The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-09
WAS HARDLY A SIMPLE
AND DIRECT ANSWER

I" Indications" Said Cabinet Officer, " that
Spain has Accepted our Terms in General
Way, but Leaves Several Questions Open
that We did not Include in the Terms Submit
ted--0ur Communication Stated Specifically
Such Points as Would be Left Open for fu
ture Negotiations I'VE will Stand on Those
Terms. "--Shafter TeIegraphs Of Causes Of
Sickness Among troops The Concho and
Seneca.
Washington. d. c.. Aug. SThe re-
ply of the Spanish Government In reply
to the peace conditions laid down by the
United States was received by the
before three o'clock this afternaon.- The
reply came in sections, the dispatch first
received giving only the opening pas
sages of the Spanish reply A few min
utes later another despatch. brought !;
second section and these kept coming
uninterruptedly by procession of mes
sengers until seven sections of the Span
ish reply had been received ut ten min
lItes of four when the last part was still
to arrive. In the meantime the cipher
experts were at work and at four thirty
IL .,ht rf all f1tf
portion of the reply received up to that
time. and there was lull of some time
pending the arrival of the concluding
portions. 1t was thought Il terrific rain
storm which swept over Washington
about o'clock might have occasioned
the delay of the remainder. Pending the
receipt of the complete reply, no steps
were taken to fix a time for a conference
with the President as the time for that
depended largely upon some. of the feat
ures of the reply, and also upon the
explicit instructions concerning the de-
livery Of the answer which usually ;fc-
companies a document of this solemn
character. Neither at the White House
nor at the State Department was there
an official knowledge that the reply had
reached Washington. and the usual Of
flee hours closed with no appointment
made for conference. There was felt
to he little likelihood. even though the
Ambassador received the complete reply
and instructions. that there would be Il
night conference at the White House for
the purpose of presenting the document.
Pending the official delivery Of the
answer speculation was rife as to it's
contents There was little or no fur
ther doubt that the length of the reply
meant that Spain had not given SIM
pie and direct affirmative answer to the
American conditions. 1t was evident that
u the reply was an acceptance, it was
accompanied by extended discussion and
probably by conditions This caused
considerable apprehension in official cir
cles here. for it was felt last week that
Spain would surely yield in every partic-
ular. it began to 'be felt that possibly
there might be another period of dis
cilssion, and possibly an indirect attempt
to open up Il diplomatic excnange on the
nature OF the terms. The prevailing
view. however, was that the reply was
on its face an acceptance, although not
such a one as precIuded all possibility
OF further discussion. Al vital points
were believed TO he conceded-the aban-
donment of Cuba. Porto Rico and the
Ladrones, and the establishment of Il
commission to pass upon questions relat-
ing to the Philippines. In the carry
ing ont of this program, it was believed
that Spain you'd seek to secure an un-
derstanding on many incidental points
Involved, some of them of considerable
Importance. For instance, some doubt
was raised as TO whether Spain's ac-
ceptance would be operative until refer
red to and ratified by the Spanish Cortes
ana 1t was understood that the reply
might call attention to this condition.
The same condition. it was pointed out,
exists as to the United States. for a
peace treaty requires the ratification of
the Senate to become operative. In
case Spain's answer discussed these in
cidental points there promised to be
wide latitude for controversy and delay
unless the President and Cabinet de-
cincd TO enter the field of discussion.
Late in the afternoon the President
received an indirect intimation that the
Spanish reply had come to the French