The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-05
CLAIM SET UP THAT UNIrrp
STATES HAD NO ULTIMATE y
RIGHTS AT MANILA
PROTOCOL PROVISIONS
ARE CLEvERLY CITED
Argued That at the Outset America
Had No Thought of AnnexinE the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to M.
cambon Quoted in Support of
Spanish Contention-Ameri
Position Inconsistent.

PARTS, Nov. 4-The Spanish COM
missfoners, in the course of two
hours session of the peace conference
today, hatly refused to accept Mon.
days proposition by the Americans ia
take the entire Philippine group and to
reimburse Spain for her pacific" ex-
penditures there. This negative action
was expected.
Ihe Spanish commissioners had also
number Of positive declarations which
filled some thirty-seven sheets OF a
typewriter presentment In this
statement the Spaniards held that ths
United States had no ultimate rights
In the Philippine islands, and could
nave none save by the consent of Spain
In these negotiations and upon terms
satisfactory to her. According to the
Spanish contention in the formal state
ment, the United States entertained no
thought of annexing the Philippines
when the protocol was signed. or II
would have been expressed in the
protocol as clearly as the conditions re-
garding the cession of territory in the
Antilles and the Orient M. Carnbon.
before the signature of the protocol,
received from MadTid-the presentment
alleged-a cable message clearly set
ting forth that the maintenance of
Spam's authority over the Philippines
should not be affected by the protocol.
to which reservation the United States
made at that time no protest or OBJ
lection.
This dispatch to M. Cambon, as the
Spaniards claimed today, embodied also
the view that the UNITED States had no
valid basis for claims In the archipe-
lago. 1t was further held today by
Senior Rios and his colleagues. that the
capitulation Of Manila, having occurred
after the signing of the protocol and
thus after the suspension Of hostl,.....ss,
was invalid.
SPAIN'S FIRST MOVE.
With all this for groundwork, the
Spaniards made their first positive
move against the Americans, and II
constituted their counter proposition
They charged upon the United States
wrongful appropriation of public
moneys belonging to Spain, by selling
the tariff duties at Manila, and they
formally demanded the return of these
moneys, In the sum of nearly 81, ,00O,00
On the same premises the United States
was today declared to have made and
held as prisoners the Spanish troops
at Manila in violation Of international
law, because done after the suspension
of hostilftdes under the protocol A
further charge was that by the impris-
onment Of the Spanish troops at Manila
the United States had prevented Spain
from quelling the insurrectioD, and had
thus contributed to the violence aga nst
| Spain after the cessation of hostilitles.
Today's Spanish presentment also
cited the refusal of the Americans to
consider the Cuban debt, on the ground
that it was not sanctioned in the pro-
tocol, and demanded an adherence to
this as a precedent in the discussion of
the Philippines regarding a cesson OF
which the the Spanish commissioners
held the protocol to make no mention.
In support of these assertions, ar
guments and demands, the Spanish
presentment provokes Spain's record in
the correspondence by mail and tele-
graph, though 1t is not known Of
ficially whether the Spanmrds produc-
ed the message said to have been sent
from Madrid to M. Cambon, at the
time the protocol was signed, in which
1t was affirmed today Spain reserved
her Philippine sovereignty. The pre-
sentiment was read by Interpreter Fer
grson, being rendered from the Span
ish, in which it was written. into Eng
lish At the close of the reading the
Americans said they wished to have
the Spanish statement rendered into
written English for more careful con-
sideration, and an adjournment was
taken to Tuesday.
This evening the Spaniards affect to
believe that the Americans had plan
ned to develope the spirit of their
Philippine demands before the Ameri-
oan elections, but they decline to say
whether they expect easier terms after
the election.
nEMTDV nI CknEn HIIII TN