Evening star., 1898-11-23
There Is No Deadlock.

The Paris press is as partisan in its COM
ments on the peace negotiations as though
1t were directly representative of the van
quished nation. The Gaulois, which has
had Its absurdIy prejudiced say on several
previous occasions. now declares as follows:
The commission being divided into an
equal number of voices on the subject of the
cession retention of the archipelago. a
recourse to arbitration is absolutely neces-
sary and legal The Americans, neverthe-
less. refuse to do So and attribute to them
selves sovereignty over the Philippines
without the consent of the conference
They therefore themselves tear up the pro-
tocol they had imposed upon the yanquish-
ed, ana, TO keep up appearances and soften
IN the eyes of the world the violence of
their proceedings. they offer the absurd
compensation of $20O00.W0.
The Gaulois. and apparently the Spanish
peace commissioners. seem to regard the
conference" at Paris as an international
debating society. where propositions are
presented. argued pro and con- and then
decided by ballot. Nothing could well be
further from the fact. Peace treaties are
never framed by reference to a neutral.
save where the neutral projects itself into
the case by virtue of a superior force to
that of the conqueror. No factors in the
present controversy would justify ary
claim on the part of neutral so as to
gotiations. All of the powers are inter
ested, mOrc or less. as their subjects hold
Spanish or Cuban or Philippine bonds or
as they concerned as to the future bal
ance of power in the far east But it is not
a likely proposition that any one of these
powers could very safely interiact itself
into the case single-handed as an inter-
fering neutral-otherwise known as an ar
bitrator-witEout precipitatirg trouble on
too large Il scale 10 warrant such action.
The Gaulois presents what purports to be
problem in International mathematics.
Five being equal to five, balance is neces-
sary. As matter of fact that balance
already exists. 1t was supplied by Dewey
al Manila. by Sampson. Schley. Shafter
and others at Santiago. by Miles in Porto
Rico-by the American genius for fighting
at every point covered by the campaign.
That balance expressed the difference be-
tween the conquered and the conqueror.
Spain is not 4 party to the Paris confer
ence on equal terms with the United States.
She is merely present out of courtesy. as
a matter of form. to enable the United
States to notify her direct as to it's inten-
tion as the victor in war.
Were the mathematical equality of the
present commission serious hindrance to
readily have avoided such a predcament
when it framed the terms under which the
Paris conference is acting. Instead of
writing in that instrument that each nation
should appoint five commissioners the au-
thorities in this city might as well have
required that the United States should send
six to Spain's five. Then there would have
been no such deadlock that of which
the Gaulois complains now. The protocol
was in itself the result of Snains utter
helplessness. 1t was framed here with
large prepOnderance of American represent
tation- NJ. Cambon was the sole proxy for
Spain. while the American side were
President Mckinley. Secretary Day, Assist
ant Secretary Moore and other officials. As
matter of mere numbers, therefore, the
protocol itself was born out of the pre-
pOnderating conditions generated by the
wars result, and the Paris conference, so
called. must fall under the same considera-
uOns. Spain could do exactly as we'll at
Paris with one commissioner. Five how
ever, present a more dignifed appearance
but Spain would do no better with ten