The herald., 1898-11-08
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
NEW YORK, Nov. IA dispatch to the
Herald from Washington says:
Epain's exhaustive argument against the
cession of the Philippines to the United
States has had the result OF making the
officials all the more determined to take tne
islands Instructions sent to Mr. Day cnalr.
man of the American Commissioners, Will
require him and his colleagues to renew on
Tuesday their demand for the cession OF the
group to the United States, and they will
contain in their offer the first money pay
ment for the islands.
It ia understood the President will con-
suit tomorrow with some of his advisers con-
cerninr the amount to be named in the
American communication, but the sum to
be paid will not under any consideration ex-
ceed the aggregate of the debts contracted by
the Spanish government for the improve
ments in the Philippines.
All military debts and debts contracted
in the name of other islands, such as Cuba,
will be barred and the Spanish Commission
ers will be informed that they must recog-
nize this fact as promptly as possible.
Secretary Hay has received full state
ment of the contents of the Spanish notes.
Its character was just what the officials ex-
pected-without any new arguments OF i'm
portance.
Senior Rios and his colleagues call atten-
ton to the action of the government in de-
livering note through M. Cambon, the
French Ambassador, to President McKin-
lev, which set forth the understanding of
the Spanish government, that in agreeing to
the protocol, its sovereignty over the Phil
ippines would not be affected.
It is also claimed by the Spanish Commits
sioner that this consideration was assented
to by President Mckinley. As matter of
fact, the note had been delivered but the
President declined to hand it, either in writ
ing or verbally, to M. Cambon. The Span
ish Commissioners have declared, it is said,
that instead of the United States acquiring
the Philippines, this government should pay
their government an indemnity for an at
tack on Manila after the peace protocol had
been signed and the damage consequently
done.
Rear Admiral Dewey's victory in Manila
Bay was unimportant and the possession OF
Cavite during the war was not such as to
give the Americans, the Spaniards declare
control of the islands, and it is claimed, and
the claim is fortified by argument and many
legal precedents, that the American govern
ment has no right to demand the cession OF
the entire group of l400 islands, when it
held only such small bit of territory as that
at Cavite and controlled the bay at Manila
All during the war Spanish troops were
stationed ON other islands and were not mo-
lested. The Spaniards indicated their will
lingness, however, to sell the islands and
the authorities have no apprehension now
that any rupture will occur unless it be over
the amount to be paid.
After the Philippine question has been dis
posed of the commissioners will consider the
determination of claims which have been
filed by Americans against Spain and by
Spaniards against the United States. 1fwas
thought that this government would bind
itself to satisfy all American claims in con-
sideration of the territory ceded to the
United States, but this statement is incor-
rect. The Spanish Commissioners have a
heavy claim for filibustering against the
United States to offset the claims filed by
Americans for personal and property injur-
les, and the question of their disposition will
have to be decided.