The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-02
THEY MEET.
First Session
Of Peace
COMMISSIONERS
The Proceedings VIII Be
Kept Secret.

Paris, Oct, 1.-THE first business
meeting Of the American and Spanish
commissioners was held this afternoon
at o'clock in the French foreign office.
The session lasted so minutes.
The next session will take place on
Monday at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
Both commissions maintained secrecy
as to their proceedings. The Americans
were the most prompt in arriving at the
foreign Office. Two minutes before the
appointed hour, a carriage containing
Messrs. Gray and Reid on the front
seat and Messrs. Day and Davis on the
rear seat, rolled through the gates and
traversed the graveIed drive, which
runs the length of the building in front
Of it and between it and q flower and
plant filed plot protected from the
street by high iron railing.
On alighting the American commits
sioners entered the apartments already
described, and four minutes later the
carriage of Senior Castillo, the Span
ish ambassador, arrived and Senior
Montero Rios, the president Of the
Spanish commission and his three col
leagues alighted. They had scarcely en-
tered the building when Senator Frye
and Secretary Moore of the American
commission arrived, and while they
were ascending the steps, Senior Castillo
and the fifth Spanish commissioner fol-
lowed them into the foreign office.
The members of both commissions
met In the refreshment room and there
renewed the acquaintance begun on
Thursday, after which they proceeded
to the conference chamber. The
Americans took the side of the great
table which placed their backs to the
windows looking out upon the gardens,
the Spaniards facing the windows from
the opposite side of the table During
the session Of 80 minutes the inter
course was conducted satisfactorily
through the American official inter
prefer MI Ferguson The Spanish in
terpreter was not present
II was agreed upon by both commits
sions that no account of the proceedings
should be revealed.
There were 10 speeches today, and
the entire session was deEyted to man
ping ont the future work. But, even
on This point, nothing definite was ar
ranged The two secretaries were or
oered 10 draw up program, which will
be submitted later to the commissions
Responding to the invitation of the
Paris chamber of commerce to dine the
Ainer1canS, secretary Moore has ad-
dressed the following letter to president
of that body:
Il beg to inform you that the peace
commissioners, after consideration of
Your polite invitation this morning, re-
greet to find themselves obliged to de-
cline it While they greatly appreciate
the courtesy, their official duties are
OF SO pressing q nature that they are
compelled for the most part to deny
themselves the pleasure or social en-
tertainment''
The Paris correspondent of the I'm
parcial of Madrid has telegraphed to
his paper that he is amazed at the APP
pearance of the American commission.
he says: They do not appear as a
delegation of diplomats, but as Cook s
tourists. There are all sorts-ladies,
more or less young, children, and even
a nurse. Their luggage fills two omni-
busses''
The correspondent then gives the bio
graphy of each American commission
er. OF Judge Day he says: He unfor-
tunately is too well known politically.
He is a small man. short, thin and care
less in dress. with siclzly appearance,
sallow cheeks and prominent cheek
bones"
There is a total of the commission
of S. and not one of them brings a
servant"