The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-09-16
PEACE COMMISSIONERS
FULLY Instructed as to Their Duties
at Paris.
WILL ACCEPT NO COMPROMISES.

While the PeacemalSers Have Full
Power to Act, 1t Is Given out That
Their Demands on Spain WIN BE In
the Nature of an Ultimatum.
Washington, Sept. 16.-The cabinet
met in special session at 3 o'clock yes
terday afternoon and adjourned at 4.
All of the members were present ex-
cept Secretary Alger, who is not in
the city. All united in the statement,
made after the meeting, that they had
agreed to say nothing mere of the re-
suit Of the deliberations than that the
peace commissioners had been fully In
structed. OF the nature of these in
structions they conveyed not word.
Each one pointed out that to do so
would be extremely impolitic, and
would amount to armlng the Spanish
commissioners in advance against
themselves. The peace commissioners
who were approached on the subject
made a similar response, thus clos
ing all official avenues of information.
1t was said that the commissioners
were fully instructed" and, upon
seeking a further explanation of this
had patiently gone over, in the discus
sion with the commissioners, every
subject that in their opinion could be
brought into the proceedings before the
joint commission. on each Of these the
American commissioners were made
acquainted with the views and wishes
Of the administration 1t is not to be
understood from this that the commits
gtn
changeable instructions at all points,
for there is a certain amount of flexi-
bility in the instructions, else, as one
of the cabinet members put 1t. the
president might just as we'll have re-
duced his wishes to paper in the form
of an ultimatum and have sent that to
Paris by a messenger. The peace com
missioners are in no sense mere mouth
pieces, but, having chosen with the
greatest care and consideration, five
men in whom he puts the most eX-
plicit confidence the president feels
that they are to be trusted with the in
terests of the United States
1t is expected that at Paris the COM
missioners Will meet General Merritt,
fresh from Manila, and in addition
they will there have the benefit of
special report from Admiral Dewey.
These will be of the greatest value, for
the commissioners are not acquainted
with the Philippine question in detail,
and even the information that is to be
acquired from the Spanish peace COM
missioners is not to be despised when
it takes such an official form that 1t can
be relied upon as to accuracy
All the arrangements have been made
for the departure of the commission
and its staff. Most of the party will
leave Washington at 4 o'clock this af-
ternoon for New York, but circum-
stances may detain some of the COM
missloners until the midnight train.
The Campania sails at p. m. tomor-
row, and explicit instructions have
been given all the members of the
party as TO being on hand at that
time.
The state department last night gave
out a statement concerning yesterdays
discussion between the members Of the
cabinet and the peace commission.
The statement says in part;
THE commission goes to Paris fully
prepared to follow a course of action
mapped out for IT, as the result of the
consultations of the last two days. At
the very outset It will be made clear
to the Spanish commissioners that, as
in the case of the preliminary protocol
there can be no deviation from or
modification Of the demands made by
the United States. The decision arrived
at by the president, after a full con-
sultation with the members Of the
commission, subsequently received the
cordial and unanimous approval of
the cabinet"