Semi-weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings Co., S.D.) 1894-1898, 1898-11-18

Paris, Nov. 1G.-Therc was no joint
session of the peace commissioners
yesterday. Secretary Moore, of the
| United States commission. received
| from Secretary Ojeda. of the Spanish
| commission, a not saying that the
| Spanish commissioners had found it
impossible to prepare their memoran-
dun for presentation. and asked if the
, United States commissioners would be
inconvenienced owing To the late ar
rival from Madrid of expected data,
the Spaniards should request that the
next meeting should be deferred until
Wednesday. Secretary Moore replied
that the American commissioners
were quite ready to accommodate the
Spaniards in this matter, and the joint
session was practically deferred until
Wednesday. Importance is attached
10 this delay. it being regarded rs indi
eating that the Spanish commissioners
are preparing for final stand in these
negotiations, and it may now be def
Hitely stated that they will not sign Il
Treaty Of Peace
which yields to Spain no more from
the Philippines than has thus far been
offered or indicated by the Americans.
Should the latter announce that the
United States is only willing to reim-
burse Spain for her pacific expendit-
ares In the Philippine islands, the
Spanish commissioners will reply that
their mission is finished Should this
occur, it is possible the Spaniards will
also suggest suspension of the nego-
tiations through .the commission and II
resumption of negotiations between
ri nd In In utn
Of the Spaniards is explained by the
fact that the members of the Spanish
commission have political alliance and
personal responsibilities to constitu
encies and the national creditors of
Spain, which restrict them to certain
lines. which is as far as the ministry at
Madrid cares to go. 1t Is pointed out
that if the five Spanish commissioners
here signed a treaty yielding the Phil
ippine islands to the United States
without
Lessening Spnin's Debt
in an appreciable degree they could not
return home with the prospect of any
political future before them, and pos
sibly would be in danger Of violence at
the hands of mobs. At the next meet
ing of the commissions the Americans
will learn the definite attitude Of Spain
on any proposition thus far made
The Spaniards. however, in this pre-
septatiOn will not declare all negotia-
tions closed They will insist that the
sovereignty of Spain over the Philip
pines is beyond question, but will an
nounce Spain's readiness to yield that
sovereignty for an adequate equiva-
lent, and will then invite negotiations
under the Spanish construction of the
protocol. The American commission
ers may then communicate their final
attitude to the Spaniards, but the
Americans are expected at future
meeting to present carefully pre-
pared conclusion OF their position and
conditions. Should they be no different
from those already presented the time
will then have arrived when Spain
will declare herself helpless, though
steadfast. and will await the next step
of the United States, whatever it may
he. Thus Spain will be able to say to
her creditors that she has done her ut
most and that the issue must rest be-
tween them and the United States.
No Other Alternative.
London. Nov. 16.-The morning pa
pers comment editorially upon the
peace conference crisis and the Ameri-
can naval preparations, reiterating
their conviction of the hopelessness OF
Spanish opposition and realizing that
the United States have no alternative,
especially after the elections, than
complete annexation, express the opin-
ion that Spain must yield as no one is
likely to interfere in Spains behalf.