The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-29
Says the Terms Are Unjust and Harsh,
and She Only Accepts Them Because
She Cannot Help Herself.
BRIEF JOINT SESSION MONDAY
AT WHICH THE REPLY TO THE UI.-
TTMATUM WAS SUBMITTED.
Secretaries Of the Commissions Pre-
pairing Conditions of Peace, which
May he Taken Up TO-MOrrow.

PARIS. Nov. 2a-spain has accepted the
United States offer of $2O,OOO,OOO, and, at a
Joint session OF the peace commissions this
afternoon, consented without condition to
relinquish Cuba and to cede Porto Rico.
Guam and the Philippine islands.
The document presenting this acceptance
contained only three hundred words. It
opened with a reference to the final terms
Of the United States and said that the
Spanish commissioners, after having taken
cognizance Of the terms proposed by the
Americans. replied that their government
had tried to give as equitable an answer as
possible, but that they were not prepared to
commit their government to the acceptance
of the principles embodied in the American
argument. Spain rejects these principles.
and the note continues: 'As she always has
rejected them" Basng her attitude upon
the justice OF her cause, the note then says.
she still adheres to these principles (which
she has heretofore invariably formulated ;"
However. the note adds, in her desire for
peace she has gone so far as to propose
certain compromises which the Americans
have always rejected. She has also at
tempted. it is further asserted, to have SUBJ
mitted TO arbitration some of the material
particulars upon which the two govern
ments differed. These proposals for arbitra-
ton, It is added. the Americans had equally
rejected.
THE ARBITRATION PROPOSED.
The allegations in Spain's reply, as to at
tempted arbitration, refer to her proposal
to ar5itrate the construction of the third
article of the protocol and also to submit
The Spanish colonial debt of Cuba and the
Philippines to arbitration. The last PROPOSE
ton has been made in a written communica-
ton. Since its presentation, and in return
for such arbitration. Spain offered to cede
the territory in dispute. The Americans re-
fused both propositions for arbitration.
spain's reply to-day, in substance, con-
tinued by declaring that the United States
has offered. as kind of compensation to
Spain, something very inadequate to the
sacrifices the latter country makes at this
moment and she feels therefore that the
United States proposals cannot be consid-
cred Just and equitable. Spain has. how
ever. exhausted all the resources of dipIo-
macy in an attempt tc justify her attitude
Seeing that an acceptance of the proposal
made to Spain is a necessary condition to
continuance of negotiations and seeing
that the resources Of Spain are not such
as to enable her to re-enter upon war, she
is prepared, in her desire to avoid blood
shed, and from considerations of humanity
and patriotism, to submit to the conditions
OF the conquering nation, however harsh
they may be. She is. therefore, ready to
accept the proposals OF the American COM
mission as presented ct the last sitting.
ARTICLES or PEACE.
The reading and translation of the docu-
ment occupied less than five minutes. At
the conclusion of the translation the COM
missioners empowered Senior ojeda, secre-
tary of the Spanish commission, and secre-
tary Moore, of the American commission, to
draw up articles whicA are so embody the
REIMBURSEMENT of Cuba by Spain and the
cession of Porto Rico and the Philippines.
These articles, which may be considered
as constituting the conditions of peace, will
be ready for submission on Wednesday.
A great deal of interest was taken in to-
days meeting. The two commissions ar
rived at the Foreign Office in carriages in
the rain, almost simultaneously. and. going
to the conference room, Immediately opened
the only business before them. Senior Mon
tero Rios, the president of the Spanish COM
mission has usually preceded the presenta-
tion of Spanish communication in writing
by verbally summarizing it, but to-day
Senor Rios was silent and unusually grave
His face was deeper lined and he clearly
showed the mental strain under which he
was laboriug as he approached the final
REIMBURSEMENT of spaln's colonial posses
sions. Without word, Senior Montero Rios
produced two typewritten sheets and passed
them to the interpreter 'of the United States
commission. Mr.. Ferguson, who read them
substantially as cabled the outline OF the
Spanish document being furnished later to
correspondent OF the ASSOCIATED Press by
senor ojeda
sPANTARDs RELIEVED.
The commissioners left the Foreign ONCE
Immediately after the secretaries had been