occupation is not fixed and
the future Cuban Government will
make it's own treaties.
Exactly what Spain requested was
that her ships and products should be
accorded the same privileges in Cuba
and Porto Rico for a period Of ten years
as had been conceded to Spain in the
Philippines. This request was sup
ported by the precedents in the cases of
Louisiana and Florida, when the prod
ucts and shipments Of France and