The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-17
SHoI1lD HAVE SAID 80.
protocol Was Blind Regarding
Philippines.
INTENTIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN
STATED SAYS SPAIN.

Proposition to Arbitrate Question of
Pr, ocol's Meaning Not Likely to He
Accepted by United statss-saturday's
Session Likely to Be Critical
Paris, November 16.--The meeting to-
day of the Spanish and American peace
commissions began at 2.15 p. m. and end
ed at p. m.
The Spanish commissioners at the joint
session this afternoon presented long
document in answer to the American
argument which was submitted last week.
By mutual consent the memorandum
of today was handed to the Americans
without being read and the meeting adj
journed to Saturday next The Spanish
communication will be translated this
evening and it's contents will be discussed
| by the United States commissioners to-
morrow at their usual daily Sessi0n.
| The Spaniards, In their communication
today, reaffirined the position which
they had assumed against the discus
sion here OF Spain's Philip pine sover.
eighty. They insist that the words sshall
determine the control, disposition and
government of the Philippines in arti-
l JlG D VI bio prdC0 pLOtOOOt, uo 1Ou UhkA8hu
any reference to Spain's withdrawal
from the Philippines, except on her own
terms, and therefore the Spaniards pro-
poss arbitration on the construction to
be placed on the words "the control, dis
position and government.
Up to this point the discussion at Paris
having touched ON principle. there has
besu no attempt to give exact figures in
relation to the amount Of money that
might be paid by the United States on
account of the Philippines. Such, for
instance, was the statement that the
United States would reimburse Spain
flor the Pacific expenditures, made on
account Of the Philippines, for no one
here ut the time had an exact knowledge
of what these expenditures amounted 80
| in the aggregate. This has been ascer-
tanned, however, to the satisfaotion of the
American commissioners at least and
they will name the exact amount OF
money which the United States Is willing
to pay over to Spain on this account.
What is proposed Is a cash payment to the
Spanish government, for the United
States doss not purpose to enter into any
relations whatever with any of the hold
ers of any of the bonds issued by Spain, ,
Notwithstanding the efforts of some of
| the European powers to bring this re-
suit about. AS to the amount which will
be offered to Spain. the officials here are
tween $40, 600, 900 and $40, ,000, 900. Our
com missioners do not look for uncondi-
tional rejection of our offer, but believe
there will be an attempt on the part OF
the Spanish commissioners to secure a
liberal increase Of the amount named.
| The American commissioners are undsr
instructions to inform the Spanish com'
missioners that there can be no further
delay in the dnal conclusion of the work
| Of the commission SO it is expected, a
conclusion one way or the other, will
be reached before long to the peace nego-
| tiations.
In signifying their willingness to SUBJ
init the Philippine article Of the protocol
| to third party for construction. the
| Spanish commss toner's urgsd today that,
as there is obviously difference OF
| opinion regarding the phrase tine con-
| troll, disposition and government Of the
Philippines possibly the result of = mis-
| underst nding, the Spaniards should no
mors be asked to surrender their view
| than the Americans to surrender theirs.
Che memorandum points ont that . dead
look exists which might be broken by
arbitration on the contsnding views, to
which the Spanish commissioners are
quite ready to submit. The latter declare
| that they have no iuea of suggesting arbi-
| touches the national honor Of both sides,
but they are willing to accept exterior aid
to clear the path OF neRotiatio MS. 1t ts
safe to say that the American oommis-
sioners will not consent to invoke any sx-
terror aid to construe the terms OF their
own protocol.
Another part of today Is Spanish memo
raDdum hatly asserts. upon the authority
of Nj. Cambo S report of the protocol
| negotiations between Washington and
Madrid through him, that President Mo-
kinley at no time objected to Spain's
reservation Of her sovereignty in the
Philippines.
This allegation is directly opposed to
the American record on the same subJeot.
The American commissioners hold that
| the protocol itself was born of Spain's at
tempt to reserve her Philippine sovereign
| ty, though the Spanish memorandum to-
day squarely challenges the contention.
Moreover the Spanish commissioners today
have alleged that President Mckinley 8
objection to Spain's phrasoology in ac-
ceptlng the peace terms was based soleiy
so fnF as was made known, upon this
sentence in the Spanish acceptance:
"They accept the pro ffered terms sub
ject to the approval of the Cortes OF the
Kingdom, as required BY their constitu.
tional duties
The Spanish memorandum of today
holds that Nj. Cambon answered the
American objection to this by pointing
out that the American terms were
preferred subject to the approval of the
American Senate, but that President Nc
kinley replied that he did not desire to
| involve the internal affairs of Spain in
| the proceedings in hand.
| The Spanish memorandum asks also,
why, If the United States objected to
Spain's reservation of sovereignty they
did not plainly say 50 in the protocol, and
leave no room for argument 1t asks why
Judge Days note of August 10th did not
clearly declare that The United States
that the protocol was necessary to prevent
misunderstanding on that point. On
Saturd y, the date fixed for the next
meeting the Americans will make their
resnonse. in the course of which it Is not
unlikely that the exact terms and precise
time limit of their acceptance will be
| oor,o NH N icated