The Portland daily press., 1898-10-20
SPANIARDS HAVE LEARNED
SOMETHING.

Paris, October 1e.-At the request OF
the Spanish commissioners the joint
meeting of the peace commissions fixed
for today has been deferred to Friday.
Judge Day, president of the American
commission, received q communication
this morning from Senior Montero RioI,
president of the Spanish commission, say.
ing that advices expected from Madrid
made 1t necessary for him and his col
leagues to request a postponement of any
further conferences until Friday next.
A courteous reply was returned by Sec
Rotary Moore, granting the extension OF
time.
While the deferring of any one confer.
ence two days Is not In itself an i'm
portant request, the delay by the Span
iards at this juncture is something more
than significant.
The game of diplomacy now progress
ing here has reached stage which makes
it necessary that the next moyei be made
by the Spanish commissioners. They
are confronted by the plain fact of their
protocol agreement to relinquish and
evaouate Cuba without ''ifs, "ands" OF
"buts, -.
1t has become clear here that the Span
inrds cherished the hope that they could
given path and ultimately wander else
where and do less or more than named in
the protocol compact
The American commissioners however,
have firmly adhered to the boundary
lines already mutually established and
within which they insist the Span1ards
as well as themselves shall duly proceed.
1t is not too much to say that Spain now
has more light than ever before on the
integrity and steadfastness word and
purposes of the United States. Nor is it
wide OF the factsto say that the Spaniards
are now intimately aware that the
United States did not make war on Spain
to acquire Cuba as q conquest prize.
Because the United States will not take
over the sovereignty, has widened Span
ish perceptions and has unquestionably
hastened their convictions Wherefore 1t
may in sense be true that for the first
time they have feeling that American
pledge and American performance are CO.
equal terms, the Spaniards now are prac-
tioally on the threshold of properly lighted
negotiations. ~
tions she was confronted by a wall OF fast
agreement which she, however, regarded
as possible of break or punoture at the
point Of Castillian diplomacy. Thus she
poised ana launched against the protocol
structure of seeming solidity the keen
lances Of her dnesse. But they have fallen
broken at her feet, and now SPANS COM
missioners ask time to assure themselves
OF their previous misjudgment and also
to reform their lines or arrange new Ones
The assigned reason for today'e request
for delay ID believed to have been to allow
an interchange of communication with
Madrid and to formulate dnal attitude
on the Cuban matter.
This attitude of the Spaniards to be de-
veloped on Friday will be watched with
no little interest. Their alternatives are
few. They may aoosde to the American
attitude, themselves assume the Cuban
debt, and 20 forward to slider the next
protocol point Of Porto Rico and the
choice by the United States of an island
in the Ladrones group; or they may at
this juncture formally ask fer arbitra-
ton; or as an extremity, which is not
likely, may retire from further negoti
atoms
The tone during the last four or five
significant Of widening condolences by the
Spanish as to the attitude they have as
sumed in the negotiations here and the
recurring assurances of SPANS desire Tor
arbitration may have had q meaning.
The Spaniards may not have sought 70
promote sympathy, but had they desired
to lay down basis upon which to set up
plea to Europe to prevent what 1t Is
sought to prevent as her ravishment. the
surface Indications could not have been
more favorably disposed for that purpose
The American commissioners, after de-
spatching their acquisscenoe in the delay,
held brief meeting, probably to make
formal record of the deferriug OF the
joint session fixed for today.
The Americans yesterday held brief
session having no reference to the nego-
tiations and the brevity of these meetings
and other Indications warrant the con
viction that the American attitude is well
formed and that the commission is tho,
roughly advised on all the points and
features which it is possible to foresee
in subeeq uent conferences. The holders
of Spanish securities have not been inac
tive. and it is not unlikely that the Anne
ricar, commission has been called upon
to consider written presentment OF
figures, facts and plsadings In behalf Of
those interests. We're it not that the
spirit and attitude of the American com.
mission are so dlgnifed, 1t might be said
that they are now holding the fort, and
invite attack. Their personality and pro-
oedure, however, here is such as to make
1t fair to say that while not counting
attack they do not fear enc.