Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-08-08
TIE PRESIDENT WILL Be FIRM.
Spain Will Not Be Allowed to Trids
for q Day.

tor Day.
PROMPT REJECTION WILL FOLLOW
ANY EFFORT ON THE PART OF OUR
ENEMIES TO SHUTTLE OR
EvADE, AND SUBSEQUENT con-
DITIONS WOULD BE MUCH HARD
ERGTWO WAYS OF GIVING Eff
Feet TO. ANY AGREEMENT
REACHED = MEANWHILE, OU r
MILITARY PREPARATIONS GO
RIGHT ALONG GENERAL WADE
TROOPS TO GO FORWARD.
Washington, August 7.-Although as
yet without official confirmation of the
report from Paris that the Spanish
government has decided to accept the
terms laid down by the United States
as essential to the negotiation of a
treaty of peace, the officials here are
proceeding under the conviction that
the end has come, and are giving at
tention to the steps to be taken next
In view of the delay in coming to this
conclusion the idea was beginning to
prevail that the Spanish government
was about to enter plea in abatement,
and that the answer would again be
incOnclusive. In this case the Presl-
dent was disposed to deal firmly with
the issue; to give notice that our pro-
posals were withdrawn and to let it be
understood that when Spain again sued
for peace the conditions would be
more severe than those first laid down.
If the Spanish answer should embody
an effort to secure any material change
in the conditions it will meet with
prompt rejection. Some reference has
been made in the dispatches of Brit
ish newspapers to desire on the part
of the Spanish government to include
in the preliminary agreement clause
exempting it from liability for
THE CUBAN DEBT.
The formal statement of the points Of
the United States note given out from
the White House made no reference
to this subject, and it cannot be known
as yet whether or not the full text
shows anything more. But presuming
that no reference whatever is made to
the Cuban debt it is possible the sub
ject may be regarded as one that should
be treated by the peace commissioners
who are to meet later to frame the
treaty which, of course will emDody
many details that are left untouched
in the main proposition, though cab
met officers have authorized the state
ment that no part of the Cuban or
Porto Rican debt would be assumed
by the United States. Based upon the
Associated Press reports of the prog
ress being made at Madrid towards re-
turning the answer of Spain, it was
calculated by the department officials
that the formal note could not be de-
livered to the President before to-mor-
row, and that was also the belief of
the French ambassador
From the length of time consumed
in it's preparation, the note was
BELIEVED TO BE LONG,
thus entailing the consumption of
much time in forwarding it first to
Paris, reducing it to cipher there,
re-translating it at the French en-
bassy. In the case of the last note,
the attaches of the embassy worked
nearly all night to prepare their COM
munication to the Spanish govern
ment, though the conference with the
President closed before o'clock in
the afternoon, with the ambassador in
possession of the United States note.
Should the Spanish answer be an I'M
some negotiations may be necessary to
agree upon the steps to be taken to give
eject to the agreement. So far as
can be learned it has not yet been de-
termined how this shall be done.
There are two ways open. The first
is military capitulation by the Cap
tain Generals of Cuba and Porto Rico.
which will Immediately place the
American military or naval COM
manders
IN TECHNICAL OCCUPATION
OF the islands, and enable them to car
ny out in their own way and in their
own time the embarkation of the Span
ish armies in. the islands The ques-
ston as to whether they shall be per-
mitted to carry off their arms is not
now as material as it was in the case
Of the surrender of General Toral's
forces at Santiago, which, occurring in
the midst of the campaign there. was
necessity for securing the moral eff
feet of compelling the Spanish soldiers
to lay down their arms. Spain hav-