Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-28

| truce is general Gen. Snafter, Gen Miles
| and Admiral Dewey would simply retain
| the positions they now occupy and moral
| obligation would be imposed not to
| strengthen these positions or to make Sc
| cret preparations for more effective con-
| tinuance of the war hereafter. The mill
| tary authorities agree that the only quail
| fication for this rule is that reinforcements
! may be sent forward and that defensive,
| but not offensive, operations may be con-
| tiuued Under such Iule Spain could
| continue her preparation for defending the
| coast of Spain, even after a suspension of
| hostilities, and at the same time the United
| States could send forward reinforcements
| to Gen. Miles and Admiral Dewey, but all
| offensive operations would cease.
| An Cntenabie Position.
With these well-defined rules of military
| pro cedure, accepted by all nations, the as
| sertion attributed to Premier Sagasta that
| the mere overture for cessation of hos
tiEities should in itself stop these hcstilities
| is regarded as unaccountable. Moreover it
| is looked upon as showing disposition on
the part of Spain not to deal with frankness
! or to follow the usual customs of interna-
| tional procedure, but rather to adopt meth
| eds which will excite foreign powers and
create a misleading prejudice against the
| United States. This view is likely to seri-
| ously prejudice the efforts of the Spanish
government toward the opening of peace
| negotiations and suspend.ng hostilitfes, as
/ 1t inclfnes the authorities here to believe
| that the only method of procedure which
will be clearly understood by Spain is to
| push forward the war vigorously and with
| out recourse to evasive diplomacy.
Steps Toward an Overture.
| In diplomatic quarters there is a strong
desire to avoid errors and prejudices in
| connection with Spains peace proposal,
| which, 1t Is felt, might mislead public
| opinion and interrupt the successful pro-
gress of peace negotiations. For this rea-
son 1T is possible to present some of the
details leading UP to Ambassador Cam
| bOn's recent formal peace proposal in be-
| half of Spain These have become material
| in disposing of reports of peace overtures
| antedating the formal proposition and of
consequent bad faith on the part of the
United States in pushing the war.
The peace propositions took form In Ma
| drid last Friday, and not until then had
the Spanish cabinet itself determined to
| States for peace. Before that day there
was doubtless more OF less talk in the
| line of peace proposition, but as stated,
| it was not finally agreed upon as the gov
ernment policy of Spain. On that day
| Duke Almodovar de Rio, Spanish minister
| of foreign affairs, drafted the Spanish pro-
posal TO this government and it was for
mally agreed that 1t should be presented
! direct to President Mckinley, the French
ambassador at Washington acting as a
medium of communication This decision
| being reached, there was no field for peace
negotiations except through the one chan
| mel determined upon.
| Cabled to the French Ambassador.
| The proposal was cabled to Ambassador
| Cambon in cipher, but before acting he
| advised with his government as to their
| Wlshes as TO his serving in this capacity.
| In the meantime the State Department re-
/ CelVed no intimation from the ambas assaior
| that Spain was about to present this peace
| proposition. The Instructions from Paris
came last Monday night, too late for he
| presentation of SPANS proposal that day.
| Tuesday the State Department was asked
| to arrange for a call by the ambassador on
| the President, and this being set for 3
| o'clock, the proposal for peace was then
| for the first time made known to the
| United States. Until then there was not
| even an intimation to this government that
| the proposition was to be made, so that all
| cOgnizance of Spain's purpose to sue fo-
| Ieace dates from 3 o'clock Tuesday after
| noon 1t may be said also in this connec-
! tion that at no previous time had the
| French ambassador or any representative
| of the French embassy spoken on the sub
| ject of peace to any official of this govern
| ment The French government had not
| and has not now-authorized any peace
! cvertures or inquiry relating to peace, nor
| had the Spanish government, prior to the
/ written communication of last FRIDAY
| reached definite determination to sue for
| peace.
| SaSasta's Alleged Remark.
| With these facts established beyond
| question, the statement attributed to Pre-
| mier Sagasta that We SPAIN resolved on
| peace many days ago and made known our
| resolutions to the United States govern
| ment" is discredited with great positive
| ness III those diplomatic quarters having
| the most intelligent knowledge of the sit
| uation. The report, it is pointed out, comes
| by way of London, which is regarded as
| furnishing reason for this indirect effort
| to prejudice the negotiations.
| Furthermore, it is recalled that only yes
| terday it was asserted that the Madrid
| duthorltleS Claimed that no peace proposals
! whatever, except of a private nature,
| were under way. AS Premier Sagasta is
| intimately acquainted with the fact that
| the peace proposal took form at Madrid
| last Friday and was presented Tuesday, it
| is taken for granted that he could not have
| made the statement attributed to him.
No Intin.atiOn by the President
| The President has given no intimate
/ to the French ambassador thus far as to
| when the answer of this government will
| be communicated, and in the meantime all
| the foreign representatives are left in a
| state of anxious expectancy. The Spanish
| proposition in itself gives no clue to the
| exact character Of the reply to be made
| by the United States. 1t is appreciated
| that as the United States occupies the Do
| sition Of victor. it can choose any line
| 1t desires in framing an answer making II
| general and without express .erms oi
| peace or going directly to the point of spe-
| c'hc terms on which peace is possible. The
| Spanish proposition is general in nature
| that it gives wide latitude to this govern
| neut in the matter of Sha ming :, replxy