The age-herald., 1898-10-21
SESSION TO BE HELD TODAY
May Bring Forth Some Interesting De-
 VelOpments in the Situation.
THE AMERICANS ARE INFLEXlBLE
Will Make No Concessions Whatever, and Will Adhere Strictly to Their
 Instructions Not Even Asking
 Mckinley to Modify Them.

Paris, October 2o-The Spanish peace commissioners have not yet received from Madrid either instructions or permission to bid adieu to Spanish sovereignty without further seeking to attach to this sover- eighty some condition providing for the as- sumption of the Cuban debt by the United States. If they as at present disposed and instructed the Spanards will not at to- morrow's meeting recognize affirmatively the United States position and will stop on the point of results. Should they latly re- jeet American insstenee the Spaniards, while recognizing the physical power of the United States against unaided Spain will -dumbly extend their palms upwards and shrug their shoulders. They regard the situation as pitable and are not averse to any sympathy it may excite. They affirm that the American answer to their debt propositions is very long and that they have not yet had time to mediate fully upon it. They thus far, apparently intend not to yield, and will tomorrow make another written presentment and ex- pect an extended discussion thereon. Whether they will tomorrow be met with, or at the close of the session, receive as to Cuba, the American ultimatum of terms and time must be then developed While this is possible it is now not quite probable.
 Sympathy for Spain London, October H-The Paris corre- spondent of the Times says
 T had visit today (Thursday) from a great Spanish parsonage who seems to have been commissioned to ascertain the trend of public opinion on the negotiations here. He appeared much depressed. He has found great and general sympathy with
 Spain, but has been unable to discover any
 possibility of obtaining moral support
 against the American delegates, who are
 infiexible in the:r demands, and with much
 politeness of form have hitherto categoric-
 ally. refused to make the slightest conces-
 sions on any of the instructions received by
 them, never having asked their govern
 ment for the slightest notifications.
 q have already explained the mode of
 negotiations. The Spaniards from time to
 time endeavor to enter into conversation
 and turn the discussion into verbal ex-
 change of views in order to obtain some de-
 viation from the infiexible line marked out
 by the American government for its repre-
 sentatives.
 "Senor Barasque, who is a master of the
 English language, is the Spanish commits
 sioner who makes the attempts to lead to
 a conversation, and as he is described as very pressing and eloquent, he always makes a profound impression. .The Americans, however, listened atten- lively but maintained the procedure of written replies
 'sThe intended sitting yesterday could not be held, because the Spaniards, in view of the written replies made to them, re-
 nounced their attempts at conversation and
 asked forty-eight hours grace to consult
 their government and prepare written re-
 joinder
 '"The friend who called told me that he
 had found his countrymen much discour-
 aged, being convinced that the United
 States are bent on rigorous exercise Of
 the rights of the victor. Said he: The
 Americans seem bent on pushing the re-
 suits of the war to their extrme conse-
 quences. They refuse to entertain any con-
 cession on the financial question and, while
 declaring to undertake sovereignty in Cuba
 they maintain that the Cuban debt $ a
 Spanish debt, and that Spain abused her
 sovereignty by saddling the island with the
 interest of a debt by which she alone
 profted.
 .Vainly have we urged that they them- selves accepted financial obligations toward England after the war of independence,
 that they accepted the burdens of Texas after the conquest, that there is more gen. eral law than the law of obligations of a country changing its rules, and that it would be an arbitrary course and a yexa- dtious precedent to throw the Cuban debt upon us. It is useless, and they stand .syer<-| emptorily on their demands.'" 4 .1,,,r, -,-----.--