Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-11

WASHINGTON, August 10.-The pre-
liminary negotiations looking toward the
confirmation OF peace advanced a long
step to-day when the Secretary of State
and the French Ambassador agreed upon
the terms upon which future negotiations
Tor treaty are TO be conducted and re-
duced this to the form of a protocol The
protocol it is true, is yet TO be signed
and is TO be submitted to the Spanish
Government before the formal signatures
are affixed, but the administrations view
as TO the progress made to-day was set
out in Secretary Days sentence: ut is
expected that this protocol will be exc
cuted."
THE DONS ARE VACILLATING.
There is always the possibility in deal
Ing with the Spanish Government that it
may recede at the last moment from an
implied agreement. but it is scarcely pro-
bable that il would be willing to involve
the French Ambassador in the difficulties
that would follow what to the world would
seem TO be a benevolent effort in behalf
OF Spain.
There must be delay-possibly from
twentyfour to forty-eight hours-before
the next step can be taken and the pro-
tocol made binding upon both the United
States and Spain by the attachment of the
signature Of the plenipotenares, Secretary
Day for the United States and NJ Cam
bon for Spain. The delay will be largely
attributable to physical causes
THE PROTOCOL LENGTHY.
The protocol is long; it must be trans
lated and turned back and forth into
code and ciphed language no less than
five times before il reaches Madrid
through the French Foreign Office. This
work was not begun until late this after
noon after it had consumed the best ener-
giles Of notwithstanding Adee OF the
state Department. and NJ. Thiebout. sec
retary Of the French embassy, in the
preparation in formal shape of two copies
Of the protocol. one in English and one in
French.
These were prepared very carefully, the
idiomatic variance in the two languages
necessitating the greatest caution in or
der that the identical character of the
two copies should be preserved.
AN EARLY ANSWER IMPOSSIBLE.
The length Of the protocol imposed |
great amount of labor upon the cypher |
clerks, so that altogether it is apparent |
the consumption Of time involved In |
purely mechanical functions will be so
considerable as 10 make the rendition of |
an early answer impossible. AS to the |
character Of the protocol. it can be |
stated on authority that the terms are in |
all practical points those set out in the
abstract of the Presidents conditions
published from the White House a week
ago. From this fact it is deduced that the
notifications sought 10 be imposed by
the Spanish Government were abandoned,
az least in large part. This deduction is
supported by the circumstances that in
the early morning and before the con-
terence between Secretary Day and Nj.
Cambon, which resulted In an agreement
there was a prevalent impression, based
upon the utterances of public men who
had talked with the President that the
Spanish answer was unsatisfactory. and
mat the negotiations looked as If they
might terminate suddenly. AS this situa-
,ion changed so suddenly after the con-
Terence. IL may be fairly assumed that
the Ambassador abandoned the condi-
Hons which the President was reputed TO
iayc regarded as unsatisfactory.
CESSATION OF HOSTILLTIES.
IL Is believed that the protocol carries
within itself provision for the cessation
u hostiIities. On this point the naval con-
ingent urged that our government adopt
no Napoleonic plan of refusing TO enter
MO az arup'stice without requiring some |