The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-12

the Olivette in addition to a large
quantity of medical supplies Of various
kinds which I had ordered 10 be put
on board that ship and delivered al
Santiago. See memorandum atacned.
I beg leave to remark that recent ad-
vices indicate that majority OF the
cases of fever now occurring among the
troops at Santiago are malarial IN
character and that there has been an
ample supply of quinine, which is the
principal remedy required in this form
Of fever. I have made every effort TO
anticipate the wants Of our sick ana
wounded soldiers in Cuba without
waiting for reQuisition; but, as We
have had communication by cable, the
fault does not rest with me If, owing
20 the failure on the part of the cnieI
surgeon with General Skaters army,
to ask for necessary supplies, there
has been a failure to meet the reQuir-
rnents of the sick
The hospital ship Relief. which ar
rived al Siboney July 8th, had on board
medicines for twenty regiments for
six months, calculated upon the basis
of the field supply table, and large
supplies in addition of the more i'm
portant medicines, hospital stores,
dressings, etc. If these supplies were
inadequate there was ample time TO in
form me Of the fact before the sailing
of the Olivette July 26th.
I enclose a copy of letter, just re-
ceived from Captain Edward L. Nun
son, assistant surgeon, United States
army, which fully accounts for my
deficiency of medical supplies at San
tiago.
Washington, August 10.-The prelim-
mary negotiations looking toward the
confirmation of peace advanced long
step today when the secretary Of state
and the French ambassador agreed
upon the terms upon which future ne
gotiations for a treaty of peace are to
be conducted and reduced these to the
form of a protocol. This protocol, it
is true, is yet to be signed and is to be
submitted to the Spanish government
before the formal signatures are af-
fixed, but the administration view as
to the progress made today was set
out in Secretary Days sentence:
1T is expected that this protocol will
be executed
There is always the possibility in
dealing with the Spanish government
that it may recede at the last moment
from an implied agreement, but it is
scarcely probable that it would be will
ing to involve the French ambassador
in the difficulties that would follow
what to the world would seem to be a
reputation Of his benevolent efforts
in behalf of Spain.
There must be delay-possibly from
twenty-four to forty-eight hours-be-
fore the next step can be taken and
the protocol made binding upon both
the United States and Spain by the
attachment of the signatures of the
plenipotentiaries-S Day for
the United States and M. Cambon for
Spain. The delay will be largely at
tributable to physical causes. The
protocol is long; it must be translated
and turned back and forth into code
and simple language no less than five
times before it reaches Madrid through
the French foreign office. This work
was not begun until late this after
noon after it had consumed the best
energies of Assistant Secretary Adee,
of the state department, and M. THE
baut, secretary of the French embas-
syin the preparation in formal shape
of two copies of the protocol one in
English and one in French.
These were prepared very care
fully, the idiomatic variance in the
two languages necessitating the great
est caution in order that the identi-
cal character of the two copies should
be preserved. The length of the pro-
tocol imposed great amount of labor
upOl, the cipher clerks, or whoever is
charged with the work of rendering
the original into cipher, so that alto
gether it is apparent the consumption
of time involved in purely mechanical
functions will be so considerable as to
make the rendition of a very early an
swer improbable.
TERMS OF THE PROTOCOL.
AS to the character of the protocol it
can be stated on authority that the
terms are in all practical points those
set out in the abstract Of the presi-
dents conditions published from the
White house a week ago. From this
fact it is deducted that the extra con-
ditions or qualifications sought to be
imposed by the Spanish government
were abandoned, at least in large part,
by the French ambassador.
This deduction is supported by the
circumstances that in the early morn
! ing and before the conference between
Secretary Day and M. Cambon, which
resulted in the agreement, there was a
! utterances of public men who talked
| with the president, that the Spanish
| answer was unsatisfactory and that
| the negotiations looked as if they
| might terminate suddenly.
AS this situation changed so sud
| denly after the conference, it may be
! fairly assumed that the ambassador
| abandoned the conditions which the
president was reputed to have regarded
| as unsatisfactory. It is believed that
| the protocol carries within itself pro-
vision for the cessation Of hostilities.
TO ADOPT THE NAPOLEONIC POL
ICY.
On this point the naval contingent
| is urgent that our government adopt
| the Napoleonic policy of refusing to
enter into an armistice without acquir-
| ing some substantial pledge to secure
| the consummation of peace. What
| they particularly desire is that our
government shall demand as a condi-
| ton of a cessation of hostilities, the
| surrender to the United States military
| forces of MORO castle at the entrance
| of Havana harbor and some such points
| of vantage at the other important
| ports in the territory soon to fall un-
| der our control
THE SELECTION OF COMMISSION
ERS.
The peace negotiations are now be-
ieved to be advanced to a point where
he president has felt warranted in
T.. .Tning his attention to the selection
20 r. no l~1-