Evening star., 1898-09-16
Presidential Instructions to Peace Commits.
sioners Considered.
Dinner at the White House Last
ment-Senator Gray's Absence.

draw as counsel in case in which he was
engaged some time before his appointment
as one OF the peace commissioners, have
spent the greater part of yesterday and
today in a free discussion of the duties
with the discharge of which they have been
1ntrusted by the President Senator Gray
is expected during the evening. and before
sailing will have a full conference with
the President and his associates.
While for obvious reasons it was de-
term1ned that the nature of the instructions
as to the negotiations about to be entered
upon should for the present be kept secret
ana mace known only after definite results
snail have been reached, it is possible to
state authoritatvely that the commission
goes to Paris fully prepared to follow a
course of action mapped out for it as the
days.
AT the very outset it will be made clear
10 the Spanish commissioners that as in
the case of the preliminary protocol. there
can be TO deviation from or modification
OF the demands made by the United States
me decision arrived at by the Presi-
deht after a full consultation with the
members of the commission subsequently,
received the cordial and unanimous an
nroval of the cabinet at a meeting held At
3 o'clock this afternoon"
Flexibiiity in the Instructious.
Inc commissioners do not go under IRON
clad and Interchangeable instructions at all
points, for there is certain amount of
heXlbillty in the Instructions else as ono
OF the cabinet members put it, the Presi-
dent might just as we'll have reduced his
wishes to paper in the form of an 1Iti-
matum and have sent that to Paris by a
messenger The peace commissioners are
IN no sense mere mouthpieces, but having
CHOSEN With the greatest care and consid-
Grafton nVe men in whom he puts the most
implicit confidence, the President feels that
they are to be trusted with the interests
OF the United States. 1t is not expected
that they will have free rein in the larger
questions of policy, but with ample oppor-
tunities for consultation by cable and
otherwise there is no reason why the COM
mlssloners should not be able to carry out
the desires OF the administration and at
the same time have the opportunity to
somewhat shape those desires by convey
ing Information they may acquire For
instance. it is expected that at Paris the
commissioners will meet General Merritt
fresh from Manila. and in addition they
VIII there have the benefit of a special re-
port from Admiral Dewey. These will
De OF the greatest value, for the commits
slonerS are not acquainted with the Phil
ipp1nes question in detail, and even the
information that is to be acquired from
tne Spanish peace commissioners is not
to be desDised when it takes such an Of
nclal form that 1t can be relied upon as to
accuracy.
-'AA' . - hetICent.
Senator Frye called at the War Depart
ment during the afternoon and had a talk
with Acting Secretary Meiklejohn While
they were together, Representative William
Alden Smith Of Michigan, who is a men,
Der of the House committee on foreign at
fairs, Joined them In the course of
gcod-natured exchange, Mr.. Smith urged
Senator Frye to hold on to the Philippines
as an entirety, as well as all other terri
tory OF which we were possessed as a re-
suit of the war. Mr.. Frye dipiomatically
avoided committing himself, beyond re-
marking that this idea seemed to be grow
ing. As MIR. Frye came from the depart
ment he was asked if he favored reten-
tion of the Philippines. to which he re-
piled:
Il never have given my views on that to
any human being"
The COmmiss toner's Dined.
President Mckinley gave a dinner at the
White House last night to the members of
the peace commission who are in the city.
Invited to meet them were the members of
the cabinet now here and 4 few other Off
cials, most of whom at various times have
been called in consultation about questions
relating to the war. The dinner was given
in the private dining room and was
fined entirely to gentlemen. 1t began at
O'Clock, and the guests remained for some
time. A section Of the Marine Band was
stationed in the state dining room and rem
dered patriotic airs during the evening,
while the red, blue and green parlors and
the main corridor of the mansion were
thrown open for the convenience of the
guests. While the dinner was intended
a social courtesy to the departing commits
sioners 1t gave opportunity for a more
or less informal discussion of the work
to be undertaken by them. The guests in
cluded the following: Secretary of State
Day, Senator Davis Senator Frye, Mr..
Whitelaw Reid, Secretary of the Navy
Long, Secretary of the Treasury Gage At
torney General Griggs, Postmaster General
Emory Smith, Secretary of the Interior
Bliss Secretary of Agriculture Wilson, eX
Secretary John w. Foster, Assistant Sec
retaries Moore and Adee of the State De
partment and Adjutant General Corbin.
Senator Gray. one of the peace commits
sioners, was unavoidaby absent from the
dinner, having failed to reach the city in
time.
Departure of Comm isssiOners.
All the arrangements have been COM
pleted for the departure of the commission
and it's staff. Most of the party will leave
Washington at 4 o'clock this afternoon for
New York, but circumstances may detain
some of the commissioners until the mid
night train. The Campania sails at pm.
tomorrow, and explicit instructions have
been given all the members OF the party as
to being on hand at that time. Special
baggage tags have been printed for the
belongings of the members, and small pa
per paster, showing red and blue bars cross
ed on a white background, gives handy
way of making a red, white and blue"
identification of the personal and general
luggage of the party.
A number of stout cedar chests have been
made to carry the books pamphlets, type
written papers, etc, forming a part of the
American case. The chests like a shall
low steamer trunk. that they may be
showed under the berths and thus be avail
able on the passage over instead of going
with the baggage in the hold of the steam
err This will permit considerable work on
the trip, and it is expected that the COM
misSioners will hold meetings on shipboard.
The party will go direct from Liverpool to
London, and there stay for a days rest
then proceeding to Paris by the way of
Dover and Calais.