The record-union., 1898-09-29
To-Day Both American and Spanish Mem
hers viii Dine With Cabinet Officers.
The Madrid Government, Aware
That Few Concessions Will be
Gained as the Outcome of the
Conference, Instructs Her Rep-
resentatives to Hold Out and
Make the Best Terms Possible.

PARIS, Sept. 2S.-The United States
Peace Commission went into session at
IL o'clock this morning
The "Gaulois' says: In spite of the
mystery surrounding the matter, we
are able from a high source, TO give
an outline of the position of both COM
missions. While the Americans have
instructions which are much more pre-
else than those of the Spaniards, there
is diversity of opinion in regard to
| the Philippines. Senator Gray is a very
ardent Democrat, and consequently be-
longs to the party which repudiateS
| expansion. He opposes all annexation,
and his opinion, therefore, totally diff
/ fers from that of the other four Com
missioners, some of whom would be
content with a coaling station at the
Philippines, possibly Cavite, while 9TH
ers, like Senator Davis, advocate the
annexation of the whole archipelago
The "Gaulois," however, believes that
the Americans, by mutual concessions,
will come to an agreement, and that
they will all be largely influenced by
Major General Merritt's reports on the
situation.
The instructions to the Spanish Com
mission, according to the "Gaulois,"
are, briefly, to hold out ard make the
best terms possible. Madrid is well
aware, it appears that the conferences,
( at the best, only have to please the
Spanish people, and the only hopes en-
! tertained are that the Americans will
! not abuse the situation too much. Pop
ular sentiment in Spain, it is added.
! thinks it better to abandon the Phillip
! pine Islands than to keep them under
! conditions rendering them ungovern-
/ able
During the afternoon the American
! Commissioners assisted at their first
/ formal function in France-their recep-
tion by the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
/ M. Del Casse. AT ) O'Clock the United
/ States Embassador General Horace
/ Porter called at the Continental Hotel
! for the Americans. He took three of
them into his own carriage, and the
remainder, with Secretary Moore. fol-
lowed in a carriage to. the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. Henri Vignaux, the
Secretary of the United States EN-
bassy, led the way into the building
General Porter, Judge Day and others
| followed. The party was received i'm
mediately by NJ. Crozir the chef de
protocole, who showed the Americans
]
chamber.
After a few moments of waiting the
doors We're opened, and the party en-
tered the room occupied by the Min
lister of Foreign Affairs and were pre-
sented in turn to NJ. Del Casse who
cordially greeted the visitors and bade
them take seats. Through NJ Vignaux,
who acted as interpreter, Nj. Del Case
only speaking French, the party chat
ted briefly upon generaltities, and the
Minister finally assured the Commits
sioners of the great pleasure expert
enced by France in the part she had
taken in effecting a suspension of hos
tilitieS between Spain and the United
States, and expressed the hope of hav-
ing the pleasure of meeting the Amer
lean Commissioners and the Spanish
Commissioners at breakfast tomorrow
M. Del Casse added that after having
thus brought the two commissions to-
Sether and Offering them the hospitali-
ties of the Salon de Conference. the
French Government would efface itself
Judge Day, as President of the Unit
ed States Commission, responded. He
said the United States appreciated the
good offices of France, and after NJ
Del Casse had expressed his pleasure
at such recognition of the dfsinterested
action of France the interview ended
and the Americans retired.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs at
12:30 p. m. tomorrow will give a
breakfast at the Foreign Office to the
United States and Spanish Commits
sions, thus bringing them together for
the first time.
The session of the United States Com
mission to-day did not result in any
thing being given out for publication.
After the presentation of the Ameri-
can Commissioners, Senor Leon Y Cas-
tillo, the Spanish ambassador, present.
ed the Spanish Commissioners to M.
Del Casse. The ceremonies were exact
ly similar to those gone through IN
introducing the members of the Ameri-
can Commission.
Both General Porter and Senior Cas-
tillo, the United States and Spanish
ambassadors, will be present at to-
mOrrOWS luncheon.