The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-05
CapituIatiOn of that City Said to he
After Suspension of HOstilities.
NO INDICATION OF RUPTURE
SPLNISH CONTENTION WILL MERELY
CAUSE FURTHER DELAY.
Americans to Reply Next Tuesday,
When Another Joint Session Will
BE He1d-Press Comment.


PARIS, Nov 4-The Spanish commits
sioners, in the course of a two hours ses-
sion of the peace conference to-day, fatty
refused to accept Mondays proposition by
the Americans to take the entire Philippine
group and to reimburse Spain for her pa
cific" expenditures there. This negative de-
csion was expected The Spanish commits
sCners had also a number of positive dec
larations, which filleu some thirty-seven
sheets of a typewriter presentment. In
this statement the Spaniards held that the
United States had no ultimate rights in the
Philippine islands, and could have none save
by the consent of Spain in these negotia-
tions and en- terms satisfactory to her. Ac-
cording to the Spanish contention in the
formal statement, the United States enter
tained no thought of annexing the Philip
pines when the protocol was signed, or 1T
would have been expressed in the protocol
as clearly as the conditions regarding the
cession of territory in the Antilles and the
Orient. M. Cambon before the signature
Of the protocol, received from Madrid-the
presentment alleged-a cable message
clearly setting forth that the maintenance
of SDains authority over the Philippines
should not be affected by the protocol, to
which reservation the United States made
at that time no protest or objection This
dispatch to NJ. Cambon, the Spaniards
claimed to-day, embodied also the view that
the United States had no valid basis for
claims in the archipelago. It was further
held to-day By Senior Rios and his col
leagues that the capitulation of Manila, hav-
ing occurred after the signing of the pro-
tocol and thus after the suspension of hos
tilities, was invalid.
With all this for groundwork. the Span
iards made their first positive move against
the Americans, and it constituted their
counter proposition. They charged upon
the United States wrongful appropriation
of public moneys belonging to Spain by
seizing the tariff duties at Manila, and they
formally demanded the return of these mon
eys in the sum of nearly million dollars.
ILLEGALLY IMPRISONED.
On the same premises the United States
was to-day declared to have made and held
as prisoners the Spanish troops at Manila
in violation of international law, because
done after the suspension of hostilities un-
der 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 insurrection and had thus con-
tributed to the violence against Spain after
the cessation of hostiities.
To-day'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 protocol, and demand
ed an adherence to this as a precedent in
the discussion of the Philippines, regarding
a cession of which the Spanish commission
ers held the protocol to make no mention.
1f
and demands the Spanish presentment in
vokes SPANS record in the correspondence
by mail and telegraph. though it is not
known unoficially whether the Spaniards
produced the message said to have been
sent from Madrid to NJ. Cambon at the time
the protocol was signed, in which, it was
affirmed to-day. Spain reserved her Philip
pine sovereignty.
The presentment was read by Interpreter
Ferguson, being rendered from the Spanish
in which it was written, into English. AT
the close Of the reading the Americans said
they wished to have the Spanish statement
rendered into written English for more care
full consideration, and an adjournment was
taken to Tuesday.
This evening the Spaniards affect to be-
lieve that the Americans had planned to
mands before the American elections. but
they decline to say whether they expect
easier terms after the election.
The entire clerical force of the American
commission will be busy the greater part
of the night in handling the Spanish pre-
sentiment, and the counsel to the commits
sioners will at the same time examine it
with view to to-morrow's private session
of the American eli x1ybar
sponse will be formulated.
PROTOCOL MEANS WHAT 1T SAYS
1t may again be asserted on the highest
authority-as bearing on the Spanish argu-
ment-that when the protocol was signed
there was no understanding verbal or
otherwise, which the protocol does not show
forth. Nor have the American commission
ers at any time on the other hand held or
believed that the protocol determined any
thing against Spains sovereignty in the
Philippines. The American representatives
have, however, held, and doubtless will hold
that the protocol was meant to provide and
does provide for a decision by the Paris
conference regarding the ownership of the
Philippines.
In this connection, too, the Americans will
undoubtedly cite the fact that originally the
protocol contained the word possess in
stead of disposition" the latter having
been substituted at M. Cambons request
and in Difference to Spanish sensibilities
The original reading will unquestionably be
recurred to now as indicating the mental
attitude of the American signers of the pro-
tocol toward American possession Of the
Philippines This line of reasoning natural
ly will include the question of the precedent
which the Spaniards say was created by the
refusal Of the United States to consider the