Evening journal., 1898-11-04
SITUATION AT PARIS
A Review Of the Philippine
Question.
no AMERICAN GREED FOR TERRITORY
The state of Affairs In Lu-on Makes
American Possession a Neces-
sIt3-A Division OF the Is-
lands impossible.


Of the protocol and entered upon the
wide field OF diplomacy. where an open
question is 70 be decided Both COM
missions realize that the area is ample
enough for some maneuvering though
on the American side the tendency is to
evolutions much more compact than
those Of the Spaniards. Both would un-
doubtedy be gratined 90 reach a mu-
tuai conclusion without compulsion.
At Mondays joint session the Amer
lean commissioners laid down a propO-
sition In two parts. First that the
United States should take over the Phil
ippnes entire; second. that In so doing
they should reimburse 20 Spain the sum
Of her permanent and pacific oxpendi-
ture In the Philippines The logic of the
situation compelled the Americans to
make the first move.
Having heard the American PROPOSE
tion. the Spaniards might have imme-
diately declined 1t. as they certainly
will do at today's session. Whether they
viii accompany the refusal with c0un-
ter proposition has not been definitely
ascortained, though at a late hour last
evening that course seemed improbable.
The result viii be that the commissions
viii retire from confronting positions
until one or the other shall have re-
formed its lines for the next meeting,
which will probably occur next week.
II the Spanish commissioners entertain
a hope that after the elections in the
United States the American commits
sloners Will relax their demands as to
the Philippines, they have not uttered
Il here for the public ear. nor has any
thing been said or done By any member
OF the United states commission to
warrant such a hope.
The American commissioners came 10
Paris with no greed for the Philippine
territory per Sc. To an unofficial by
stander the question with them has
seemed 10 be rather TO find the right
path and 10 walk IN il. than by n bold
use OF power TO wrench the utmost ad-
vantage from a distressed opponent
The fact is the commissioners have
felt that the conditions precedent rem
der the letting go Of the Philippines as
difficult as their retention. There is, for
instance, the question OF the future Of
Aguinaldo. his chiefs and followers The
Philippine leader and his immediate
associates In the insurrection accepted
exile and over 100000 at the hands Of
Spain as an inducement to cease their
rebellion. They went to China but they
were brought back TO the Philippines
on board a United States warship. Agu-
naldo received from Admiral Dewey
several thousand stands of arms and
was put ashore as an ally Of the United
States In the war against Spain.
The insurgent leader and his chiefs
have forfeited their lives. Should the
United States return the Philippines to
A u
lowers must be surrendered TO death or
taken away by the United states, and
the American commissioners feel that
transplantng them would be as severe
toward them as Il would be impracti-
cable from the point Of view OF the
United States. Territory to shelter them
Is felt necessary IN the Philippines.
The entire group might not be neces-
sary for this purpose Should. then. the
United States retain Luzon as their
place OF refuge? To do this would be to
take the most valuable portion Of the
archipelago. an act which might fur
nish basis for the dual charge of greed
in taking the best and OF cowardice in
evading responsibility for the remain
der. The American commissioners have
been unwilling TO place the United
States in such position.
Again, there arose the pregnant ques-
tion Of undesirable neighhors should
only Luzon be taken. An aggressively
disposed power might acquire Mndoro.
which is almost within cannon shot of
Luzon and thus create a most difficult
situation. Could then a wiser division
OF the islands be made?
Pursuing this inquiry, the most feas-
ible division seemed to be Luzon. Min
doro and Palawan, forming a chain free
OF neighbors on the western boundary
but so closely tangled on the eastern
side as 20 make impossible a line OF
geographical division at once equitable
and safe.
The American commissioners have
not been unmiRdful Of the fact that cir
cumstauces. partially Of their shaping,
had imposed upon the United States a
constructive responsibility for the Phil
ippines and that either this must be
forsaken or a larger one assumed.
They have believed too, that before
the nations Of the world the United
states have assumed the higher respon-
sibility Of the stable control of the en-
tire group, and with a sense of specific
and general obligation they felt COM
PEELED to propose TO take over all.
OAA AAt NutHAlNM AA the spanish uNnI.
by whatever name known the Ameri-
can commissioners seem to take broad
er ground than the mere question of
dollars. 1t is evident they do not favor
coupling any power in debt RESPONSE
bilites. They seem inclined to direct
adjustments on the plain basis OF facts
and equities. Whether the war ledgers
OF Spain and the United States are tc
be balanced In the present negotiation.
does not appear, but the Americans
face the situation open eyed and viii
minds free TO any argument based upor
justice TO Spain and fair treatment o
their own national interests.
II is learned from Spanish sources
beyond question authentic. that befor,
the Philippine question is settled tho
Spanish commissioners will declare thai
they are not here solely TO save or [,
gain all the money possible from IN,
United States. Senor Montero Rios
president Of the Spanish commission
and his colleagues. waving for argu
ment any classification of the Spanisl
OF colonial debts, viii point out tha
Spain has borrowed on the collateral o
her colonial revenue. They will con
cede that the national guarantee ma,
have been added, but that for all tn
purposes Of this contention the fact