Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-23
WHAT WILL SPAIN DO?.
Her Commissioners Affirm That
They Do Not Yet Know
THE PARIS PREDICTION,
This is That She Will Sign the Treaty,
But Under Protest.
MONTER0 RIOS ExAsPERATED'
Other spnninrds, However, Do Not
shore His Wrath, aud Think Spain
Had BETTER Pocket Her Pride ana
Take Our s2O,OOO,oOO.
MONTERo RIOS ExAsPERATED.

Peace Commission last night telegraphed
TO Madrid the substance of the United
States memorandum presented yesterday
and later in the evening they were dis
cussing It among themselves. AS late as
I o'clock this morning, a Spanish COM
missioner affirmed that he and his col
leagues did not know what to do regard
ing the American offer. There Is dlf-
ference Of opinion among unofficial peo-
ple near the commissions, but the pre-
dlction IS made that Spain will oecline
the American offer of money, VIII re-
fuse 10 cede the Philippines and will say
TO the United States: "You may take
the archipelago, because you have the
| power TO do SO. AS you advance we VIII
retire protesting against greedy aggres-
sion. we will faithfully carry out our
| protocol pledges. and leave Cuoa ana
Porto Rico i'm your hands. You came
| here to engage in discussion under the
| forms of the protocol, but you evidently
| meant when drawing up that document
IN proyide a conference in which, though
| wa differ. man to man, you proposed to
| announce at the proper time what you
| will do whether we agree TO it or object.
| Such an attitude robs the conference OIL
| q negotiatiye character. and sets up the
| limited States as a dominant power whose
| first purpose is to listen. but whose ultl-
| mate determination is to do its own Will
MONTERo RIOS WRoTH.
| As a matter of fact.' Senor Montero
| Rios is reported to have used virtually
| such language and arguments as the iore-
| going. He said more, even. indicating
| high degree of exosperation at the Ameri-
can offer of s2oO0.O0O His manner, no
less than his words betrayed his repus-
nance.
His display Of feeling and his utter
ances however are not wholly approved
by his Spanish colleagues, VINO ula nor
| hesitate to say as much after yesterday
session
| Utterances later by a Spaniard Of i'm
| portance whose name is withheld for the
| r,resent. indicates another line Of action
n treaty cession of the Philippines.
Suppose" said the speaker IN ques-
ton. that Spain says to the United
| States: we are exhausted We have no
funds with which 10 continue the war.
| We do not want to continue II, ana we
| cannot. You serve US with an ultimatum.
We must submit to your power. Pre-
pare your treaty. and when you want us
10 sign we will sign. We must bend to
physical force.
| WELDING BUT STILL PROUD.
| "'You have the Antilles, and you Will
possess the Philippines as CONQUEST
| from a helpless people. We yleid' out We
decline s2OOO0,cOOO for property on which
our valuation was not asked nor respect
ed Won have your will. We trust you
will not continue the war upon our help
lessness. because forsooth, we decline
your s2OOOO.OOO. Surely, this refusal py us
! of vour money will not provoke turthet
use Of arms against SPAIN =.
, 1--WE sign: we cede; we are DUMB; II
g. finished: and we may be permitted 70
retain the privilege Of assuring our people
; and our national creditors that we al leas'
, have not stolen and resold territory we
had pawned. 49,
"Should Spain cede by treaty, or on the
| other hand. should she refuse ana Dreah
= OF the negotiations here, her protest Will
embody some such declaration as TINS
As against such sentiment, IT Is argued
, that the business Is work for grown men
that IL would be childish folly to retus'
500 100000. and that the Spanish Govern
ment could not JUSTIFY suCh IVi"'"i -
fore the Spanish people OF the Pupli'
creditors of Spain-a deliberate throwing
, away of $4,000 900 in addition TO the ter
{ ritory Of the Philippines
NO ANSWER TO-DAY.
.Jt is felt that the Spanish Government
must now answer the American ultima
tum. but as it is not likely that the answer
of Madrid will arrive tomorrow in tim'
for the commissioners 10 formulate theil
reply TO the Americans by the afternoon
It is probable that the joint meeting VII
he deferred from tomorrow TIL daN
later i'm the week"