Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-07-29
PROPOSAL GENERAL IN TERMS
Confined to a Plea for Neeotia-
tiOns Looking to a Set
tlement.
No Reference Made to Cuba,
Porto Rico or the Phil
ippines.

WASHINGTON. July 2S.-The Spanish
government has sued for peace, not in.
directly through the great powers of
Europe, but by a direct appeal to Pres.
ident Mckinley. Tho proposition was
formally submitted to the president at
o'clocla by the French ambassador,
M. Jules Cambon, who had received
instructions from the foreign office at
Paris to deliver to the government the
tender of peace formulated by the
Spanish ministry. At the conclusion
of the conference between the presi.
don't and the French ambassador, the
following official statement was issued
from the White House:
''The French ambassador on behalf
of the government of Spain and by
direction Of the Spanish minister of
foreign affairs presented to the presi.
dent during the afternoon at the White
House message from the Spanish
government looking to the termination
of the war and the settlement of terms
of peace.
All Con lecture Put Mt Rest.
This was the only official statement
made public, but it sufficed to put at
rest all conjecture and to make clear
and definite that at last Spain had
taken the initiative toward peace. Al.
though peace rumors have been current
n i,uost t7oilv l,orot fo-o Give, +l,o ,,,,,
began not one Of them had the shadow
of foundation. and until the French
ambassador received instructions from
Paris no oyertures OF any kind had
been received. Shortly before mid.
night a dispatch to the French en-
bassy made it known to the embassy
that the ambassador would be charged
with the important mission of opening
peae negotiations III behalf of Spain.
Thereupon NJ. Thiebeaut, first secre-
tary of the embassy, called at the state
department. and asked that an hour be
appointed for a call by Ambassador
Cambon on the president. The
Purpose o: the Call Was Not Stated.
It was arranged at the White House
that the call should be made av 8
o'clock. The call lasted about half an
hour and after the first formalities had
been executed by M. Cambon the talk
became general and quite informal,
the president, the ambassador and tae
secretary of state discussing the out.
look for O conclusion of hostilities.
The proposition submitted by the am.
bassador acting for the Spanish gov
ernment was quite general in terms
and was confined to the one essential
point of an earnest plea that negotia-
tions be opened for the purpose of ter.
minating the war and arriving at
terms of peace. The communication
of the Spanish government did not
suggest any specific terms of peace,
nor was any
Reference Made to Cuba.
the Philippines, Porto Rico or other
Spanish possessions. The evident pur.
pose of the Madrid authorities was to
first learn whether the United States
would treat on the subject of peace,
and after that to take up such terms as
the two parties might suggest. Neither
was there any suggestion from the
Spanish government that an armistice
be established pending the peace nego-
tiations. 1t seemed natural, however.
from the proposition that formal peace
negotiations be entered upon that
pending their conclusion cessation of
hostilities would occur.
1t was finally determined that the
president would consult the members
Of his cabinet concerning the PROPOSE
tion and after Q decision had been az.