The San Francisco call., 1898-11-21
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PARIS, Nov. 20.-The Spanish Peace Commissioners have been notified that the United States Commissioners will be ready to treat with them in joint session tomorrow afternoon. Unless the Spaniards have an adequate reason for further delay the two commissions will join in the most important meet ing thus far held.
 The American Commissioners, in written communication, will declare that the third article of the protocol regarding the Philippines is capable of only one fair construction; that no req son is needed to eIucidate it's terms, and that the United States cannot admit any ether power to argue with her purely as a IexoIogist. They will maintain that the two commissions are charged to determine whether Spain or the United States shall in the future own the Philippines. This will be accom- panied by the clear declaration that the | United States will possess the Philip pines.
 Following this declaration the Amer 1 ican Commissioners will lay before the i Spanish two alternatives:
 F'irst-To accept a sum of money from the United States and to cede and evacuate the Philippines.
 Second-To lose the Philippines to the United States by conquest, with the possibilities of other territorial losses to indemnify the United States for the added expense of conquest.
 This communication may not be for maily designated as an ultimatum, but it will lack naught of the conclusive ness indicated by that word. This will be so plain that the Spanish Commis- sioners will scarcely haggle for money on the first alternative, nor cherish any
 doubt of American action under the second should the first be declined. None here except the American Com l missioners know how much will be
 rendered Spain as the cheapest and | most humane way of settling the d1ff1-
 culty. She is exceedingly anxious to escape the Philippine debt, and possibly the sum to be offered may be deter
 mined by an analysis of that debt,
 which consists of $40, ,0O0, 900 in bonds, on
 which she realized $36, 900. or the
 latter amount she is believed to have 1 expended some $10,0O0,0O0 or l,OOO.oco | in fighting the United States and a part in attempting to quell the Philippine in
 surgents. A reasonable guess at the | sum for tender would be S2O,OOO,OOo, al
 though 1t may fall below that. | The Cuban question may come up again tomorrow. The American Com
 mission had thought the discussion on
 that point finished, but the spanish l Commissioners are reported to have
 declared last week that the mortgages
 imposed by Spain on the Cuban. as we'll 1 as on the Philippine revenues, must not
 be impaired or questioned. This would
 compel the American Commissioners
 soon-and probably to-morrow-to de- mand whether Spain means to repudl- ate the plain compact Of the protocol to relinquish sovereignty over and title to l Cuba.
 Three weeks ago the Spanish Com nissioners accepted the Cuban article 1 in the protocol without conditions, save
 it's embodiment in the treaty should depend on only an agreement here on all the articles of the protocol Re-
 gently, however, Spain's representatives
 have said that the Cuban matter had only been temporarily passed and was l still in abeyance-