The record-union., 1898-12-06
PEACE TREATY
NEGOTIATIONS.
Spanish Commissioners Fighting to
Obtain More Concessions.
Appeal to Americans to Be Generous on
the Minor Points.
Much Accomplished at Yesterdays
Joint Session-Eight Open Cues
tions Canvassed, Seven Being
Practically Settled Without
Noteworthy Friction.


PARIS, Dec. 5.-The American Peace
Commission had long conference, be-
ginning at 10. clock, and only had a
brief recess for lunch before going to
the Foreign Office to meet the Spanish
Commissioners at 3 o'clock D. M
The Americans apparently had
changed the FORM if not the substance,
of some of their demands, as a result
of the deliberations during the past
three days.
Secretary Moore of the United States
Commission was engaged far into the
night in revising the draft of the
treaty of peace.
The Joint Commission was in session
for over four hours. Much of the dis
cussion concerned details as to the
guaranteeing of the rights of Spanish
citizens in the ceded colonies. The de-
bate was occasionally energetic, and
the Spaniards, on adjourning, appeared
to be detected Secretary Ojeda of
the Spanish Commission, when ques-
toned after the meeting as to the
progress made, answered excitedly:
L am almost mad. / cannot talk.
We are making progress
The American Commissioners de-
clined to say anything further than
that the progress made was satisfac-
tory.
The Spanish Commissioners have re-
ce1ved authority to bind their Gov
ernment on certain matters, but there
are yet important questions on which
their instructions are unsatisfactory.
and it is likely that many of the de-
tails involved in the change of sover-
eighty in the Spanish colonies will be
left for settlement in the regular diplo"
matte progress, when relations between
the two Governments are resumed
The history of the document which
will certify the passing of the oldest
colonial Power in the world and the
advent of the newest was epitomized
by Judge Day this evening in a single
sentence: "A peace treaty can contain
anything which the victors put into
it,
The Americans had listened for hours
with their customary patience to the
technicalities convoked by the Span
iards, with their customary shrewd-
ness and persistency, against every
proposal making for the dismember-
ment of their empire. Darkness had
come on, and the liveried attendants
mobilized by the French authorities
had placed a lamp at the elbow of
each Commissioner. Senator Frye,
whose unconceaIed contempt for diplo-
matte quibbling excites the astonish-
ment of the punctillious Castillians.
had stalked home, his patience ex-
hausted
The burden of the Spanish arguments
was that matters outside bare cession
and evacuation of the conquered ter
ritories, which the Americans propose
to cover by treaty, were beyond the
legitimate and customary scope of a
peace treaty Behind this bulwark
Senior Montero Rios, President of the
Spanish Commission, fortified himself.
bombarding his opponents with a sup
ply of arguments and precedents which
inspired the freely expressed admira-
tion of the Americans.
Finally Judge Day summarized the
American position in the foregoing
memorable utterance 1t was given
and taken in good spirit, and from
that moment the proceedings were en-
tirely friendly.
The session accomplished much
Eight open questions were canvassed.
seven being practically settled without
noteworthy friction.
The Commissioners decline to saw
what conclusion was reached. but the
bargain for a coaling station in the
CarolineS was not cemented. and ac-
cording to present prospects, it is like
ly to fail. The temper of the Ameri-
cans in this matter is: 1--WE made YOU
a good offer for an island You NAV
take it or leave it."
The Spaniards seem disposed to leave
it. The Americans do not regard If as
a prize which they can demand as
one of the natural fruits of the war
while the whole policy of the Span-
iards is to confine the negotia tions as
narrowly as possible to the letter of
the protocol signed at Washington. and
to exclude all extraneous matters The
result of this policy may be the leaving
of many details involved in the change
of sovereignty over the various nos.
sessions to settlement by the regular
diplomatic processes, when normal re-
lations between the two Governments
have been resumed.
The Spanish Commissioners insisted
at the previous meeting that the set
tlement of the status of the Spaniards
who remain in the colonies was a
problem SO closely akin to cession that
it could not be logically separated
from the latter, but should be consid-
cred next to the question of cesson.
and before such matters as coaling
stations and religious liberation. They
appealed to the Americans. having
gained all the great points. to be GEN
erous on the minor ones Accordingly
the American Commissioners. as fore
shadowed by the correspondent of the
Associated Press, were conciliatory to-
day on the order Of procedure as TO
the status OF. Spaniards remaining in
the lost colonies.
The Spanish Commissioners continue
fighting with tooth and nail to procure
every possible pecuniary and other con-
cession. The Americans had already
promised to guarantee the return of
Spanish prisoners in the hands OF the
Filipinos. To-day Senor Montero Rios
proposed that the United States should
pay the expenses of shipping them to
Spain, arguing with his customary in
genuity that this was the duty of the
Americans, as a matter of course. The
Americans thought the request was un-
reasonable, and a good deal of time