The record-union., 1898-09-15

members of the Peace Commission,
Secretary Day, Senator Davis and
Whitelaw Reid, were in conference for
two hours at the State Department to-
day. Senator Frye, it was stated, would
arrive tomorrow morning and join the
conference. The plans of Senator Gray,
the fifth member, are not exactly
known, although he, too, is expected
to join his associates in their confer
ence tomorrow.
The President will give a dinner at
the White House tomorrow night, at
which the Commissioners will be the
principal guests although members OF
the Cabinet in the city viii also be
present 1t is stated positively that
the dinner will be purely Of social
character, and that the reports that it
will serve the purpose of 4 full and
final discussion of the Philippine ques-
tion are unwarranted. The Commis-
sioners will leave here Friday, in order
to make the Campania on Saturday.
The meeting at Secretary Days office
to-day was for the purpose of going
over the whole question Of the peace
settlement 1t is the first time MI.
Day has exchanged views with mis-
colleagues on the subject. The same
riigd reticence which has thus far pre-
vailed continues to be observed, and as
the Commissioners came from their two
hours conference they positively de-
clined to discuss the meeting.
Members of the commission stated
positively that all reports relative to
the instructions to the Commissioners
or the attitude of the United States
were purely conjectural. It is pointed
out that the interest of this country
might be seriously prejudi2ed if Its at
titude was made known in advance Of
its meeting at Paris, so me Commits
sioners have agreed to authorize no
statement of their views as a body or
as individuals.
Much satisfaction was expressed to-
day over the reports from Madrid that
the lower house of Parliament had
passed the Government bill, accepting
the terms of the protocol The upper
house already has passed this measure,
so that the last fear of the legislative
opposition of the transfer of Cuba, the
Ladrones and Porto Rico is over. The
authorities here feel that this carries
them by a danger point, as it has been
feared for some time that the animosl-
ties in the Spanish Cortes would lead
to the division Of the Sagasta Ministry
on the question of evacuating the
Spanish islands, either in one branch
or the other.
There is little doubt that a general
policv was agreed upon between the
President and his Cabinet at their
meeting late yesterday afternoon. but
there is good reason for believing that
the assertion that the decision was de-
<.fr tiYl<~
Spain under any conditions to "etain
sovereignty in any part of the Philip
pine Islands is based on a misconcep-
ton, as the members of the Cabinet
and the members of the Peace Com
mission refuse absolutely to discuss the
subject with newspaper men, and.
therefore, whatever is said is based
more or less on inference or round
about information.
1t is not doubted that the commits
sion will start the negotiations at Paris
with the assertion that we have con-
ouered Spain in the Philippines, and
that Spanish sovereignty has already
been forfeited there. This will not,
however necessarily signify that It is
the purpose of the Administration TO
retain possession of the entire group of
islands. or to permanently deprive
Spain of all her possessions in the Pa
cffic. 1t is not believed that the Ad-
ministration has gone beyond the de-
termination to retain the whole of the
island of Luzon. but it is understood
To be the intention of the President to
establish at the outset the liskt Of
this Government to determine the fate
of the islands, and to make the conGi-
tions which the Government shall es-
tablish there.
The matter of relinquishing posses
sion of the rest of the islands is IN
yolved with so many conditions 20 be
considered that it is realized that 1t
may by force Of circumstances become
necessary to deprive Spain permanently
of all her possessions in that quarter.
1t is understood not to be matter
of policy 10 acquire all this territory,
hut it NAV become a necessity
The commercial and trade side Of the
question as involving the development
ard expansion of our commerce in the
Pacific is occupying chief attention in
connection with determining our policy.
COL. JOHN HAY.
rr1 D1x.,,-c En-, Io 6 a dor and Ris