The Portland daily press., 1898-11-14
sPAlN's CLAIM.
A Note Relied Upon To show That sover
eighty Was Retained.

Paris, November IL. 1T is now believed
that the next meeting of the peace CON.
| missions may be postponed until Tues
day next, though no definite decision ha
been arrived at on the subject. The
Spanish commissioners are still busily
engaged in the preparation Of the docu,
ments which they will submiu at the nex
session of the commissions and it is un,
derstood that their presentation will cover
matters which render their careful prepa
ration unusually important.
Some of the original papers and tran
scripts necessary for the next presenta-
tion of Srain's case Will probably not
arrive here until too late on Saturday t.
permit of meeting that day, which,
course, would neeessitate the postpone.
inent OF the next meeting of the commits
sioners until Tuesday.
Spain may still insist that she effectual.
~ reserved her Philippine sovereignty
from destruction or disturbance by th
United States in note from DUKE
Almodovar De Rio. the Spanish ministe,
of foreign affairs to Judge Day, the
United States Secretary of State, dateo
from Madrid on August z. It is by this
message that Spain presumably accepted
the terms of peace, which, at Spain s
req uest had been set forth by President
Mckinley through Secretary Day under
date of July 20 And it is by this mes.
sage Of Duke Almodovar de Rio and by
the response of Secretary Day that Spain
seeks to prove to the United S ates peac'
commission and to the tribunal of the
nations that Spain s sovereignty over tn
Philippine islands was reserved from any
discussion here and without protest by
the United States. While the vital parts
of both Of these historic papers wert
fully treated in these dispatches or
the day of the last joint session, thest
communications are set forth in full. ant
in chronological sequence. The follow
ing is the August Z note Of Duke Almo-
dovar de Rio:
THE DUKES NOTE.
"Mr. Secretary of State:
THE French ambassador at Washing
ton whose good offices have enabled the
Spanish government to address message
to the President of the United States
uAs lofWaTuGu ny ChtH6 1Our i.AooA4oAoy .
reply to this document.
I'm examining the arguments used as
q preamble to the specification OF the
terms on which peace may be restored be
tween Spain and the United States, 1t
behooves the Spanish government to de-
duct from the order of events that ths
severance of diplomatic relations with th
United States had no other purpose thar
to decline the acceptance of an ultima
tum, which Spain could only consider a.
an attempt against her rightful sovereign
ty over Cuba. Spain did not declare war !;
she met it because it was the only mean
of defending her rights in the Greate
limited States see fit to transform an,
enlarge the purely local question of Cuba
sFrom this fact Your Excellency draws
tbe conclusion that the question at stakt
is no longer the one which relates to tn
territory of Cuba, but also that the losse
of American lives and fortunes Incl
lent to the war should in some manne
be oo,uDeusated AS to the first condl
tion relating to the future of Cuba, the
6wo Governments reach similar c0nolu
sions in regard to the natural inability O
lts ueopls to establish an Independent
government; be it by reason of made
uuate development, as we believe, or, OF
accounu of the present distracted and
prostrate condition of the island, as Your
Excellency states, the fact remains thai
Cuba needs guidance The American
people are willing to assume the respon-
sibility of swing this guidance by substi-
tutinE them selves for the Spanish nation,
whose rights6o keep the island is indispu-
table. 10 this tntimation we have moth