The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-28
Trying to Ascertain Attitude of the
Americans.
RESORTING TO THREATS
MUST BE NO INTERFERENCE
WITH PHILIPPINES.
Believed That Spain Wishes to Trade
Them to the Powers In Exchange
For upport-McKinley Will Pro-
tect the Insurgents-Cuban Debt
Will Not Be Discussed.

Washington, Sept. 27.-The freedom with
which the Spanish minister for foreign
affairs, the Duke Almodovar del rio,
has given publicity to the instructions to
the Spanish peace commissioners as to
the disposition of the Philippines has
given rise to the suspicion among the
| officials here that there is behind it a
| deliberate purpose to draw out in adj
vance the position IF the American COM
missioners on this most important point.
1t is noted now that heretofore the Span
ish government has waited upon the
| United States government to make each
of the steps toward final peace before
making move on their side, so that this
sudden change in policy is accounted for
only on the grounds stated.
There is beside this apparent purpose,
| a yelled threat in the last instruction, not
under any circumstances to allow the
United States to interfere with any dis
position of the islands outside of those
retained by the United States, such as
LuZon. that Spain may see fit to make.
rms Is believed to be IN invitation to
some of the continental powers to step
extremity, in the hope of receiving, as d
quid pro quo some one of the Philip
pines as coaling or naval station.
Although the American peace COM
missioners have so far successfully re-
sisted all attempts to ascertain the exact
nature of their Instructions, something
is known of their general character and
it may be stated on this point, of the
final disposition of such of the Philip
pines as are not held by the United
States. that while the president has no.
where directly admitted any obligation
to the insurgents, yet so long as they
carry out their part and avoid a rupture
with our forces at Manila, he feels that
in any arrangement that shall be made
orr1tcC no
disposition of the islands the insurgents
shall not be placed at the mercy of the
Spanish government without guarantee
for their proper treatment. By an ex-
tension of this same view it is unlikely
that he would care to allow them to be
turned over to another power that might
oPpressively treat them, and especially
without the consent of the natives.
Then there are, as the naval experts
have pointed out, strong strategic reasons
why the United States should refuse to
pine islands to any other nation, to serve
as naval base 1t has been explained
TO the American peace commissioners
that by the possession of the island of
Luzon on the north and the island of
Palawan on the south, the United States
would control the great gateway for the
large traffic that passes between China
and Australia, as we'll as the myriad
islands of the Southern Pacific.
1t is noted at the state department that
the Spanish minister for foreign affairs
Is ISDOTleQ u nave uTtCleQ the SDdHISI.
peace commissioners to make a firm
stand regarding the Cuban debt and the
Philippine loan OF. 1886, if LuzOn is coded
to America
So far as the Philippines loan is con-
cerned, that subject might properly come
before the peace commission. But Judge
Day, the president of the American COM
mission, just before his departure, in
answer to a question as to whether any
matters relative to Cuba would come
before the commission. pointed to the
language of the protocol to show that
the proper function of the commission
was to be found in the disposition of the
future of the Philippine islands, intimat-
ing no question touching Cuba in any
phase would be considered by the COM
mission. The understanding was con-
veyed consequently that the Cuban debt
would figure in no fashion before the
commission if the American commission
ers could prevent it, although it was
fully expected that the Spanish commits
sioners would make an effort to bring
that subject into the deliberations of the
body.