The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-11-26
DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
The spanish Pence Commissioners
Awaiting Further Instructions
from Their Government.

Paris, Nov. 23.-The Spanish peace
commissioners Monday night tele-
graphed to Madrid the substance OF the
! United States memorandum presented
Monday, aud late in the evening they
we're discussing il among themselves.
| AS late as one o'clock in the morning
Spanish commissioner affirmed that
he and his colleagues did not know what
TO do regarding the American offer.
There is difference OF opinion among
unofficial people near the commissions,
but the prediction is made that Spain
will decline the American offer of
money, that she will refuse 10 cede
the Philippines and will say to the
United States:
You may take the archipelago because
you have The power to do so. As you adj
vance we Will retire, protesting against
| greedy aggression. We Will faithfully
1 carry out our part OF the pledges and leave
/ Cuba and Porto Rico In your hands You
came here TO engage IN discussion under
the terms OF the protocol. but you evidently
] meant when drawing up that document
| TO provide a conference In which, though
we differ. man to man. you propose 10 an
\ nounce at the proper time what you Will
! do whether we agree 20 II or object. Such
an attitude robs the conference OF ne
| gotiative character and sets no the United
/ States as a dominant power whose first
! purpose Is TO listen, but whose ultimate
4 determination is to do It's own Will.
As matter Of fact Senior Montero
Rios is reported TO have used virtually
such language and arguments as the
foregoing. He said more, even indicat-
ing high degree OF evaporation at the
American offer of $50 100000. His man
ner, no less than his words, betrayed
his repugnance. His display of feeling
and utterances, however, are not who'll
Is approved by his Spanish colleagues,
who did not hesitate TO say as much
inter- Mondays session. Utterances
later by a Spaniard Of Importance,
whose name is withheld for the present,
indicate another line OF action, a treaty
cession Of the Philippines. He said:
"suppose that Spain says to the United
States we are exhausted. We have no
funds with which TO continue the war We
do not want 10 continue u and We cannot.
You serve us with an ultimatum. We must
submit 10 your power Prepare your
treaty and when you want us 10 sign we
will sign We must bend TO physical force.
You have the Antilles and you Will pos
sess the Philippines as conquest from a
helpless people. We yield, but we decline
|
ton was not asked nor respected. You
have your Will We trust you VIII not con-
tinue the war upon our helplessness, be-
cause. forsooth we decline your $2O. OO0,OOO.
surely this waiver by us OF your money
viii not provoke a further use OF arms
against Spain We sign. we cede, we are
dumb IL Is finished and we may be per-
mitted to retain the privilege OF assuring
our people and our national creditors that
we nj least have not stolen ana resold ter
ritory we had pawned
Should Spain ccde by treaty or, on the
other hand, should she refuse and break
OFT negotiations here, her protests will
embody some such declaration as this.
As against such sentiments IL is ar
rncd that the business in hand Is work
for grown men, and that il would be
childish folly 10 refuse $50, 100000, and
that the Spanish government could not
iustify such refusal before the Span
ish people or the public creditors OF
Spain. deliberate throwing away OF
$50 600, 900 in addition to the loss Of the
Philippines.
Monday night the Spanish commits
sioners sent the American proposition
by special messenger TO Madrid
where II will arrive to-day 1t is felt
: that the Spanish government must now
answer the American ultimatum. but ms
Il is not likely that the answer Of
Madrid will arrive to-day in time for the
commissioners 10 formulate their re
; pIy to the Americans by the afternoon
IL Is probable that the joint meeting
! will be deferred from to-day TO day
: later ia the week.