Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-10-05
|erican and Spanish Commission Ers Come to D Speedy Agreement
 IS to What Should Be Done.
||HL |LLL TROUBLE so
 FAR GUARDED AGAINST.
Epanish Seem AnX.o.is to Leave, and the Americans Lend Them All Pos
 sible Aid American Commis.
 sioners Using Much Policy.

4 Copyrighted, 1908. by the Associated Press. l San Juan, Porto Rico, Oct. 4.-The American commissioners to arrange the evacuation of Porto Rico have been em- inently suecessul in their dealings with the Spanish commissioners, and it is be- lieved that within three weeks at the most tho last of tho Spanish troops will have sailed for home and the stars and stripes will be unfurled over San Juan Their mission has been accomplished without friction. More or less trouble was anticipated at the outset, but our commissioners have been agreeably surprised at the frankness and oandor the Spanish commissioners have displayed.
 While General Macias and General 0rtega, the second in command in the island, and one Of the Spanish commits sioners, i'll their conversation with our commissioners, have fully acknowledged the fact that the loss of Cervera's fleet cut off all hope of succor from Spain, they still maintain that the American army had tremendous task before it in crossing the mountains. and Macias con- tends that the army could not have reached the gates of San Juan without loss of 10000 men. The little skir- mishes on the south coast, Gen. eral Macias refuses to call reverses, because he claims his troops came by his orders to the strong posi- tions in the mountain passes. As a matter of fact, the only action of impor- tance--the bombardment of Morro cas- tie by Admiral Sampson's fleet early In May-Macias insists was Q distinct Span- ish victory. Sampson's guns pounded away for three hours. They wrecked several buildings in the city, but for their effect on the city walls of the old mediaeval courts the and J0-inch pro- jectiles from the American Warships had as well been paper wads. Not a gun was dismounted, not man killed. After tho fleet had retired -''repulsed" is the word the Spanish use-"the yic- tory" was celebrated throughout the city. All the military bands paraded the streets playing martial music, a grand concert was given in the plaza and the cafes that night, echoed with the cries of Viva Espanola, "Abaja los Amercanos. So it was that the mili- tary ehieftains who met our commis- sioners, met them not as defeated sol diars to deliver un property lost in bat tie, but rather as soldiers martyred by defeat of others to yield that which they still claim they might have been able successfully to defend
 General Brooln, Commodore Schley and General Gordon were exceedingly careful not so disturb their illusions in this respect. and 10 their extreme tact fulness is due the ease and facility with which the negotiations were finally con- clu6ed They dsciied before the first meeting 10 stick ID the main issue, which was ,ha immesiiase evacuation of the island and to be generous to the point of nlagnanimity in minor and non-essential matters.
 The Spanish commissioners, especially General Ortega, were at first disinclined to discuss the main question. They