The Red Cloud chief., 1898-11-04
THOUGHT TOO LATE.
HAYS COMMENT ON PEACE
NEGOTIATIONS.
ne spansards--shouid Have Copsidsrsa
d Probable Csst before war Began
The Peace Com missioners' Work EE-
psetsd 10 Ne Over by December

ST. LOWS, Mo-, Oct. co.-The st.
Louis Republic prints the following
from It's Washington correspondent:
s'secrctary Of state Hay made the
following statement to-day:
alt may be stated as a fact that tho
Cuban debt question before the Paris
commissioners Is o closed incident. IL
may be further stated that all matters
relating to Cuba and Porto Rico are
closed.
"'The Philippines question probably
will not I've taken up this week. II
will be taken up, however, and dis
cusscd nj tho first meeting Of the joint
commission In the carly part Of next
week.
"'The work OF the peace commits
siopers 10 nearer an end than Is gener.
ally surmised. Two weeks ago i said
that I thought the American commits
sioncrs would be through their labors
by December 4. l see no reason to
amend that statement.
"'Of course tho Spanish commission
ers have used every pretext for delay.
when hard pressed they have thrown
themselves upon the mercy of their
eonquerors with the exclamation that
II Spain Ia ruined the crime will be
ours. Well, when Germany had
France at her feet, France threw her
self on tho mercy Of her conqucror.
She said that II Alsace and Lorraine
were torn from her and tho French
people were loaded with q billion dol
lar debt, she, too, would be financially
ruined and France would be reduced
TO . third rate power. Gcrmany's
answer wus that she could not help
that. France should have counted the
cost before she declared war. That
answer we must justly make to SPANS
contention that she, too, will be
ruined. She should have counted the
cost before making q declaration OF
VAR"
PARrs. Oct. ss.--The American peace
commissioners, ut their sessions to-
day, will draw up n memorandum upon
thc subject Of the Philippine islands.
II IL expected they will place Il before
the Spanish commissioners nt tho joint
session which Is to take place on Mon
day next.
DEBATE Is USELESS.
WASHINGTON, Oct. e9.-The Prcsi
dent gave the cabinet very cncourag.
Ing reports from Paris to-day regard
ing tho progress Of the peace negotia.
tions. The administration now fully
believes that the negotiations will be
concluded much sooner than expected
Q few days ago. II can be stated au
thoritatively that the commissioners.
have not yet actually begun the dis
cussion OF the Philippine question, ant
further that IL will not be taken NJ
until next week. Since the Spaniard'
have found that tho American commits
aioners mean exactly what they say
and that their presentation Of the sid,
Of the United States is In reality NJ
ultimatum, the uselessness Of pro
Ionged debate, II Is said, has become
apparent to the Spanish and 1t Is nov
believed the Philippine discussion will
be less p~rotracted than reported som
Gays ago.
Tho Omitted States has not assure
nor guaranteed the so-called municipa
debt of Cuba or Cuban municipalitie,
but II Is expected that such debts wi
DO paid by the municipalities incu,
ring them, for by no reasoning coul
they DO charged upon Spain. ON
government, II Is said in official eli
cles. would look upon any attempt q
evading the payment Of such debts q
rcpudiation, and whatever governmer
Il established In Cuba will be expecte
70 see that these obligations are ca
ried out In good faith. Moreovc
some Of the bonds Of Cuban munich
alitics are held by citizcns Of Il
United States and the United Stat
might insist that tho investments
her citizens In such securities are ma,
good. The state department has I
Information Al to the amount Of the
municipal liabilities