The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-04


United States the American commissioners
Will relax their demands as to the Philip
pines, they have not uttered it here for the
public ear: nor has anything been said or
done by any member of the United States
commission to warrant such hope.
The American commissioners came to
Paris with no greed for Philippine territory.
To an unofficial bystander the question
with them has seemed to be rather to find
the right path and TO walk in it than by
bold use of power to wrench the utmost ad-
vantage from distressed opponent. The
fact is the commissioners have felt that the
conditions precedent render the letting go of
the Philippines as difficult as their reten-
ton. There is, for instance, the question Of
the future of Aguinaldo, his chiefs and fol-
lowers. The Philippine leader and his i'm
mediate associates in the insurrection ac-
cepted exile and over half million dollars
at the hands of Spain as sn inducement to
cease their rebellion. They went to China,
but they were brought back to the Philip
pines on board a United States war ship.
Aguihaldo received from Admiral Dewey
several thousand stands of arms and was
put ashore as an ally of the United States
in the war against Spain.
The insurgent leader and his chiefs have
| States return the Philippines to Spain,
AguinaldO and his fighting followers must
be surrendered to death or taken away by
the United States and the American com
missioners feel that transplanting would be
as severe towards them as it would be i'm
practicable from the point of view of the
United States. Territory to shelter them is
felt to be necessary to the Philippines. The
entire group might not be necessary for this
purpose. Should, then, the United States
retain Luzon as their place of refuge? To
do this would be to take the most valuable
portion of the archipelago, an act which
might furnish basis for the dual charge of
greed in taking the best and of cowardice
in evading responsibility for the remainder.
The American commissioners have been un-
willing to place the United States in such a
position
Again there arose the pregnant question
Of undesirable neighbors, should only Luzon
be taken. An aggressively disposed power
might acquire Mindoro. which is almost
within cannon shot of Luzon, and thus
create a most difficult situation. Could, then,
a wiser division of the islands be made?
Pursuing this inquiry, the most feasible
division seemed to be Luzon. Mindoro and
Palawan. forming a chain free of neighbors
N-~O
tangled on the eastern side as to make i'm
possible line of geographical division at
once equitable and safe.
The American commissioners have not
been unmindful of the fact that the circum-
stances, partly of their shaping, had i'm
posed upon the United States constructive
responsibility for the Philippines and that
either this must be forsaken or larger
one assumed. They have believed, too that
before the nations of the world the United
States have assumed the higher responsible
ity of the stable control of the entire group,
and with a sense of specific and general
obligation, they felt compelled to propose to
take over all.
On the question of the Spanish debt, by
whatever name known, the American COM
missioners seem to take broader ground
than the mere question of dollars 1t is evil
dent they do not favor coupling any power
in debt responsibilities. They seem inclined
to direct adjustments on the plain basis of
facts and equities. Whether the war ledgers
of Spain and the United States are to be
balanced in the present negotiations does not
appear, but the Americans face the situa-
ton open-eyed and with minds free to any
argument based upon justice to Spain and
fair treatment of their own national inter-
ests.
The correspondent of the Associated
Press ascertains from Spanish sources, be-
yond question authentic, that before the
Philippine question is settled the Spanish
commissioners will declare that they are
not here solely to save or gain all the money
possible from the United States. Senor
Montero Rios, president of the Spanish COM
mission, and his colleagues, waiving for ar
oIa idoo 0f ba CY,oo or
colonial debts, will point out that Spain has
borrowed on the collateral of her colonial
revenue They will concede that the ma
tional guarantee may have been added, but
that, for all the purposes of this contention,
the fact is irrelevant. It will then be
frankly urged by her commissioners that
Spain has pawned the revenues of the Phil
ippines and of Cuba; that she did so in
good faith to her creditors. and this being
true, that she has no moral right to give
away or rehypothecate territory already
pledged.
Senior Rios will urge that should Spain
take that course her creditors might fairly
charge her with defrauding them, to save
for herself the Canaries, Carolines and Ba-
learie islands, and to avoid possible damage
to the peninsula. The Spanish commissions
ers will protest that such a transaction
would be intolerable to Spain, as it would
brand her as a robber and poltroon. They
will declare to the Americans that rather
than be so pilloried by their creditors they
WILL if they must, be deprived of their
naming colonies and suffer devastation of
their mainland.
If the United States feels 1t high duty to
retain the Philippines, Spains ENJOYS will
declare that she has an equally sacred duty
in holding them to the pledge of their reve-
nues in honorable indebtedness; and that,
while possibly unable to make good the in
debtedness in dollars, Spain can, If only by
fruitless adherence to high purposes, save
her name from the brand of theft. This
statement of the Spanish contention comes
from source which gives it all the weight
possible to any Spanish utterance, and in
the presence of these conditions the two
commissions will meet again tomorrow.
SPANS POSSIBLE REPLY.
The United States Criticised by Lon
don Times Correspondent.