Evening star., 1898-12-09
RIOS AND 0JEOA ILL
President and Secretary Of Spanish
Commission Sick in Bed.
MAY DELAY SIGNING TREATY
General Outline of Matters Covered
in Its Provisions.
SPANS VIGOROUS PROTEST

PARIS. December a-Senor Mentero Rios
president of the Spanish peace commission,
and SenOr Ojeda. secretary of that commits
sion, are still confined TO their beds. The
illness of Senor Ojeda delays engrOssing
the treaty, and il is doubtful whether it
will he signed before Monday.
The Americans held their usual session
this morning.
The Spaniards continue making bitt ter
comments concerning President NcKinIey's
reference TO the Maine. When a cores
pondent of the Associated Press ap-
preached Senior Garnica of the Spanish
commission for Iurtaer details of the treaty
he said: The fact that You represent all
the American and English papers is really
reason why / shoul say nothing But
what you show me as having been cabIed
is substantially correct. The exact number
Of articles is still undetermined. 1t de-
pends upon how Secretaries Ojeda and
Moore divide the treaty 1t may he twelve
or twenty articles The Americans are to
pay the indemnity within three months Of
the ratification We shall appoint consuIs
in Cuba. Porto Rico and the Philippine Is
lands without delay. The Cuban Consuls
will be accredited TO the powers that be-
Cuban Debt Question.
Asked why the Spaniards refused TO grant
t4AT I i4lA'I EotdttS q CDallltS StdilON IN JAe
Caroline Islands, Senor Garnica said: The
Americans could hardly expect that we
should agree to discuss matters outside of
the protocol, after the lessons we have had
from them on this point When we wished
Il discuss the Cuban debt they absolutely
refused to consider IT, and then they ask
Us for whatever they want. Quelle tOupet
('What Cheek"o Yet the Cuban debt
mains an important question for settle
ment.'
In regard to the Spaniards' final protest
on the subject of the Maine. Senior Garnica
remarked: THAT protest now becomes his
tory, as il is embodied in the protocol. We
do not wish 10 remain under an imputa-
tiOu which would pprpetuate animosity and
hatred against us and which would be a
source of constant irritation IN Spain. 1t
IS neither loyal nor just that this thing
should hang over The reputation Of Spain.
We cannot submit to it, 1t must be cleared
up. in justice to ourselves There are many
other causes to bring hatred between the
two nations without the addition Of such
q one this.
As to the future relations Of the two
countries. that il one Of the things history
alone can det rmiHe. Many nations which
have been deadly enemies are speedily rec
ouciiet-''
Sauor GaTnioa was then questioned as 70
the future II tha Philippine Islands and he
said The United States has inaugurated
policy which viii bring it much trouble
and many responsibilities. The Americans
axe Ept prepared for the work they are
about 10 uud dertake.
Americans Preserve Secrecy
Tha Americans preserve secrecy regard
ing the term OF The treaty. This is partly
through the influence Of the three senators
on the body, who represent that it would
be diseourtesy 10 the Senate to publish the
terms before the treaty is presented 10
That body by the President
The protocol of the tUeaty Will almost
reach the dim nsious OF a volume as il
viii contain every written statement pre-
scented on both sides during the confer
ences- The Spaniards made a last con,ri-
button yesterday on the ass. milling OF the
cOmmissions
Senior Montero Rios then presented a vig-
orously-wOrde0 protest in which the Span
iard5 declared they had yielded to force.
but that they invoked the conscience of the
nations against the abuse of the rights Of
nations Of which they were the victims.
The protest was for purposes OF record and
consisted " an argument in support of eV-
cry concession demanded by the Soaniard<
and which the Americans refused, some Of
them peremptu-ily and without an oppor-
rsnity for discussion.
The protest concluded:
But these concessions which We are
obliged to make touch US less than the in
suit which has been inflicted on our nation
by President Mckinley in his message We
again protest sulemuiy against the accusa-
ton hurled against us in connection with
the hdlHt. ana We intend To again submit
the question 10 an international tribunal.
comprised OF England, France and Ger
many, 10 determine who shall bear the re-
Sponsihiiity II the catastrophe"
Contains Over "A Dozen Articles.
In spite of the secrecy observed by the
Americans Il Is learned that the treaty. In
substance, consists " thirteen or fourteen
articles
The principal articles provide FOR the
eessiOu and evacuation Of cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippine Islands. ana the
political. administrative and financial re-
suits thereof the requirement by the
United States Of public property and the
rrI punishment Of archives
The articles Of secondary Importance de-
termlue the status of Spanish subjects re-
naming IN the ceded territories and uu-
finished law suits and contracts: euarau-
tees or The same terms TO Spanish shipping
and merchandise as imposed upon Amari-
ran shipping and mercha ndise in the Phil-
ippiue Islands, for ten years and leaving
the status or Spanish commerce IN the West
Indies 10 be settled later.
An important provision is the guarantee
Of religious freedom In the ceded territor-
les, In the same terms as the Florida
Seaty, the Americans having steadfastIy
:-efuSed to incorporate any guarantee Of the
United States determine ton TO favor the
property OF the Catholic Church leaving I,
subject to the general laws on the same
footing as private property.
The Americans were apprehensive even
Yesterday that there might De some un-
fOrseeable turn of affairs which wouId
Illustrate their efforts at the eleventh hour
Senator GRAY, though well known 10 he
radically opposed to the policy OF annexa-
uon or imperialism. will vote in the Sem
ate TO ratify the treaty. considering that
his signing that document binds him to
support ii.