Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-10-20
NEEDS TO REFORM HER LINES AFT
Err CUBAN DEBT DEFEAT.
SHE HAS THREE ALTERNATIVES
MAY YIELD, QUIT OR FORMALLY
DEMAND ARBITRATION.
Has Just Been Convinced That Amer
lea Will Not Permit Any Wander
Ing Outside the Limits of the
PrOtocol-Recess I'm
til Friday.

PARIS. oct. 19.-The Spanish peace com
mission was unable TO meet the United
States peace commission at the Joint ses-
sion to-day. aud the mex, session of the
TWO commissions has been fixed for Friday
next.
Judge Day, president of the American
commission, read communication this
morning from Senor Montero Rios, presi-
dent of the Spanish commission saying
| that adyices expected but not received from
| Madrid made 1t necessary for himself and
| MS colleagues to request postponenent
| of any further conferences until Friday
| next. A courteous reply was returned by
Secretary Moore, III behalf of the American
commissioners. granting an extension OF
the time of the next meeting as request
| ed.
While the deferring of any one confer
| ence for two days Is not in itself an i'm
| portant request, the delay by the Spaniards
| at this juncture is something more than
significant. The game of diplomacy now
| progressing here has reached a stage which
makes 1t necessary that the next move
be made by the Spanish commissioners
| Ihey are confronted by the plain fact OF
their protocol agreement to relinqufsh and
| even evacuate Cuba without. ifs" "ands''
| or 'buts''
1
| iards cherished the hope that they could
Internationally covenant TO follow a given
| path and ultimately wander elsewhere and
| do less or more than named in the protocol
| compact. The American commissioners
nave firmly adhered to the boundary lines
| already mutually established. and within
which they insist the Spaniards as we'll as
themselves shall duly proceed.
1t Is not too much to say that Spain
h
the integrity and steadfastness in word ami
purpose of the United States. Nor is il
wide OF the fact to-day that the SpaniarGs
ire now initially approaching that the
United states did not make war on Spain
TO acquire Cuba as conquest prize.
or this the Spaniards may not vet be
wholly convinced, but the firm refusal of
Judge Day and his colleagues to assume
the Cuban debt, because the United States
will not take over the sovereignty. has
widened Spanish perceptions and has un-
quesuonably hastened their convictions
wherefore it may, in sense, be true that
having for the first time feeling that
American pledges and American perform
ance are co-equal terms. the Spaniards are
now practically on the threshold of prop
erly lighted negotiations.
When Spain approached these nesotia-
tons she was confronted by a wall of
last agreement which she, however regard
ed as possible of break or puncture at the
point of Castiian diplomacy. Thus she
poised and has launched against the pro-
tocol structure of seeming solidity the Keen
lances OF her tinesse. They have fallen
broken at her feet. The wall of American
purpose and mutual compact has proved
not only apparent, but real, and now
spain commissioners give pause to their
attack on the Cuban angle, and ask time
to assure themselves of their previous mis-
judgment, and also to reform their lines
or arrange new ones.
The assigned reason for to-day's request
for delay is believed to have been to allow
an interchange of communications with
Madrid, and to formulate final attitude
on the Cuban matter. This attitude of
the .Spaniards, to be developed on Friday.
Will be watched with no little interest,
Their alternatives are few, but pregnant
Ihey may accede to the American atti-
tude. themselves assume the Cuban debt
and go forward to consider the next pro-
tocol point, of Porto Rico, and the choice
oy the United States of an island in the
Ladrone group; or they may at this iunc-
ture formally ask for arbitration; or. as an
extremity. which is not likely, NAV retire
from further negotiations
Inc tone, during the last four days. or
the spanish and French press is signifi-
cant of widened confidence by the Snan-
ish as to the attitude they have assumed
in the negotiations here and the recurring
assurances of Spain's desire for arbitra
ton may have had a meaning The Span-
iards may not have sought to promote
sympathy. but, had they desired to Law
down basis upon which to set I'D a plea
to Europe to prevent what 1t is sought to
present as her ravishment. the surface
indications could not have been more favor
ably disposed for that purpose than they
have been.
The American commissioners after dis
patching their acquiescence in the delay,
held brief meeting. principally to make |
a formal record of the deferring of the |
joint session fixed for to-day.
The Americans yesterday held a brief |
session having no reference to the negotia- |
tions. and the brevity of these meetings |
and other indications warrant the deduG- |
ton that the American attitude is we'll |
formed. and that the commission is thor
oughly advised on all the points and fea-
lures which 1t Is possible to foresee in |
subsequent conferences.
The amount of information acquired by
the Americans since their arrival here is
large. They have examined old residents of |
the Phiiippine Islands @ s,in and "a the Information
is yaluab ble
A distinguished Roman Catholic church,
man from New oTltdllS Is iOW III lNS CITY
in connection, it is said. with the interests
of the Roman Catholic church in Cuba.
The holders of Spanish securities have
not been inactive. and II is not unlikely that
the American commission has been called
upon to consider written presentment of
figures. facts and pleadings in behalf of
those interests
Were it not that the spirit and attitude |
of the American commission are so digni-
fled, it might be said that they are now
holding the fort and invite attacks. Their
personality and procedure. however, here
is such to make it fair to say. that, while
not courting attack, they fear none.
ur1oRouh nav AT OMAHA