Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-08-18
THE PEACE COMMISSION.
Secretary Day, Senator Allison and
Senator German Will Probably
Be Three of the Members.
The MILITARY COMMISSIONERS WORK.
They VIII Arrange the Details of the
Evacuation by the Spaniards and Will
BE Sent to Porto Rico and Cuba and the
President Will Depend a Good Deal on
Their Reports.

Washington, Aug. IA. = Secre tary
Day, Senator Allison and Senator Cor
man in all probability will be three of
the commission, and either Joseph
Choate or Elihu Root, of New York,
will be another. Senator Davis, of
Minnesota, will be offered place on
the commission. but it is expected that
he will decline and that fifth man.
not a United States senator. will be
selected. There is a probability that
Adjt Gen. Corbin will be selected.
After the signing of the peace proto-
col Secretary Day was asked if he
would venture prediction as to the
time when the commissioners who will
conclude the formal treaty will be an
nounced. Il should say very soon," he
replied. Speaking of the next steps, the
cretary said: ''As soon as appointed
the peace commissioners will come
here and prepare for their work
by thorough examination of the
case. They will then receive their in
structions from the president to go to
Paris. should think the commission
ers would be able to leave in about
two weeks after appointment" Sec
rotary Day sees no reason why the
commissioners representing the two
countries should not be able to meet
in Paris the latter part of September,
within the limit of October 1, speci-
fed by the protocol. He thinks the
proceedings at Paris will occupy about
a month.
Commissioners, other than those who
go to Paris, will be sent to San Juan,
Porto Rico. and Havana, Cuba. They
will be named at once. They must be
in the cities named before the 18th of
September ''to arrange and execute
the details of the evacuation" Mill
tary men, in the main, will be selected
for these commissionerships. One of
those who will attend to the details in
Porto Rico will, it is understood, be
Gen. Schwan, who is now on the is
land. The purpose of the president is
to assign to these duties some of the
generals who have as yet had no op-
portunities in the field. Gen. Wade |
will probably be one of the commission
ers sent to Havana. It is supposed
Blanco will be selected as one of Spain's |
esentatives, although he has ex-
pressed a strong desire to be allowed
to leave the island at once and to let
others meet the Americans and con-
duct the details of the evacuation. |
While the protocol does not stipulate |
the number for the military commits |
sion, there is custom which governs. |
There will be five commissioners, three |
American and two Spanish, for Cuba, |
and the same number for Porto Rico. |
The navy will have one representative |
on the Cuban commission.
Gen. Corbin, in speaking of the |
duties of these commissioners said |
they would have full charge of details
Under instructions from the president, |
the American commissioners will de- |
eide what arms and munitions the |
Spanish troops shall be allowed to |
carry home. They will decide the |
manner in which the troops shall be
withdrawn from different parts of the
island. The president will depend a |
good deal upon the reports of these
commissioners in Cuba and Porto
Rico. The earliest steps to be
taken in the reconstruction of govern
ment will be based upon their recon-
mendations. 1t is not yet decided |
whether Cuba will be cut up in to mill
tary districts, each with a military
governor, or whether there will be
one military governor for the entire
island. The commissioners will inves-
tigate in Cuba the relations between
the patriots and the rest of the popu-
1ation, and will advise the president
as to the course to be pursued.