Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-11-04
FRENCH PRESS OPINION.
Generally Against America, In Whose Char.
acter War HAS Made Great Change.

Paris. Nov. 3.-The generally accepted
view here of the peace negotiations Is
that the Spaniards will not agree to the
propositions submitted by the Americans
to take the Philippine Islands and to re-
imburse Spain Tor the money spent upon
But there is conflict of opiniofrs6s to
whether the Spanish commissioners, to-
sition. .stts ''~7es. al
This matter, 1T is said was undecided at
O'clock this afternoon.
The Echo de Paris, today, expresses
strong approval gof the, speech delivered
Hoar, in which he denounced the so
called policy OF American expansion. The
and remarks THAT all American political
men apparently do not agree with the
policy of conquest"
The Figaro says: The peace negotia-
Up. to yesterday, the Spanish delegates
had received no definite Instructions from
Madrid. VIII the Spanish government ac-
cept the American proposition? We
The Petit Bleu remarks: zone must ad-
init in looking beneath the surface that
American character. Outside of being
anxious merely for commercial suprem-
aey and playing a small political part,
publics, the United States felt no desire
to interfere in European politics. But
everything changed very suddenly. After
the unnar success against ga Spain. the American
part in European politics. and the ad-
vances of Great Britain showed. the
american ministers they could speak up.
This popular feeling has induced the
American government to demand the
whole of the archipelago, when at the
outset part of the philippines was all
This new demand exceeds a war In
demnity and this is the weak point which
american diplomacy has encountered.
ff1n Cr,, 1tch
its resources, and, hopeless as 1t is for
her to attempt to master the insurrection
in the philippine Islands, even IL they
evident that if, instead Of using the word
abandonment, 'cession against cash
indemnity is spoken of, the Spanish and
"The American delegates have made
several offers and have at the present
time proposed the sum of $400OO,00O. The
Spandards spa aIa M want more and have demanded
''The Spanish delegates, for whose sad
condition one must feel pity, had for a,
moment the Illusion that Europe would
intervene, and defend the interests of
Spain. They must-have lost this illusion
by now. American diplomacy has played
II part with great clerverness and has
from the outset gained an extraordinary
position. At the present moment the
United States is taking advantage of the
hatred against England, which Is grow
rsy # Europe W eave fbs rs nfsd
States free hand with Spain.
Besides, Europe really has not inter-
est in interfering. The various European
governments foresee what will inevitably
come If the United States should restore
the Philippine Islands to Span. AS soon
as Spain should have proven her inability
to quash the revolt, Germany would offer
her interested assistance, and immedi-
ately the covetousness of French, Eng
lish and Russian diplomacy would pro-
woke international Intervention. which
would raise quarrel OF exceptional
gravity.
..At the present moment 1t Is because
something of the sort might happen that
the attitude of Europe generally toward
the Spaniards and Americans Is as fol-
lows:
:. Come to some agreement about the
price of the Philippines; make conces-
sions on either side, but whatever you do,
be quick about 1t. There are plenty OF
troubles floating around just now upon
the political horizon without prol6nga-
tions Of these dangerous negotiations OF
yours