Evening star., 1898-10-05
HEARD GEN. MERRITT
American Peace Commissioners Dis
cuss the Philippines.
UNFOUNDED REPORTS FROM PARIS
No indications of Failure of the
Convention.
ADMIRAL DEW VIEW 8

PARIS, October 5-The United States
peace commission held it's usual session to-
day from 10 am. to / pm. The commits
:oners continued the conference with Ma
jor General Merritt and practically con-
Guided an extended canvass of the Philip
pine situation.
The members of the commission refused
to disclose the views of General Merritt or
Admiral Dewey in regard to the policy to
be pursued toward the people of the Philip
pines
Nothing could be learned as to whether
the general admiral had recommended
the retention or the evacuation of the Phil
ippine Islands by the American forces. But,
1t developed, that Admiral Dewey handed
General Merritt communication setting
forth his judgment on the subject, and that
the general submitted this to the commits
sion with reports from the American mill
tary officers at Manila touching the
condition prevailing in the islands.
General Merritt concluded with a decla-
ration of his judgment in the matter, and
it may be said that he arrived in Paris
hoping the United States commission would
press for the possession of the Philippine
archipelago.
1t is also true that the disposition of the
troops in the Philippine Islands before Cen
eral Merrftt's departure was such AMI was
so ordered as to warrant the view that
large or complete boiling Of the Philippine
Islands by the United States was ccntem
plated.
Two SPANISH senate ste1ographers will
arrive here from Madrid IN Thursday, their
presence having been requested by Senor
Montcru RioZ. who, ii addition to being
president of the Spanish peace commission,
is also president of the Spanish senate.
Purely Imaginative Stories.
1t can be stated on authority that the
various stories that have been published in
|
sion now in Paris, wherever they assume
to indicate a failure of negotiations. a re-
newal of hostilt:es and the dispatch of a
naval force to the Spanish coast, are pure
ly speculative. AS a matter of fact. the
commission has not progressed so far with
its work as to warrant the attempt to draw
a sound conclusion to the outcome. 1t
is not even possible to predict the length
of the session with reasonable assurance
of accuracy. The proceedings may last
one month or three That will depend en-
tirely upon the view taken by the Ameri-
can commissioners Of the situation in Paris
If they are convinced that the negotiations
are being conducted with sincerity on the
part of the Spanish commission, there will
be no effort to force them beyond reason
But if it should appear that the Spanish
position is not subject to change; that it is
irrenconcilable with the American de-
mands, and that the Spanish knowing this
are simply drawing out the proceedings in
length. our commissioners likely to be
promptly recalled, and this state of affairs
may be found to exist at any moment,
either within a week or three months
which seems to be the limit of time allowed
in any calculation
Spain Knows Our Demands.
The Spanish government is now fully in
formed. through its commissioners of the
enact extent OF Am merica's demands Wheth-
er these are absolute and not subject to
abatement cannot be ascertained here, for
the responsible officials declared that it
would be extremely bad policy to make any
admission on this point But the impress
sion in official circles is that the conditions
are absolute in their general scope: yet
there may be opportunity for slight amend
ncnt5 in matters of details. The fact that
the American peace commissioners are even
new calling upon the government heru for
detailed reports of Cfficars of the army and
EaVy who have been at Manila and are sup
posed to be acquainted with the situation
there, is taken as evidence to bear out this
assumption, for suppOsng that these mat
tars Of ietails had all been rrevocably de-
| termin5d upon. it would scarcely be neces-
s&ry for the commissioners to delay thei.
procee eedings while waiting for these re-
ports.
Importance of Subig Bay.
Very naturally. Admiral Dewey is one of
the most trusted counselors of the Ameri-
can commissioners, and that, too notwith-
standing the fact that Gen. Merritt is in
Paris, fresh from Manila, while til. ad-
miral is distant many thousand miles. Such
information he has been able to collect
has already been dispatched to the com
nissioners in mailed reports, and in addi-
tion to this. the authorities here have
cabied certain extracts from the admraTs
observations, which are believed TO be of
special Importance just ow.
esty the officer has refrained from express
ing any opinion upon the very eSsentia,
point to the extent of the American de-
mand5 in the matter of territory in the
Philippines. He has not directly suggested
that the whole group be taken, nor that
! our claim be limited TO Manila bay and the
contiguous territory. but he has called at
tentiGn to one very important considera-
ton, which has seemed to escape general
| observation up to this time, and which has
been laid before the American commits
| sioners. That is, that with all the advan-
tages in a commercial way possessed by
Manila the place is ndefensible unless Su-
big bay be also held by the United States.
| This particular bay is. the whole. re-
Carded as being superior from a strategic
point OF view to Manila bay, and the Span
| ish government has evidently been of the
same mind for before the outbreak of hos
| tilities il was about to embark upon an ex-
tenSiVe scheme of defensive works in Su-
big bay.
sapT rARTLR,S CASE,