Evening star., 1898-10-26
BETTER THAN THE CUBANS
Admiral Dewey's View of the Philippine
Islanders.
Far More Qualiaed for seIf-Goveru-
ment-RePresentation to the Paris
Peace COmmissionerx

Some apprehension has been manifested
| IN certain quarters as to the possible ad-
verse effect upon the work of the peace
commission at Paris of an upheayal In
France. 1t has been suggested that the
Spanish cause is in such shape that the
Spanish government has nothing to lose and
everything to gain by any change that
can be brought about in the existing con-
dlticns. However. 1t may be stated that.
| In the opinion of the State Department Off
Gals here, there is little danger of the siti,
| aticn in Paris becoming so acute as to ius
fifty an abandonment of the work Of the
commission on the ground that the COM
| mssioners themselves are in physical dan
| ger. 1t is confidently believed that with
the change of the cabinet in France the
present disorder will subsde and normal
conditions will be restored
The Spanish Plan.
OF course. it is always possible that tho
Spanish commissioners, in despair ovar
their failure to force the Cuban debt upon
the United States in any shape. NAV break
or the negotiations. But this is not regard
ed as probable. 1t is suspected the Snanisb
program is to trump up as many points of
dnerence as possible, relying upon the sym
pathy sure to be excited among Euronaon
nations by their abandonment of each point
misSioners, as the basis for a suprema
stand at the end on the Philippines. The
opinion prevails here that not wit hstandinr
an the contention that the Spanish COM
HtsSlohers nave sought to excite over the
various phases of the Cuban question this
is simply IN execution of the above outlined
prosram. All that has taken place up to
TINS time before the commission in Paris
tends to confirm this belief
Ana 1t is expected that when the com
mission takes up the subjects of Porto
Rlco ana the coaling station in the Iadrona
nIitt9 .ntat,us 'nere VIII be just as many hair
splttns objections interposed by the Span-
Ism TO all propositions from the American
commissioners. just many references or
attempts at reference to Madrid and lust as
louo protests over each little point nv thn
Spaniards at the uncompromising attitude
OF the Americans. All this will simoly tend
10 make appear more plausible and reason
able the claim of the Spaniards at the end
tnat, having been driven to aba andon eyar,.
other point of the many they have mad
lhey nave a right to expect the United
states to yield something from its extreme
position regarding the Philippines.
Claim Regarding the PhiIippines.
No one knows officially just what the ex-
| tent of the United States claim will be a.
to the Philippines. Admiral Dewey has n
| much higher opinion of the Philippine peo-
| pie and their capacity for self-governmant
| than is generally supposed. He has repre-
| sented to the American commissioners that
the Philippines of the northern eroun
| meaning by that, first the people on the
| siand or Luzon, and after that In order
| Cebu, Panay. Leite. Mindora and Samar
ere. as rule, intelligent, practical and--a
most surprising Statament-far better ouaI-
| med for self-government than the inha bi-
| tants of Cuba. Admiral Dewey is as IA
| niIlar with the quali:ca tions of the Cubans
IA lhls respect as alrlo st any naval Office
having had personal experience with the
people, so that his statement is bound TO
| rave weight with the American commits
sioners.
| mendation as to wha. should constitute the
| maximum or minimum demand of the
american commissioners, and their de-
mands are consequently likely to be based
upon their original instructions, qualified
Dy any change of opinion which the Presi-
dent may have experienced as a result of
| his western trip.
| fhe Matter of an Ultimatum.
| 1t was denied in official circles TODAY
| thae instructions had been sent to th,
| American commissioners at Paris to hand
| spain an ultimatum as to the peace nego-
| tiatlons, but it is admitted that at the con-
| ference OF the President and members of
| the CABINET Yesterday afternoon a dispatch
was prepared and forwarded to the Ameri-
can commissioners at Paris. 1t is asserted
that TINS dispatch was not disturbing and
that the negotiations are proceeding "as
wei as could be expected under the circum
| stances That is as far as official in-
formation goes
IL Is believed that The instructions TO th,
american commissioners are to push mat
| ters. This. it is asserted, is not to be ac
coinplisheu by uftimatums. Spain may be
hotlned later that the American commits
sioners will be withdrawn If the negotia-
tions DO not proceed more favorably. but
| II IS stated that this point has not been
reached. " '9ei