The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-05
REFUSED.
Our Proposal
Objected To.
SPAIN'S REASONS.
Claims That We Have No
Final Rights in Philippines.

Paris, Nov. 4.-The Spanish commits
sioners, in the course OF a two hours
session of the peace conference today.
fatty refused to accept Mondays prop
osition by the Americans to take the
entire Philippine group and to reirn-
buse Spain for her pacific expendi-
lures" there.
This negative decision was expected.
The Spanish commissioners had also a
number of positive declarations, which
filed some 81 sheets of typewriter
presentment. In this statement the
Spaniards held that the United States
had no ultimate rightsin the Philippine
archipelago, and could have none, save
by the consent of Spain in these nego-
tiations and upon terms satisfactory
to her
According to the Spanish contention
In the formal statement, the United
States entertained no thought Of an
nexing the Philippines when the pro-
tocol was signed, or it would have
been expressed in the protocol as clear
ly as the conditions regarding the ces-
sion of territory in the Antilles and
the Orient.
NJ. Cambon, before the signature of
the protocol, received from Madrid
the presentment alleged--a cable mes
sage clearly setting forth that the
maintenance Of Spain's authority over
the Philippines should not be affected
by the protocol, to which reservation
the United States made at that time
no protest or objection.
This dispatch to NJ Cambon, as the
Spaniards claimed today, embodied al
so the view that the United States had
no valid basis for claims in the archi-
pelago. 1t was further held today by
Senior Rios and his colleagues that the
equalization Of Manila, having occurred
after the signing of the protocol, aud
thus after the suspension of hostil-
tiles, was invalid.
With all this for ground work, the
Spaniards made their first positive
move against the Americans. and 1t
constituted their CONFERENCE.-The
They charged upon the United States a
wrongful appropriation of public
moneys belonging to Spain by Selling
the tariff duties at Manila, and thew
formally demanded the return of these
moneys in the sum of nearly million
dollars. On the same premises the
United States were today declared to
have made and held as prisoners the
Spanish troops at Manila, in violation
of international law, because done at
ter the suspension of hostilities under
the protocol.
A further charge was that by the i'm
prisonnent Of the Spanish troops at
Manila the United States had prevent
ed Spain from quelling the insurrec-
ton and had thus contributed to the
violence against Spain after the cessa-
ton of hostilities.
Today's Spanish presentrnent alNo
cited the refusal of the Americans to
consider the Cuban debt, on the ground
that it was not mentioned in the pro-
tocol, and demanded an adherence to
this as a precedent in the discussion Of
the Philippines, regarding the cession
of which, the Spanish commissioners
held the protocol to make no mention.
In support Of these assertions, argu-
ments and demands, the Spanish pre-
sentiment invokes Spain's record in the
correspondence, by mail and telegraph,
though it is not known unofficially
whether the Spaniards produced the
message said to have been sent from
Madrid to M. Cambon, at the time the
protocol was signed, in which, it was
affirmed today, Spain reserved her
Phlllpplne sovereignty.
The presentment was read by Inter-
prefer Ferguson, being rendered from
the Spanish, in which it was written.
into English At the close of the read
ing the Americans said they wished to
have the Spanish statement rendered
into written English for more careful
consideration, and an adjournment was
taken to Tuesday next
1t may be again asserted on the high
est authority-as bearing on the Span
ish argument-that when the protocol
verbal or otherwise, which the protocol
does not show forth. Nor have the
American commissioners at any time,
on the other hand held or believed
that the protocol, in Sc determined
anything against Spain's sovereignty in
the Philippines. The American repre-
sentatives have, however, held, and
doubtless will hold, that the protocol
was meant to provide, and does provide,
for a decision by the Paris conference
regarding the ownership of the Philip
pines. In this connection, too, the Am
orleans will undoubtedly cite the fact
that originally the protocol contained
the word possession instead of dis
position the latter having been sub
at M. Cambon's request, and
in Difference to Spanish sensibilities.
Inc original feauln& VIII unQueStl0n-
ably be required to now as indicating
the mental attitude of the American
signer of the protocol toward American
of the Philippines
This line Of reasoning naturally will
include the question of the precedent
which the Spaniards say was created
by tho refusal of the United States to
consider the Cuban debt because it was
not mentioned in the protocol 1t is
possible that the American commits
sioners may finally concur with the
Spanish contention that the capitula-
ton of Manila. coming after the sign
ing of the protocol was invalid In that
event the Americans may cite as an Off
set TO the tariff duties collected their
own expenditure in administering the
of Manila and enforcing
order. They may also ask if Spain
wishes the insurgent Gordon of the city
and the insurgeIlt control Of the water
works re-established as a step toward
the restoration of the status quo ante,
which the Spaniards declare was brok-
an by the Americans.
Finally, Spain may be asked to con-
slider whether, instead of being prison
ars of the United States, the Spanish
troops at Manila were not more exactly
refugees within American protection.
But however the contentious may run,
there are at present no indications of
4 rupture.