The age-herald., 1898-11-04

their remaining colonies and suffer devas- tation of their mainland. h'e1s
 If the United States feels 1t high duty to retain the Philippines, Spain,s envoys will declare that she has an equally sacred trust In holding them to the pledge of their revenues on account of her indebtedness, and that while possibly unable to make good the indebtedness in dollars, Spain can if only by a fruitless adherence to high purposes have her brand of thief disrobed.
 Washington View of the situation
 Washington, November 3.-By way of preparation for what may happen at the meeting of the peace commissioners in Paris tomorrow, it may be said that the officials here have no idea that the Spanish reply will be an unconditional acceptance of our claims of the acquisition of the Philip pine. On the other hand they do not ex- pect an unequivocal rejection. What IS likely to occur is that the Spanish com missioners will come in with counter proposition, the bass of which probably will be considerable increase in the sum of money to be. paid to the Spanish gov ernment for the Philippines. This will open way to negotiations on that subject and in as much as the commissioners spent about six weeks considering the sections of the protocol dealing with Cuba and Porto Rico, 1t is reasonable to believe that at least a few days may be properly allowed for the discussion of the Philippines. In short it may be said that the officials here do not expect final breach of relations between the commissioners to occur tomor- row notwithstanding the comments of un- friendly European newspapers in that line.
 Repudates Charges
 London, November 1.-The Paris corre- spondent of the Times, who repudiates as "calumny" charges of hostility toward the United States contained in letters he has aariao fnr time, says:
 'I have always been a sincere admirer Of the grandeur, enterprise, activity and for tility of the United States, but have ex- pressed the regret shared by all friends or peace and liberty at seeing them enter the path of conquest which leads to militar sm and sooner or later in a republic ends py the establishment of an armed oligarchy dangerous to social equitable and indiyid- ual liberty as in France"
 Proceeding to protest against the harsh- ness of the dragonic conditions imposed up- on Spain as the outcome Of this new "spirit'' he says: 'T understand that at tomorrow's (Fridays) sitting the spanish commissioners will reply to the United States as follows
 ".It is impossible for us either to ac- cept or refuse the conditions the Unitea States government imposes. We do not de- sire to declare formal rupture, because 1t
 
 holding the humiating spectacle or an American fleet bombarding European shores.
 't'We do not intend to furnish America with a pretext for the relaization of such an act but we cannot subscribe to, die tates which are not in conformity with the stipulations adopted in the agreement that terminated the war -"
 We withdraw because we do not Feel that we have right to sign the abdication sought to be imposed upon us We with draw, leaving public conscience to judge the act of violence of which we are the object; and although we are unfortunately convinced that our attitude will have no effect upon the minds of our eonquerers, we cannot assume any other, because, by accepting the conditions imposed we should become accomplices in an injustice and violation of international law to which we may submit, but in which it is impossible to ask to take any share of responsibility
 The Times, commenting editorially upon the dispatch of its Paris correspondent, says:
 '~fhe American demands may possibly be hard, but we cannot indorse the statement that they are in violation of the protecolyi',