Iron County register., 1898-11-24
TWO ALTERNATIVES


Paris. Nov. 21.-The Spanish peace
commissioners have been notified
that the United States commissioners
will be ready to treat with them in
joint session this afternoon. Unless
the Spaniards have an adequate rea-
SON for further delay the two COM
missions will join in the most inn
portant meeting thus far held.
Only One Fair Construction.
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
arbitration is needed to elucidate it's
terms, and that the United States can
not admit any other power to figure
here purely as a. lexicologisr. They
will maintain that the two commits
sions are charged to determine
whether Spain or the United States
shall in future own the Philippines.
This will be accompanied by the clear
possess the Philippines.
VIII Lay Before the spanlards Two Alter
natives.
Following this declaration the Amer
lean commissioners will lay before
the Spaniards two alternatives:
First-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 possibility of other territorial
losses to indemnify the United States
for the added expense of conquest.
A Practical Ultimatum.
This communication may not be
formally designated as an ultimatum,
but it will lack naught of the conclu-
siveness indicated by the word. This
will be so plain that the Spanish COM
missioners will scarcely haggle for
money on the first alternative nor
cherish any doubt of American action
under the second, should the first be
declined.
Nobody But the Commissioners Know.
No one here but the American COM
rendered Spain as to the Philippine
islands as the most humane way OF
settling the difficulty. She is exceed
ingly anxious to escape the Philippine
debt, and possibly the sum to be Of
fered may be determined by an analy-
sis of that debt, which consists of $4O,-
600, 900 in bonds on which she realized
$36,000,O00. OF the latter amount she
is believed to have expended some $10,-
100000 or S11,000,000 in fighting the
United States and a part in attempt
ing to quen the Philippine insurrec-
ton. A reasonable guess at the SUM
for tender would be $2o,ooo,O0o though
it may fall below that.
The Cuban Question Again.
The Cuban question may come up
again to-day. The American commits
sioners had thought the decision on
that point finished, but the Spanish
commissioners are reported to have
declared last week that the mortgages
imposed by Spain on the Cuban, as
well as on the Philippine revenues
must not be impaired or questioned.
This would compel the American COM
missioners soon-and probably to-day
to demand whether Spain means to
repudiate the plain compact of the
protocol to reliRquish sovereignty
over and :itle to Cuba. Three weeks
ago the Spanish commissioners ac-
eepted the Cuba article in the pro-
toeol without conditions. save that its
embodiment in the treaty should de-
mend only m an aurnemeuf hare an
all articles in the protocol. Recently,
however, Spain's representatives have
said that the Cuban matter had been
only temporarily passed and was still
In allegiance.