The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-20
D0NS NOW IN A DILEMMA
MAY PROPOSE TO SUBMIT THE CUES.
TION TO ARBITRATION.
No Possibility that the United States
bans to Pay Municipal Debts.

mission was unable to meet the United
States peace commission at the joint ses-
sion arranged for to-day. and the next
meeting of the two commissions has been
fixed for Friday next. Judge Day, presi-
dent of the American commission, received
a communication this morning from Senior
Montero Rios. president of the Spanish COM
mission. saying that advices expected but
not received from Madrid made it neces-
sary for himself and his colleagues to re-
quest a postponement of any further con-
ferences until Friday next. A courteous re-
ply was returned by Secretary Moores in
behalf of the American commissioners,
granting an extension of time of the next
meeting as requested.
While the defcrring of any one conference
for. two days is not in itself an important
request, the delay by the Spaniards at this
Juncture is something more than significant.
The game of diplomacy now progressing
here has reached stage which makes it
necessary that the next move be made by
the Spanish commissioners They are con-
fronted by the plain fact of their protocol
agreement to relinquish and evacuate Cuba
without IFS" lands" or butts" 1t has
become clear here that the Spaniards cher
ished the hope that they could unconditon-
ally covenant to follow given path and
ultimately wander elsewhere 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 Spanards as we'll as
themselves shall duly proceed. 1t is not too
much to say that Spain has now more light
than ever before on the integrity and stead
fastness in word and purpose of the United
Stats. Nor is it wide of the fact to say
that the Spaniards are now initially appre-
ciating that the United States did not make
war on Spain to acquire Cuba as a conquest
prize. OF this the Spaniards may not yet
be wholly convinced, but the firm refusal
of Judge Day and his colleagues to assume
the Cuban debt, because the United States
will not take over the sovereignty has
widened Spanish perceptions and has I'M
questionably FASTENED their convictions.
Wherefore it may in a sense be true that,
having for the first time feeling that
American pledges and American perform
ances are co-eaual terms, the Spaniards are
now practically on the threshold of properly
lighted negotiations.
When Spain approached these negotia-
tons she was confronted by wall of fast
agreement which she, however, regarded as
possible of break or puncture at the point
of Castilian diplomacy. Thus she poised.
and has launched against the protocol
structure of seeming solidity the keen
lances of her finesse. They have fallen
broken at her feet. The wall of American
purpose and mutual compact has proved
not only apparent, but real, and now Spain's
commissioners give pause to their attack on
the Cuban angle and ask time to assure
themselves of their previous misjudgment,
and also to reform their lines or arrange
new ones.
The assigned reason for to-days request
for delay is believed to have been to allow
an interchange of communications with
Madrid and to formulate final attitude on
the Cuban matter. This attitude of the
Spaniards, to be developed on Friday, will
be watched with no little interest. Their
alternatives are few but pregnant They
may accede to the American attitude, them
selves assume the Cuban debt, and go for
ward to consider the next protocol point of
Porto Rico and the choice by the United
States of an island in the Ladrone group.
they may at this juncture formally ask
for arbitration, or an extremity, which
is not likely, may retire from further ne
gotiations.
The tone during the last four days of the
widened condolences by the Spanish as to
the attitude they have assumed in the ne
gotiations here and the recurring assurances
of Spain's desire for arbitration may have
had a meaning. The Spaniards may not
have sought to promote sympathy but had
they desired to lay down basis on which
to set up plea to Europe to prevent what
it is sought to present as her ravishment.
the surface indications could not have been
more favorably disposed for that purpose
than they have been.
The American commissioners, after dis
patching their acquescence in the delay
held a brief meeting, probably to make a
formal record of the deferring of the joint
session fixed for to-day. The Americans
yesterday held a brief session having no
reference to the negotiations and the brew
ity of these meetings and other indications
warrant the deduction that the American
attitude is well formed, and that the COM
mission is thoroughly advised on all the
points and features which it is possible to
foresee in subsequent conferences The
amount of information acquired by the
Americans since their arrival here is large.
They have examined old residents of the
Philippine islands, and the information and
testimony from this and other sources is
valuable
A distinguished Roman Catholic church
man from New Orleans is now in this city
in connection, it is said, with the interests
of the Roman Catholic Church in Cuba.
The holders of Spanish securities have not
been inactive and it is not unlikely that the
American commission has been called upon
to consider written presentment of figures.
facts and pleadings in behalf of those inter
ests. Were it not that the spirit and atti-
tude of the American commission are so
dignified it might be said that they are now
holding the fort and invite attacks. Their
personality and procedure, however, here
is such as to make it fair to say that, while
not counting attack, they fear none
MUNICIPAL INDEBTEDNESS.