Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-11-24
BY ARBITRATION.
Spaniards Propose to Settle the
Philippine Question.
They Assert that Decision by "a Third
Party is Necessary TO "a Satfsfac-
tory Adjustment of the Ne
gOtiations Now In Prog
ress ut Paris.

Paris, Nov. 17.--At the meeting yes
tsrday of the Spanish-American com
missions the Spanish commissioners
presented long document in answer
to the American argument which was
submitted last week. BY mutual con-
sent the memorandum was handed to
the Americans and the meeting ad-
journed until Saturday.
The Spaniards in their communica-
tion reaffirmed the position which they
have assumed against the discussion
here of Spain's Philippine sovereignty.
They insist that the words ''shall de-
tcrmine the control, disposition and
government of the Philippines" in
Article 3 of the peace protocol, do not
warrant any reference to Spain's with
drawal from the Philippines except on
her own terms, and therefore the
Spaniards propose arbitration on the
construction to be placed on the words
1.-The control, disposition and govern
ment."
In signifying their willingness to
submit the Philippine article of the
protocol to a third party for construc-
that as there is difference of opinion
regarding the phrase the control, dis
position and government of the Philip
pines" possibly the result of miSun-
| derstanding, the Spaniards should no
more be asked to surrender their view
than the Americans to surrender theirs.
The memorandum points out that a
deadlock exists, which might be bro
| ken by arbitration, on the contending
views, to which the Spanish commits
sioners are quite ready to submit. The
| later declare that they have no idea of
suggesting arbitration as to the main
| issue, which touches the national honor
of both sides, but they are willing to
accept exterior aid to clear the path of
negotiation.
1t is safe to say that the American
commissioners will not consent to in
woke exterior aid to construe the terms
of their own protocol.
Another part of the Spanish memor-
| andum fatty asserts upon the authori-
| ty of NJ. Cambon's report of the pro
tocol negotiations between Washing
ton and Madrid through him, that
| President Mckinley at no time Oh
| jected to Spain's reservation of her
sovereignty in the Philippines. This
allegation is directly opposed to the
American record on the subject.
Moreover, the Spanish commission
| ers allege that President Mckinley's
| objection to Spain's phraseology in ac-
| cepting the terms Of peace was based
solely, SO far as was made known, upon
this sentence in the Spanish accept
ance: "They accero the protfered
terms subject to the approval of the
cortes of the kingdom, as required by
| their constitutional duties"
The Spanish memorandum holds that
NJ. Cambon answered the American OBJ
| lection to this by pointing out that the
| Americans terms We're protfered sub
| ject to the approval of. the Americans,
| but that President Mckinley replied
that he did not desire to involve the
internal affairs of Spain in the pro
ceedings in hand.
The Spanish memorandum also asks
why, if the United States objected to
| Spain's reservation of sovereignty, they
| did not plainly say so in the protocol
and leave no room for argument.