Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-06
"A PEACE TREATY
Can Contain Anything the Vic
tors May Put Into IT.
Is the Way Judge Day Disposes Of
the Spanish QuibbIings.
Much Progress Made, Monday. Spaaiards
Realizing their HcIpIessness.

ne hIlGIICdIleS, Iiid
changed the form If not the substance
of some Of their demands, as result OF
their deliberations, during the pas.
three days. Secretary Moore Of the
United States commission was engaged
far into the night in revising the draft
of the treaty Of peace.
The joint commission was in session
for over four hours. Much of the dis
cussion concerned details as to the
guaranteeing of the rights of Spanish
citizens in the coded colonies. The de-
bate was occasionally energetic and the
Spaniards, on emerging, appeared to be
detected.
Secretary Ojeda of the Spanish COM
mission, when questioned, after the
meeting, as to the progress made, ex-
citedly answered: Il am almost mad.
I cannot talk. We are making pro-
| gress.' The American commissioners
declined to say anything further than
that the progress made was satisfac-
tory.
The Spanish commissioners have re-
ceived authority TO bind their govern
ment on certain matters; but there are
yet important questions on which their
is likely that many of the details in
volved in the change of sovereignty in.
the Spanish possessions will be left for
settlement by the regular diplomatic
| processes when relations between tbs
two governments are resumed.
The history of the document which
viii certify the passing of the oldest
colonial power in the world and the adj
vent of the newest was epitomized by
Judge Day. this evening. in single sem
te1ce: "A peace treaty can contain
anything which the victors put in it.
| The Americans here listened for
| hours with their customary patience 10
| the tecnicalities convoked by the Span
| iards with their customary ShreWdness
and nersistency against every proposal
| making for the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of
their empire. Darkness had come on
| and the liveried attendants modified
| by the French authorities had placed a
| tiny lamp al the elbow of each COM
| missioner. Senator Frye, whose I'M
| concealed contempt for the diplomatic
qubbMngs excites the astonishment
| of the punctillous Castillians. had
stalked home, his patience exhausted.
| The burden of the Spanish drgu
! ments was that matters outside the
| bare cession and evacuation of the
| conquered territories, which the Amer
| leans proposed TO cover by the treaty
were beyond the legitimate and Gus
| tomary scope of peace treaty. Be
| hind this bulwark Senior Montero Rios,
president of the Spanish Commission,
| fortified himself. bomoarding his oppon
! with cnnnIU of and
precedents which inspired the freely
| expressed admiration of the A1neri-
| cans.
| Finally Judge Day summarized the
American position in the foregoing
| memorable uterance. 1t was given
and taken in good spirit, and from that
moment the proceedings were entirely
| friendly.
| The session accomplished much.
| Eight open question We're canvassed,
seven being practically settled without
noteworthy friction. The commission
ers decline to say what conclusion was
reached, but the bargain for coaling
| station in the Carolines was not ce-
mented and according TO present pros
poets it is likely TO fail. The temper Of
| the American in this matter is: eve
make you a good offer for the island,
| you make take or leave it." The Span
iards seem disposed to leave it.
| The Americans do not regard it as
prize which they can demand as one
of the natural fruits of the war, while
| the whole policy of the Spaniards is
| to confine the negotiations as narrowly
as possible to the letter of the proto-
col signed in Washington and to eX-
clude all extraneous matters. The re-
suit of this policy may be the leaving
of many details involved in the
change of sovereignty over the
various possessions to settlement
by the regular diplomatic processes.
when normal relations between the two
countries are resumed. The Spanish
commissioners insisted at the previous
meeting that the settlement of the status
of Spanards who remain in the colonies
was a problem so closely akin to cessioI.
that it could not be logically departed
from the latter. but should be considered
next to the question of cession and be-
fore such matters as coaling stations and
religious liberation. They appealed to
the Americans, having gained all the
great points. to be generous on the minor
ones Accordingly the American COM
missioners is foreshadowed by the coHre-
spondent of The Associated Press were
concilatory. today on the order of pro-
manning in the lost colonies.
The Spanish commissioners continue
lighting with tooth and nail to procure
every possible pecuniary and other con-
cessions. The Aermicans had already
promised to guarantee the return %
Spanish prisoners in the hands of tn,
Ftlipinos. Today Senior Montero Rios
proposed that the United States shoulo
pay the expenses of shipping them to
Spain. arguing. with his customary in
genuity, that this was a duty of the
Americans as a matter of course. Tho
American commission thought the reulles
unreasonable and a good deal of time
ton.
Another problem entailing long debate
was the disposition to be made of the
Spanish munitions of war that in a num-
Der of military posts outside Manila.
which the Americans have not captured
The Spanish commissioners contend that
Spain should be permitted to ship such
munitions home. The Americans replied
that. as the United States had conquera
ed the Philippines. these munitions wer,,
spoils of war The Spaniards finally
waived their bubble. They appear re-
signed to the inevitable and now seem
to realize that their best policy is to save
as much Of the wreck as their keenness |
IN raising technicalities can secure for |
them.
The question of the status of the Span. |