Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-02
NO JOINT SESSION.
Peace Commissioners Unable to Meet. Thurs.
day. as Clerical Details Incomplete.

Paris Dec. Anxious as both are to
conclude their work, the United States
and Spanish peace commissioners did not
hold a joint session, today. Their next
meeting will be held at o'clock tomor-
row afternoon.
This delay arose from the fact that the
Spanish commissioners at Yesterdays
session offered several urgent PROPOSE
tons. which called for special delibera-
ton upon the part of the Americans
Spain asks the United States to grant for
a term of five years to Spanish ships
carrying Spanish goods or products TO
Porto Rico and Cuba the same privileges
| as American vessels engaged in the same
| trade may have, and she qualities the re-
quest by a proviso that trade privileges
be extended to Cuba as long as the
| United States government is dominant
| over that island.
| In support of this request, the Spanish
| commissioners assert that Spain canno-
| without vital harm, Immediately abandon
| or cut the business relations so long
maintained between the mother country
and the West Indian territories. They
declare that family ties and social rela-
tions. added to affairs of trade maintained
| throughout centuries, require gradual dis
| solution. They invoke the terms of the
treaty of 1919. by which the United States
took over Florida from Spain and which.
in the 18th article, granted Spain for Y
years the right to send her goods and
products to Florida in Spanish ships on
| the same terms as the ships carrying
thther goods and products of the United
! States.
The Spanish commissioners cite further
the fact that the treaty of 1903 with
! France for the cession of Louisiana,
granted French and Spanish goods and
products the same terms as Americans m
New Orleans and other ports in the coded
territory.
Finally Spain points to the American
proposed ''open door policy in the Phil
ippines and asks a guarantee of the same
advantages in her late West Indian colo
MES, until their relations can by degrees
accustom themselves to the change OF
| sovereignty.
This proposition and the arguments py
which ii was supported are considered
strongly stated, and the American com
| missioners desire to afford deliberations
Thus though busy until nearly o'clock
this afternoon, they were not fully pre-
pared and Judge Day sent a message 70
Senior Montero Rios requesting that the
! joint session fixed for this afternoon pe
postponed until tomorrow.
| Meanwhile the Spanish commissioners
| had been preparing list of subjects TO"
negotiation, supplemented by suggestions
! counter to and amendatory of the sub
| iects the Americans submitted, yesterday
| This came to the American commission
ers. today. in Spanish, rendering 1t even
more desirable to postpone the joint seS-
| sion in order to give time for translation
and consideration. The translation Is be-
| ing made this evening, and the subject
will be laid before the American commits
sioners, tomorrow morning. Now that
the first gust of grief and chagrin has
passed. the Spanish commissioners are
meeting the Americans in frank spirit
that is helpful to an early completion OF
the negotiations.
The work of the peace commissions is
proceeding rapidly and unless there is an
unexpected hitch. the treaty will be
signed within a week
General Wesley Merritt, who arrived
here yesterday, from London, leaving his
wife convalescent there, was in consulta-
| ton with the American commission ali
this morning, relative to the conditions
and necessary measures in the Philip
pine Islands.
| Gen Merritt expects to sail for New
! York, Dec. 10, and hopes to resume his
duties in California or New York until
his retirement Is months hence.
Major Hale of Gen. Merritt's staff, who
| is now here believes the United States
now have no trouble in securing the re-
lease of the Spaniards who are held pris-