Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-11-17
THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
administration Feels Encouraged
Over the Successful LabOrs Of
Our Commissioners.
The LATEST SPANISH MEMORANDUM.

w W. WHub ~ communicating
Americans May Give tho spaniarda
A Time Limit In Which to Accent or
Reject the Propositions OF tho United
States.
Washington, Nov. 17-The admins.
tration feels encouraged now over the
outlook for successful termination of
the labors of the peace commissioners
IN Paris. Whether this renewed con.
iidence is based upon an abstract of
the Spanish reply which was submitted
at yesterdays meeting or is founded
upon private advices indicating a
weakening of the Spanish position is
not known, but it is probable that
both of these have had an influence In
frightening the prospects. The Span
ish reply was not a surprise to the
American commissioners, who, in fact,
prepared themselves in advance with
instructions received directly from
the president and Secretary HAY for O.
complete answer. Still it was prob
ably regarded as better policy and
more in accord with the amenities OF
Official exchange that the Americans
should do the Spanish commissioners
the courtesy Of giving deliberate con-
siderabon to their carefully-prepared
written argument, But with all due
intent to give proper weight to the
Spanish representations, 1t must
be said that up to this
point, they have had very little
effect in influencing the American com.
missioners, not because of any obsti-
nate disregard of facts on their part
but for the simple reason that almost
every one of the points made by the
Spanish commissioners have been an.
ticipated in the preparations Of the
American case-no small tribute to the
acumen and diligence of Judge Day
and Secretary John Moore.
The attempt of the Spanish commits
sion to induce the Americans to &c.
cept their construction Of the mean.
ing of,the protocol, where IL touches
on the Philippines, has been fat
failure. The president himself was q
party to the preparations OF the pro.
tocol. 1t was he who, suspectipe a
purpose on the Spanish side to beoloud
the issue and leave open a door Cor
future escape from the eopsaouences
of the war had swept aside as SO much
lchaI inc message of the Spanish duke,
AlrnH ''4ovar de Rios, and reducing tho
demands of the United States to what |
is called precis, had declared that the
Spanish government might accept that
as an exact statement of the demar >.
of the United States. Ha"' ,naSo
the document, the president believes
nlmseil 10 ye the person to be the best
oo',-spetent to construe its meaning and
the American commissioners are conse.
quently acting in conformity with his
view.
The Spanish Document.
Paris, Nov 1.-THE clerical force OF
the American peace commission was
busy nearly all last night in translat-
ing the Spanish memorandum present
ed at yesterdays joint session. While
the translators and typewriters were
rendering the Spanish argument into
printed English, counsel for the Amer
lean commission studied it sheet by
sheet, making notes of records to be
examined and of law points bear
ing on the matter in hand. AS re-
suit, when the Americans gathered
for their daily session to-day the Span
ish presentment lay before them in
English, ready for consideration and
accompanied by data bearing upon it.
No unofficial person knows the con.
tents of the document presented by
the Spanish commissioners yesterday,
but it is safe to assume that
added to her insistence on the
reservation of her Philippine sover-
eighty and her proposition to arbi-
trate the construction of the
third article of the protocol, Spain
has made two other important state
ments: First, that on the high ground
of financial probity she cannot allow
any discussion here of the validity of
her action in pledgiDg the resources of
the Philippines for the payment of the
Philippine debt; second, that in con-
nection with the American proposal to
reimburse Spain for her pacific ex-
pendtures in the Philippines she can
not admit of any inquiry as to how
she has spent the proceeds of
the loans based on the Philippine
pledges. If Spain has assumed this
attitude, and it is believed she has
done so, she practically compels the
American commissioners to consider
at least the entire Philippine debt and
its assumption by the United States or
the Philippine islands as condition
to Spain's amiable surrender of her
sovereignty to those islands. 1t is diff
ficult to understand how the Ameri-
cans can reply to this in any other
manner than by strictly outlining her
position and giving the Spaniards
time limit in which to accept the
propositions of the United States
But the American commissioners may
patiently continue their endeavors to
arrive at an amicable understanding
on the subject.
Inc tTst National Bank viii |
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