Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-04
STEPSTOW ARDPEACE
WHAT WILL DE NECESSARY PRIOR
TO FORMAL TREATY.
paELIMIHARlES AA1 LAST 8 MOHTHS
HostiIities VIII Terminate, How
ever, Almost Immediately on Peace
Agreements Being Reached-Occu-
patton of Cuba Next Fall.

WASHINGTON. August s.-On the as
sumption that peace is near at manu.
some attention is being given to the steps
by which this may be brought about tor-
maliy. and the measures necessary to De
adopted Immediately afterwards. 1t Is
said TO be not at all improbable that the
preliminaries leading up to the signature
of treaty Of peace may consyme iuiy
three months. so that 1t may be wen
along toward the legal date of the assem-
bly, of Congress before the President VIII
be prepared to submit peace treaty 10
the Senate. This allowance of time is
rather moderate than excessive.
We were two years-from 17sl to -7ss-
in arranging a peace with Great Britain
TO terminate the Revolutionary war. III
the case of the Chinese-Japanese war u
was several months before the commits
sioners were able 10 perfect the treaty
of shimonisaki, which terminated tnat
war.
HOsTILITIES TO CEASE.
II does not follow from this that an
actual state OF war will prevail curing
this interval of three months; for, as a
mctter of fact, hostilities will terminate
within very few days after Spain mas
notified the United States Government OF
ber acceptance of the terms laid down
in the Presidents note of last Saturday
The military establishment, however
must be maintained during that time, ana
many acts performed that are incident 10
actual warfare.
PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT.
II IS said here that the Spanish pledge
to accept the broad conditions laid down
by the United States will take the form
of a written agreement, somewhat IN the
nature of a protocol, which, while very
necessary step in the negotiation of a
treaty. is not always part or the docu-
ment. The negotiations have not pro-
crossed sufficiently to indicate who snail
be the parties to the agreement or rather
who shall represent the principals-the
United States and Spain.
It is possible that 1t may be signed IN
washington as between Secretary Day
and NJ. Cambon; or, on the other hand,
the ambassadors of Spain and the United
states in one of the European countries
probably in this case France-might
meet. and by the authorization of their
respective governments. sign this agree
ment.
PEACE TREATY LATER.
The proctocol. as II may be called, in
either case, would not take the place, in
any manner, Of the treaty of peace which
would be drawn up later by commission
ers 10 be appointed for this purpose.
EVACUATION OF WEST INDIES.
Under the terms of the Presidents
note. If they shall be accepted by Spain,
the Spanish Government Is bound to
evacuate Cuba and Porto Rico immedi-
ately. This action is not to wait upon
the work of the peace commissioners,
but is to precede it, and to follow imme-
diately upon the signature of the memo
randum accepting the Presidents condi-
tions.
IMMEDIATELY MAY MEAN 60 DAYS.
The word Immediately in this case
is perhaps a little deceptive. The expe-
rjence of the War Department in the en-
deavor to remove to Spain the Spanish
troops surrendered at Santiago has not
justified the expectation that the large
force of Spanish regulars can be gathered
I'D and shipped home to Spain In less than
about sixty days, at best. This estimate
is based on the fact that it is not ex-
pected by the Spanish authorities who
are directing the movements OF the Span
ish troop transports, that they will be
able TO return alL of the Santiago prison
ers TO Spain before the 1st of September.
Therefore, what is meant by the word
Immediately is that the Spanish Gov
ernment shall at least begin the arrange
ments at once for the evacuation Of the
islands.
FORTUNATE FOR US
ON the whole, IL is a rather fortunate
circumstance that this evacuation cannot
take place en- masse and immediately,9for
it has been determined that the Spanish
troops withdrawn must be replaced by
United States troops. This is deemed 10
be absolutely necessary, to guard against
anarchy, and TO secure the establishment
of a stable form of government in Cuba.
under proper constitutional guarantees,
but in all probability not many Of them
will have to go there before the present
rainy season has neared its end
DEWEY WILL GATHER THEM IN.