The Portland daily press., 1898-12-06
ANYTHING VICTORS PUT IN
Judge Day Tells What Peace Treaty
Can lOntain.
A SENTENCE LIKELY TO BECOME
FAMOUS.

After Anne, lean Chairman sssDec aration
we are Not Likely 10 be Able to Trade
for Caroline.
Paris, December 5.-1he American
peace commissioners held long confer
ence this morning beginning at ten
O'Clock and had only brief recess for
lunch before going TO the foreign office to
meet the Spanish commissioners in the
afternoon. The Americans had apparent
ly changed the form If not the substance
of some of their demands, as a result OF
their deliberations during the past three
days. Secretary Moore of the United
States commission was engaged far into
the night in revising the draft OF the
treat, of peace The American commits
sionera say it is possible though inn
probable. that tod ay's joint session will
settle all the open questions in substance,
leaving only tho wording of the treaty for
discussion.
The Joint commission was in session or
over four hours. Much of the discussion
concerned details as to the guaranteeing
of the rights of Spanish citizeus In tho
ceded colonies The debate was occasion
ally energetic and the Spaniards, on
emerging, appeared to be uejected.
secretary Oieda of the spanish com
mission, when questioned after the meet,
| ing as to the progress mande. answered
lexci5edly: ~ am almost mad. ! cannot
talk, we are making progress.
| The American commissioners declined
to say anything further than tna5 tne
progress made was satisfactory.
The Spaniah commits toner's, have re
| ceived authorityfto bind their govern
,nent on certain matt rs; but there are
| vet im portant questions on which their
| Instructions ara unsatisfactory. and 1t is
likely that many of the details involved
| in the change Of sovereignty IN une
Spanish possessions will be left for settle
ment by the regular diplomatic processes
when relations between the two govern
ments are resumed
The history of the document which
will certify the passing OF the oldest
colonial power in the world and the al-
vent of the newest was cpl .om1sed by
Judge Day this morning in a single sem
tence: "a peace treaty can contain any I.
thing Which the victors put into 1t. :
The American had lis ened for hours with
| their usual patience TO the technieaiities
conyoked by the Spanish with their GUS
| tomary sIirewdness and persistency
against every proposal making Tor the
OF their empire. Dark
N>f~A
bdants mobilized by the Fret Oh autho orltles
mad placed a tiny lamp at the elnoW OF
| each commissioner Senator Frye,
whose unconceaied contempt for dlpio-
matic qui5blings excites the astonisn.
ment of the punctillous Castill1ans. naa
staiked home, his patience exhausted.
| The burden of the Spanish arguments
was that matters outside the bare cesslon
| and evacuation of the covered terri to.
ries which the Americans proposed 10
cover by the treaty, were beyond Ghe ieSl-
/ innate and customary scope OF a peace
treaty. Behind this bulwark Senor
Montero Rios, president OF the spanish
commission fortified himself, lombard
| ing his opponents with a supply OF argu-
| ments and precedents which inspired the
| freely expressed admiration OF tne AIne.
ricans Finally Judge Day summarized
| the American position in the foregoing
memorable utterance. 1t WAS given and
taken in good spirit and from that mo-
lnent the proceedings were entirely
/ friendly, The session accomplished
much Open questions we're canvas ed,
seven being practically settled without
noteworthy friction. The commissioners
decline to ssay what conclusions were
reached, but the bargain for coaling
| station in the Carolines was not cement.
ed, ard according to the present pros
4 oects it is ii ely to fail. The temper OF
| the Americans in this matter is: We
made you o good off r for the island, you
may take or leave it, =
The Epeniards seem disposed to leave
| it, The AHoricans do not regard it a.
a prize which they can demand as one O
the neutral iruf OF the Tar, whlie lie
whole policy OF the Spaniards IS 20 coa' a
fine the negotiations as narrowly as pos
| sible to the letter of the protocol slgntd q
4 in Washington and to exclude all ex'
/ tranaous matters. The result of this pol.
CT may be the leaving of many details
| involved in the change OF sovereignty
| over the various possessions TO settlemshe
by the regular diplomatic process Wnen
normal relations between the TWO couh'
| tries have been resumed.
The Spanish com,nis sioners insisted a
the previous nesting that the settlement
of the status of Spaniards who
lIemain in the colonies was problem
so closely skin to cession that 1T could
not be logically separated from the latter
nut should be consi erred next to the
question of cession and before such mat
ters as coaling stations and religious
federation They appealed to the Amerl
cans. having gained all the great points
/ to be generous on the minor ones. Ac
oordingly the American commissioner:
az foreshadnwed by the correspondent o1
the Associated Press were oonciliatory to-
day on the order of procedure as to th'
status of Spaniards remaining in The los
colonies.
The Spanish commissioners continue
fighting with tooth and nail, to pTocur'
every possible pecuniary and other con
cession. The Americans had alread.
promised to guarantee the return OF Span
ish prisoners In the hands of the Fiji
pinos. To-day Senior Montero Rios pro
posed that the United States should pa.
the expense of shipping them to Spain
arguing, with his customary ingenuit.
that this was duty Of the American
as matter of course The American
commissioners thought the request nh
reasonable and good deal OF time wa
consumed in discussing the question
Another problem entailing long oepaD
was the disposition to bs made OF "a
Spanish munitions of war In nun 9e .e
of military posts outside Manila, whlo
the Americans have not yet caps,u11,ba u, .
The Spanish commissioners contend C.'e'
Spain should be permitted to snip suo ~,
munitions home. The American repd,e.
that, as the United States had conquers a,
the Philippines, these munisionss ssT VII
spoils of war. The Spaniards iinan
signed to the Inevitable and now seem =
realize that their best policy is TO save q =
I--.--L - ~. xr-,.ock as their EGpuneSS J.