Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1898-11-10
HALF HOUR SESSION
Peace Commissioners Meet
and Adjourn.
THE AMERICAN REPLY SUBMITTED.
SBnin's Impossible Interpretation OF
the ProtOcOI-Messages Between
Cnmbon and sagastn show That
Spain IL Trying 20 Dodge.

Of the joint peace commission lasted
only half an hour
The time was occupied in the sub.
mission Of the American rejoinder tc
the Spanish reply. and the sitting was
adjourned without debate until satur.
day.
The Spanish commissioners remained
two hours after the departure Of the
Americans translating the American
document.
The rejoinder consists Of counter ar.
guments to all of the points raised by
the Spaniards last Friday and does not
moderate the original American terms
in any respect.
It is quite safe to say that the Amer
leans have made no new propositions
regarding the possession Of the Philip
pines, but confined themselves to a dis
cussion of the proposals and assertions
made by Spain at the previous meet
ing. Just what were the terms of the
American rejoinder cannot, Of course
be ascertained; but, despite persistent
assertions here to the contrary, there Is
no ground, as has already been cabled
for the Spanish contention that the
United States acquiesced at the sign
ing Of the protocol in some reservation
by Spain Of her Philippine sovereignty
This utterly unfounded rumor is now
quite well understood TO have come
from a high source not in sympathy
with the United States.
The facts Of the case are these: or
July 26 last the Washington govern
ment received from Spain an inquiry as
TO the basis on which the war might be
terminated. Four days later or there.
about the information was forthcom.
ing in q response embodying the terms
of the protocol save for the use in tho
Philippine paragraph of the word pos.
session" Before the response was form.
ally presented to NJ. Cambon, SPANS
representative in Washington he sug.
gested the substitution of the WORD
disposition" The United States gov
eminent acquiesced the substitution
was made the formal response was de.
nvered to M. Cambon, who forwarded
It TO Madrid, and on or about Aug. Z
Spain forwarded her reply. which as
affecting the Philippine question was
evasive or ambiguous.
1.-THE terms relating to the Philip
pines" said the Spanish government
seem to our understanding quite in
definite. on the one hand. the ground or
which the United States believe them
selves entitled TO occupy the bay. har.
Dor and city of Manila pending the CON
clusion of a treaty of peace cannot be
that Of conquest. since in spite of the
blockade maintained on the sea by the
American fleet and in spite Of the siege
established on land by native. sup
ported and provided for by an Ameri-
can admiral, Manila still holds its own
and the Spanish standard still waves
over the city. on the other hand. the
whole archipelago of the Philippines is
I'm the power and under the sovereign
/ ~ Of Spain
Therefore the government Of Spain
thinks that the temporary occupation
Of Manila should constitute a guaranty
It is asserted that the treaty Of peace
shall determine the control, disposition
and government Of the Philippines, but
as the intentions Of the federal govern
ment by repression remained yelled the
Spanish government must therefore de-
clare that while accepting the third
condition they do not a priori renounce
the sovereignty of Spain over the archi-
pelago. leaving it to the negotiators to
agree as to such reforms as the condi-
ton Of these possessions and the level
OF the culture Of their natives may rem
der desirable. The government of her
majesty accept the third condition, with
the above mentioned declarations"
This part of Spain's note was deemed
unsatisfactory at Washington. as cal
culated TO breed misunderstanding, and
If left unchallenged, as holding exactly
the possibilities of dissension which it is
now sought to introduce into the nego-
tiations here.
The federal authorities, therefore, on
or about Aug. 10 addressed to NJ. Cam
bon q communication, pointing out that
while the foregoing utterances from
Madrid were understood by him to con-
vey SPANS acceptance of the terms OF
peace the acceptance was not entirely
/ explicit and that the most direct anC
certain way of avoiding misunder-
standings was to embody in a protocol
the terms on which the negotiations FOL
( peace were TO be undertaken.
Along With this note was sent to NJ
I cambon a protocol embodying the pre-
else terms rendered to Spain i'm ths
/ American communication of July 80 o.
! thereabout. Immediately upon receiv
ing them NJ. Cambon transmitted tn,
protocol to Madrid, accompanied with
message from himself clearly showing
that the French ambassador knew tn
United states government did not re
gard Spains response to the peace
terms as satisfactory or acceptable.
NJ Cambon's message 10 Spain was al
follows:
"The federal government has decide,
to state precisely (preciseO I'm a pr1to
col the basis upon which the peace ne
gotiations must in its Judgment be en-
tered upon. / herewith send this doc
7 ument."
This message went TO Spain abou
Aug. 10. Two days later NJ Gambler
notified Judge Day that he had Just TO
ceived a telegram. dated at ElC il
Aug. IL, i'm which Duke AlmcCovar de
Rio, the Spanish minister Of 'o clgi
affairs announced that the gp1nisl
/ government. by order Of the queen lie
gent. had conferred upon him CM. Cam
bon) fun powers TO sign withor. othe
formality the protocol drawn by com
mon accord between NJ Cambon an
Judge Day.
Thus on Aug. Z Spain sought q r. scr
walton Of her Philippine soverelgnt
from the treaty negotiations. on Aus
10 she was advised that her note wa
not explicit and that protocol in pre-
else terms must be signed. on AUG. l.