Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-10-31
MAY RESIGN.
A Growing Conviction That One or
More OF the Spanish Commits
sioners at Paris May Drop Out.

Paris, October 3O.-Senor MOntero
Rios, president of the Spanish peace
commission is ill. This causes some
doubt this evening as to whether there
will be joint session OF the commits
sion tomorrow. If he is unable to at
tend, it is unlikely that the Spaniards
would consent to enter the conference
to take up the Philippine question for
initial consideration.
There is a strong impression, which
has been growing here recently, that
the Spanish upon receiving definite as
surances of the American determination
to take the entire Philippine group,
would quit the conference, and all
negotiations are modified by the at
titude of the Spanish newspapers ar
irving here to-day.
These are found to have wheeled into
line with the Epoca of October 9th,
which demanded that the Spanish COM
missioners should sign treaty in Paris
no matter how onerous the conditions
imposed by the Americans
Nevertheless despite this attitude OF
the Madrid press, and despite the de-
nial given on Friday last to the cores
pondent of the Associated Press by
Spanish commissioner, VINO denied that
the Spaniards had any intention of
IxxyJtb nd in Anna aio will
not be surprised if one or more of the
Spanish commissioners resign and
practically close the negotiations.
This feeling is based upon the fact
that Senior Rios early last week would
have resigned if his so doing would not
have imperiled the Sagasta ministry;
and the reasoning is that if, while press
| ing the Cuban debt, which is not men
| toned in the protocol and which the
not be left to Spain alone, Senior Rios
were inclined to resign he might, in
| the open field of contention as to the
| Philippines, feel that resignation would
help Senior Sagasta on the ground that
| the demand of the United States for the
| entire Philippine group would be ex-
| tortionate. 1t is believed here tonight,
on the eve of taking UP the main ques-
| ton, that the Spanish commissioners
are not likely to acquiesce here in any
treaty that the Americans would sign.
In the Philippine discussion two
wearisome questions are likely to be
raised early by the Spanish. The first
is on the protocol phrase control, dis
position and government" of the arch
| ipelago, the Spaniards doubtless hold
ing that the word disposition" does
not involve possession, though they
know that possession" was originally
written in the protocol and changed
| to disposition" on M. Cambon's in
sistence in behalf of Spanish sensibil-
| tiles.
Collateral to this is second con
tention possibly to be merged with
the first. that when the protocol was
signed there was $ an exterior merit
agreement between M. Cambon and
Judge Day that neither the protocol
nor it's terms should in the treaty nego-
tiations involve Spanish sovereignty
in the Philippine archipelago.
On this point Judge Day, through
the Associated Press. has already
pointedly denied the existence of an
! actual, constructive or implied, under
standing outside of the protocol, either
verbally or in correspondence, and this
denial is supported by the French yell
low book.