The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-08-09
SPANISH REPLY RECEIVED
ITS LENGTH GIVES RISE TO SOME
 GRAVE DOUBTS.

Belief That Spain Has Not Given a
 Simple and Dipcct Affirmation to the
 Amerfcan Conditions-It is Evident
 That if the Reply is an Acceptance 1t
 Is Accompanied by Extended Discus
 sion and Probably by Conditions.
 Washington, Aug. S.-The reply of the Spanish government to the peace conditions laid down by the United States was received by the French am- bassador, M. Cambon, shortly before 3 o'clock this afternoon. The reply came in sections, the dispatch first received giving only the opening passages of the Spanish reply. A few minutes later another dispatch brought second sec tion and the sections kept coming un- til seven sections of the Spanish reply had been received at ten minutes to four, when the last part was still to ar rive. In the meantime the cipher ex- perts were at work and by 430 o'clock they were abreast of all that portion of the reply received up to that time and there was Hull of some time pending the arrival of the concluding portion. It was thought that a terrific rainstorm which swept over Washington about o'clock might have occasioned delay of the remainder. Pending the receipt of the complete reply, no steps were taken to fix time for g. conference with the president as the time for that depended largely upon some of the features of the reply and also, upon the explicit in- structions concerning the delivery of the answer, which usually accompanies a document of that character. Neither at the White house nor at the state de- partment was there any knowledge that the reply had reached Washing ton, and the usual office hours closed with no appointment made for con- ference. There was felt to be little likelihood, even though the ambassador received the complete reply and in structions, that there would be a night conference at the White house for the purpose of presenting the document.
 Pending the official delivery of the answer speculation was rife as to it's contents. There was little or no fur ther doubt left that the length of the reply meant that Spain had not given a simply and direct affirmation to the American conditions. It was evident that if the reply was an acceptance, it was accompanied by extended discus- sion and probably by conditions. This caused considerable apprehension in of- ficial circles here, for while it was felt last week that Spain would surely yield in every particular it began to be felt that probably an indirect attempt would be made to open up a diplomatic exchange on the nature of the terms. The prevailing view, however, was that the reply was on it's face an accept ance, although not such a one as pre- cluded all possibility of further discus sion.
 All vital points were believed to be conceded-the abandonment of Cuba, Porto Rico and the Ladrones, and the establishment of a commission to pass upon questions relating to the Philip pines. In the carrying out of this pro- gramme is was believed that Spain would seek to secure an understanding on many incidental points involved, some of them of considerable import ance, For instance, some doubt was raised as to whether Spains accept ance would be operative until referred to and ratified by the Spanish cortes, and it was understood that the reply might call attention to this point The same condition, 1t was pointed out, ex- ists as to the United States, for a peace treaty requires the ratification of the senate to become operative. In case Spain's answer discussed these inciden- tai points there promised to be wide latitude for controversy and delay, un- less the president and the cabinet de- clined to enter the field of discussion.
 Late in the afternoon the president received an indirect intimation that the Spanish reply had come to the French embassy A cabinet officer who was with him at this time said on leaving: s'The information that has come from Madrid about the action of the Spanish cabinet indicates that the Spanish have accepted our terms in a general way, but leaves several questions open that we did not include in the terms submit ted. The communication offering those 
 terms was explicit, specifically stating such points as would be left open to further negotiation. We will stand on these terms"
 The administration has not yet given serious consideration to the personnel of the peace commission, but it can be stated that no one not in accordance with the presidents present views as to the disposition of the Philippines will be appointed, and MT. Mckinley favors keeping at least Manila harbor and bay and sufficient territory around it for it's support and protection, if not the whole of the island. As to members of the commission, there are precedents for their appointment, notably in the ease of the treaty of Chent.
 The concluding portion of the Spanish renlv was received during the evening, hut it was not until a late hour that it was deciphered as whole and gone