The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-12-09
TIE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
The Conference in Paris Progress
ing Satisfactorily and a Favor
able Issue Expected.
SonE QUESTIONS YET TO De SETTLED.
Further Concessions. However. Mnst Be
Optional with spain. the Demanding
Stage Having Been Exhausted with the
Protocol Problems Requiring Much
Time for Their Adjustment.

Washington, Dec. Sit can be
stated positively thar no hitch has oc-
CURED i'm The proceedings OF the peace
commission AT Paris. and an impress
sion TO thecuntrary ia certain quarters
probably arose through misunder-
standing OF the phase those proceed
ing have reached. With the ac-
quiescence by the Spanish commits
sioners in the demands SET out in the
original protocol all danger Of failure
to reach the point of signature OF a
peace treaty disappeared. and that
such treaty will be forthcoming.
covering NJ least all of the protocol
points. j. considered a. sure. What Is
now going On in Paris is a negotiation
respecting certain objects which the
United States government seeks TO ac-
complish IN that manner instead Of re-
sorting 10 the more usual. but more
tedious method OF correspondence be-
tween the TWO governments. These
objects have been clearly stated in
general terms in the press cable dis
patches from Paris. namely. the ac-
QUESTION of one Of the Caroline ISL
ands as a cable station and coaling
station; of certain rights 10 land ca
bles on spanish possessions al other
points; the procurement Of freedom
of religious worship in the Carolines.
and the revival Of certain treaties of
trade and commerce. etc.
Purely Diplomatic Negotiations which
do Not Affect the Peace Treaty.
fl.as IL.
purely the subjects OF diplomatic ne
cotiations and do not in any way az
feet the conclusionof the peace treaty
They might all fail 10 be realized and
still the treaty would not be affected.
Moreover. while Spain was the sub
lect Of peremptory demands in the
ease of the protocol points. she j. free /
OF compulsion now while these diplo- /
matte exchanges are in progress. She /
may sell 20 the United States one of /
the Caroline islands or max refuse 10
do 50. and. moreover. if we buy the
island il must be az "A price satisfac-
tory 10 Spain. She NAV even sell the
Caroline group to Germany instead of /
to the United States. If she can OBJ
tain a better price for the former.
There is good reason 10 assume the |
correctness Of the report that Ger
many is, even now, bargaining for |
these islands.
All other points covered by these |
negotiations are matter for mutual |
arrangement and not Of demanding.
Not laundering After the Island OF Ceuts-
The statement that Spain refused to |
sell us Ceuta, opposite Gibraltar. for a \
roaling and cable station. is mac
curare: the United States government
has not made any such proposition
for the acquisition Of that island and 4
would hesitate very long before en-
tering upon the turbulent field OF ac- l
tivities involved in the assumption OF I
territory in the neighborhood Of the |
Mediterranean.
Oesirsblene<. OF Securing the Carolines.
The case is different. respecting the |
Carolines- The American naval ex-
perts have urged very strongly that |
this group. ar "a whole be retained if
possible. and in addition that OF the
Pelew group. lying TO the westward.
be purchased. They have pointed out
that the souihernmost island OF the
Ladrone group. Waloa. lies only 300
miles north Of Ponape. in the Caro-
lines. and the Pelew islands are only
about GOO miles distant from the Phil
ippines.
Natural Trade Channel.
Moreover. the vast bulk of trade in
that quarter Of the world passes di-
rectly through the natural channel
between the I.adr0nes and the Caro-
lines. Of which the United States
would have command. II Germany is
able TO outbid the United States for
these islands. she may obtain them.
hut suspicion is entertained that
the naming Of S2.OoO.co0 was inspired
by a friendly desire to get the best
possible terms for Spain from the
United states by raising the price of
the goods.
4 Pledge that Must be Kept Invfolste-
One Of the pledges which j. almost
a. good as a treaty obligation in its
force even now, is that the United
States. in return for the release Of
the political prisoners from Cuba and
Porto Rico. held 10y Spain. will secure
the release of the Spanish prisoners
held by Aguinaldo, and to this matter
attention is being devoted here. There
has been IN almost daily dispatch
from Gen. Otis announcing the ar
rival Of transport at Manila loaded
with United States troops. and the
war department is fairly confident Of
its ability now to undertake the full
control OF the Philippines with the as
sistance Of the naval contingent un-
der Dewey.
win Not be Easy OF Accomplishment.
IL Is realized that the task Of in
duci-g Aguinaldo TO surrender the
capti,es for whom he has demanded
such an extravagant ransom Isl .500.-
600 under penalty of cutting their
Threats. T. going TO be difficult one {,
but. after all. the United States com
missioners in Paris have only under
taken that the United States govern
mcnt shall use its best effofs to se-
cure the release Of the prisoners: they