The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-04
SIGNING OF TREATY OF PEACE.
THREE MONTHS APT TO- ELAPSE
BEFORE 1T is ACCOMPLISHED.

BEFORE 1T Is ACCOMPLISHED.
Actual HOstlIities Expected 10 Cease
Within a Very Few Days After
Spain Hns Notified the United
states of Her Acceptance of the
Terms offered Hcr-AGreement
Might he signed in EurOpe-EX-
petitions to Porto Rico Not to BE
Abandoned.
Washington Aug. Son the assump-
ton that peace is near at hand some at
tention is being given to the steps by
which this may be brought about form
ally and the measures necessary 10 be
adopted Immediately afterwards. 1t is
said to be not at all improbable that the
preliminaries leading up to the signature
of the treaty of peace may consume fully
three months, so that it may be well
along toward the legal date of the assem-
bly, of Congress before the President will
be prepared to present a peace treaty to
the Senate
This allowance of time is rather moder
ate than excessive We were two years,
from 1881 to 1888, in arranging a peace
with Great Britain to terminate the rev.
olutionary war.
In the case of the Chinese-Japanese war
il was several months before the COM
missioners We're able to perfect the treaty
of Shimonisaki, which terminated that
war.
1t does not follow from this that an
actual state of war viii prevail during
this interval of three months, for as a
matter of fact hostilities VIII terminate
within a very few days after Spain has
notified the United States government of
her acceptance of the terms laid down in
the Presidents note of last Saturday. The
military establishment, however, must be
maintained during that time and many
acts performed that are actual warfare.
1t is expected here that the Spanish
pledge to accept the broad conditions laid
down by the United States will take the
form of a written agreement, something
In the nature of a protocol, which, while
a very necessary step in the negotiations
of a treaty, is not always part of the
document. The negotiations have not pro-
gressed sufficient to indicate who shall be
the parties to this agreement, or rather
who shall represent the principals, the
United States and Spain.
It is possible that it may be signed in
Washington as between Secretary Day
and NJ. Cambon. or. on the other hand.
the ambassadors of Spain and the United
States in one of the European countries,
| might meet by the authorization of their
respective governments and sign the
! agreement.
Protocol, it may be so called, in either
| case would not take the place in any
manner of the treaty of peace. which
would be drawn up later by commission
| ers to be appointed for this purpose.
Under the terms of the Presidents note,
If they shall be accepted by Spain, the
| Spanish government is bound to evacuate
| Cuba and Porto Rico Immediately. This
action is not to wait upon the work of the
| peace commissioners, but is to precede it,
| and to follow Immediately upon the sigma
| ture of the memorandum, accepting the
| Presidents conditions.
The word Immediately" in this case Is
| perhaps a little deceptive The expert
ence of the war department in the en-
deavor to remove to Spain the Spanish
troops surrendered at Santiago, has not
| justified the expectato that the large
| force of Spanish regulars can be gathered
| up and shipped home to Spain in less than
| about sixty days at best. This estimate
! is based On the fact that it is not expected
| by the Spanish authorities, who are direct
| ing tne movements of the Spanish troops
| transports, that they will be able 10 re-
turn all of the Santiago prisoners to Spain
! before Sept. l. Therefore, what is meant
| by the word Immediately Is that the
Spanish government shall at least, begin
! the arrangements at once for the eVacua-
| ton of the Islands.
| On the whole, it is a rather fortunate
| circumstance that this evacuation cannot
| take place en- masse and Immediately, for
! it has been determined that the Spanish
troops withdrawn must be replaced by
| United States troops. This is deemed to
| be absolutely necessary to guard against
anarchy and to secure the establishment
of a stable form of government in Cuba
under proper cons titutional guarantees,
but in all probability not many of them
win have to go there before the present
rainy season has neared its end.