The record-union., 1898-12-09
Work Of the American and Spanish
Commissioners Completed.
Only Remains for Signatures to Be Al
taehed to the Document.


Monday Next-The Spaniards
Exceedingly Bitter Over the
Result Of the Negotiations.
PARIS, Dec. S.-The United States
and Spanish Peace Commissioners con-
cluded their work to-day, and finally
settled the terms Of the treaty Of peace.
They will meet once more in formal
session on Saturday or Monday next,
when the Spanish Commissioners, sor-
rowfully, and the Americans, with feel
ings of relief, will write their sigma
lures upon the document which embod-
les the results of the war, and the pre-
paration of which has consumed eleven
weeks, a longer time than the war it
self In the meantime the treaty will
be engrossed, under the supervision of
Mr.. Moore and Senior Ojeda, the Secre-
taries Of the respective commissions.
The Spaniards are exceedingly bitter
over the result, though observing the
forms of friendliness and courtesy.
Montero Rios, whose strong and per-
sistent struggle to- save for his country
every possible asset from the wreck of
her colonial empire, has commanded
the respect and admiration of his oppo-
nents, went from the council chamber
to-day to his bed in state of complete
collapse, as the result of the long strain
and his chagrin over the small fruits
Of his efforts. Senior Ojeda has been
prostrated since yesterday, and was
nm 10 oft hn nj
day.
The Spaniards charge equal blame
upon the European Powers and the
United States for their downfall. One
of the Spanish Commissioners said this
evening:
.The European nations have made a
great mistake in deserting Spain and
leaving her to spoliation by the brute
force of a conscienceless giant. They
all know that in the Philippines Amer
lea has taken more than she can di-
gest. She will ultimately sell the ISL
ands to England or Germany, and when
the transfer is made they will precipi-
tate a. general European strife We
have refused to sell any island in the
Caroliness We never thought of con-
sented to negotiate upon any questions
except those directly involved in the
protocol signed at Washington
The members of the commission say
the treaty will contain little outside
the scope of the Washington protocol
and the matters directly based thereon,
like the provisions for the evacuation of
the ceded territories, the transfer of
public property therein, and guarantees
of the safety of the property and rights
of the Spanish citizens remaining there.
The details of the last class of ques-
tions covered by the statement which
the Americans handed to Senior Rios
at the last meeting, were considered to-
day, but all the Commissioners refuse
to divulge the details Of the conference.
Several points upon which they were
unable to agree were left open for diplo-
matte negotiations.
The Spaniards refuse to admit that
they had failed to respect former treat
les guaranteeing religious freedom in
the Caroline Islands, or that there was
necessity for new guarantees.
The conclusion of the work was. ac-
cording to the Commissioners, marked
by politeness and all outward evidences
of good feeling and relief at the fact
that the. task was accomplished.
When all the propositions had been
discussed Judge Day, President of the
American Commission, remarked: !:
There seems to be nothing more to do
but to engross and sign the treaty"
Senor Montero Rios, President of the
Spanish Commission, acquiesced to this.
and the Americans bowed themselves
out before the Spaniards, according to
their custom.
The American Peace Commissioners
entered the joint conference to-day in a
nervous frame of mind They evidently
had reasons to believe that a possibil-
ity existed, even at this late hour, that
there might be rupture. This feeling
of apprehension was based on the tenn
per the Spaniards have displayed lately
This week the Commissioners of Spain
did not conceal the fact that, having
failed to gain all the important points,
they were Indifferent as to whether or
not the conferences resulted in a settle
ment of peace by the signing of treaty
by which, Spain loses all her colonies
A miscarriage of the negotiations
would leave their political prestige at
home no worse, if not in a better posi-
tion than if they signed the treaty The
Americans were anxious not to give the
Spaniards any pretext to break off the
negotiations, or take offense, so far as
the exercise of patience and diplomacy
could steer clear of protests.
The Madrid papers are disposed to re-
vive the question of the Maine, and to
excite public opinion against the
United States on account of the refer
ence to this by the President. They re-
port that Senior Montero Rios, President
of the Spanish Commission, made an
impassioned denunciation of President
Mckinley at the last joint meeting But
these reports are practically without
foundation. Senior Rios did refer to
the Maine, but only in calmly worded
sentences, expressing regret that the
President had spoken, as the Spaniards
thought, unjustly of them The Span
iards had already proposed at this con-
ference to have the responsibility Of
the destruction of the Maine reported
upon by a joint commission of the Eu-
ropean Powers. The American Com
refused to listen to this. and
permitted Senior Rios references to the
Presidents message to pass unchal-
lenged, as a discussion would have pro-
voked debate and bad blood.
Diplomatic circles in Paris predict as