The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-21
SPAIN QUITS.
The President of the Spanish
mmissiOn
Refuses to Continue the Peace
Negotiations.
ULTIMATUM OFFERED
By the American Commission
at TOday's Meeting
Precipitates the End of the Eff
fort at Treaty Making.

Paris, Nov. 21.-The president Of the
Spanish peace commission, Senior Mon
tero Rios, has refused to continue tia
negotiations.
Washington, Nov. 21.-The state de-
partment has not been advised of the
reported refusal of the Spanish peace
commissioners to continue the negotia-
tions in Paris. Secretary Alger express
eS 0lSbeuef OF the accuracy of the re-
port, or rather, he feels that it was
based upon the personal expression Of
opinion of President Rios of the Span
ish commission and that he did not nee
eSSar1Iy represent the formal opinion OF
the full commission Still the breach, il
breach there has been, would not be a
matter of surprise, to the state depart
ment which has shaped instructions to
the American commissioners so as to
bring the negotiations in Paris to a
sharp issue, one way or the other to-
day.
If President Rios did express the de-
termination of the Spaniards, under
their instructions the American COM
missionerS will promptly pack up and
leave Paris for the United States at
once. 1t is said at the state depart
ment that nearly all of their work in
such case will go for nothing. The pro-
ceedings before the commission were
so conducted that no one point agreed
upon was to be regarded as binding
unless a complete treaty should be
made. In other words the agreement
on each point, as it was passed over
was tentative, and the final acceptance
was conditioned upon a complete agree
ment on all points.
This does not necessarily wipe out
what has been accomplished under the
terms of the protocol. Each article of
the protocol must stand, for it was in
no respect dependent on what would
follow at Paris, saving the one clause
touching the Philippines. For instance
Spain agreed positively to relinquish
her sovereignty over Cuba and Porto
Rico and evacuate those islands and to
cede to US one of the Ladrone islands
for a naval station. These agreements
are beyond recall and all that was left
to be settled at Paris relatScl to the
Philippines. That is the ultimate po-
sition of the United States government
as announced at the state department.
AS to what shall follow now-peace or
war-the officials are not clear and
earnest consideration will be given to
this subject before any decision is an
nounced. 1t is believed that the Span
evacuation of the island which is now
in progress. It is not thought probable
that they will attack the United States
forces.
Paris, Nov. 21-The Spanish and
American peace commissions met in
joint session at o'clock this afternoon.
The American declared the United
States must hold the entire Philippine
archipelago and for a treaty cession OF
the islands the Americans rendered to
Spain $40, OOO, 600
1t is fruther declared that it is the
purpose of the United States to main
tain the Philippine islands as an open
door" to the worlds commerce.
On the terms named the United States
proposes a mutual REIMBURSEMENT of all
claims for indemnity, national or per-
sonal subsequent to the outbreak of the
last Cuban instruction. November q
is fixed as the date on which the United
States commission desires a definite
response to today's propositions and all
other subjects in issue here.
It is also declared that the United
States desire to treat on the religious
freedom Of the Caroline islands as
agreed upon between the United States
and Spain in 1886 and also of the ac-
QUESTION of one of the Caroline islands
for an American naval station and OF
cable landing rights at other places in
Spanish Jurisdiction and the revival OF
certain Spanish-American treaties as
heretofore in force. The meeting was
then adjourned until Wednesday.
The Americans also refuse to arbitrate
article III of the peace protocol, bear
ing upon the future disposition and con-
troll of the Philippine islands.