, 1898-08-09
REPLY RECEIVED
CAME IN SEVEN SECTIONS DURING
YESTERDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING.
Had Not Been Received By the Presl-
dent Last Night, Blu VIII Likely
Be Delivered Today-lt Is Not Be
lieved That Spain Has Entirely
Accepted the Terms.

Washington, Aug. S.-The reply of
the Spanish government TO the peace
conditions laid down by the United
States was received by the French am
bassador, NJ. Cambon, shortly before 3
o'clock this afternoon. The reply came
giving only the opening passages OF
the Spanish reply. A few minutes lat
er came the second section, and they
kept coming uninterruptedly by a pro-
cession of messages until seven sec
tons of the Spanish reply had been re-
ceived at ten minutes to four, when the
last part was scheduled to arrive. In
the meantime the cipher experts were
at work. and by 4:30 O'Clock they were
abreast of all the reply received up to
that time, and there was a lull for
some time pending the arrival of the
concluding portions. 1t was thought
the terrific rainstOrm which swept
over Washington about 4 o'clock might
have occasioned a delay to the re-
m%ainder.
Pending the receipt of the complete
reply no steps were taken to fix the
time for a conference with the presi,
deEt. as the time fer hat depended
largely upon some Of the features OF
the reply and also upon The explicit in
's%truction concerning the delivery of
the answer which usually accompanies
a document Of this solemn character.
Neither at the White House nor at the
state department was there any official
knowledge that the reply had reached
Washington, and the usual Office hours
closed with no appointment made for
a conference. There was felt to be lit
tie likelihood. even though the ambas-
.sadOr received the complete reply and
instructions, there would be a night
conference at the White House for the
purpose Of presenting the document.
Late in the afternoon the president re-
.ceived an indirect intimation that the
Spanish reply would come to the
= ''h'h 'ifbaooy. - tdDlltt OIlCtT WHO
was with him at this time said, on
leaving:
THE information that has come from
Madrid about the action OF the Span
ish cabinet indicates that the Spanish
have accepted our terms in a general
way. but leave several questions open
that we did not include in the terms
submitted. The communication offer
ing those terms was explicit, specific
ally stating such points as would be
left open to further negotiations. We
will stand on these terms"
The administration has not yet given
serious consideration to the personnel
OF the peace commission, but it can be
stated that no one lot in accord with
the presidents present views as to the
disposition of the Philippines will be
appointed. and Mr.. Mckinley favors
keeping at least Manila harbor and bav
and sufficient territory around it for its
support and protection, if not the
whole of LuZon island. AS to the
members of the cabinet as members OF
the commission, there are some prece-
dents for their appointment, notably
the treaty of Client.
The concluding portion of the Span
ish reply was received during the even
ing, but it was not until a late hour
that 1T was deciphered as a whole and
gone over by the ambassador. No eff
fort was made to communicate il to the
United States government, beyond a
note to Secretary Day advising him
that the document had been received.
but not disclosing its contents. 1t is
probable the reply will be delivered
to the president before the cabinet
meeting tomorrow. although no hour
has been fixed. There is complete ret
icence in all quarters as to the text of
the reply, but there is reason to be.
lieve it is not an unqualified accept
ance of the American terms. but franz
ed on the theory of accepting the es-
sentials and trusting to a hoped-for
conciliatory spirit on the part of his
government to moderate, to some ex-
tent. the features which the Spanis
government seems to regard as es-
lsential