Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-23
WHAT SHALL WE DO?.
Is the Question Now Agitating
the Spanish Minds.
Can Hardly Afford to Throw Away
that S2O,Oo0,0OO.
Would Like to Say 1--WE Yield to Force and
will Sign Anything

Paris, Nov. 22.-The Spanish peace
commissioners, last night, telegraphed
to Madrid the substance of the United
States memorandum presented, yester-
day. and, late in the evening, they We're
discussing it among themselves. As
late as o'clock, this morning, Span
ish commissioner affirmed that he and
his colleagues did not know what to do
regarding the American offer.
There is difference of opinion
among unofficial people near the COM
missions. But the prediction is made
that Spain will decline the American
offer of money, that she will refuse to
cede the Philippines and will say to the
United States:
You may take the archipelago be-
cause you have the power to do so.
AS you advance we will retire, protest
ing against greedy aggression. We
will faithfully carry out our protocol
pledges and leave Cuba and Porto Rico
in your hands.
You came here to engage in>a dis
cussion under the terms of the protocol,
but you evidently meant when drawing
up that document to provide confer
| ence in which, though we differ, man
to man, you proposed to announce at
| the proper time what you will do,
whether we agree to it or object. Such
an attitude robs the conference of ne
gotistive character and sets up the
United States as a dominant power
whose first purpose is to listen but
whose ultimate determination is to do
| its own Will
Of 20 H.
Rios is reported to have used VIRTUALLY
such language and arguments as the
| foregoing. He said more, indicating a
, high degree of evaporation at the
American offer of $4,000. GOO. His man.
| ner. no less than his words, betrayed
mis- repugnance. His display of feeling
and utterance, however are not wholly
approved by his Spanish colleagues,
who did not hesitate to say as much
after yesterdays session.
Utterances later, by a Spaniard of
Importance whose name is withheld
for the present. indicate another line of
action-a treaty cession of the Philip
pines. suppose" said the speaker in
question. that Spain says to the Uni
ted States: We are exhausted. We
have no funds with which to continue
the war. We do not want TO continue
, it and we cannot. You receive us with
an ultimatum. We must submit to
| your power. Prepare your treaty; and
when we want us to sign we will sign.
| We must bend to physical force. You
have the Antilles; and you win possess
the Philippines as conquest from a
helpless people. We yield, but we de-
cline $20,0G0,000 for property on which
| our valuation was not asked nor re-
| spected. You have your will. We
trust you will not continue the war up
| on our helplessness because forsooth
we decline your 500, 900 900. Surely this
waiver of your money will not provoke
a further use of arms against Spain
| We sign, we cede, we are dumb. 1t is
| finished; and we may be permitted to
retain the privilege of assuring our
people and our national creditors thai
we at least have not stolen and resold
territory we had pawned.
Should Spain cede by treaty or on
the other hand, should she refuse and
1 break off negotiations here, her pro-
tests will embody some such direction
as this. AS against such sentiments il
| is argued that the business in hand is
| work for grown men, that it would be-
childish folly to refuse $20,000,000 and