Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-08-11

wv ttuSs ~. A1S PAS
liminary negotiations looking to-
ward the confirmation of peace ad-
vanced a long step today when
the Secretary of State and the
French ambassador agreed upon
the terms upon which future ne
gotiatiOns for a treaty are to be
conducted and reduced these to the
form of protocol. This protocol,
it is true, is yet to be signed and
is to be submitted to the Spanish
government before the former sig
natures are affixed, but the admin
istr.ions view as to the progress
made today was set out in Secre-
tary Days sentence: 1t is eX-
pected that this protocol will be
executed"
There is always the possibility
in dealing with the Spanish gov
eminent that it may recede at the
last moment from an implied
agreement, but it is scarcely prob
able that it would be willing to
involve the French ambassador in
the difficulties that would follow
what to the world would seem to
be a reputation Of the benevolent
efforts in behalf of Spain.
There must be delay-possibly
from "a to As hours-before the
next step can be taken and the
protocol made binding upon both
the United States and Spain by the
attachment of the signatures of
the plenipotentiaries, Secretary
Day, for the United States, and NJ.
Cambon for Spain. The delay will
be largely attributable to physical
causes. The protocol is long; it
must be translated and turned
back and forth into code and SIM
pie language and less than five
times before it reaches Madrid
through the French foreign office.
This work was not begun until
late this afternoon after it had
consumed the best energies of AS
sistant Secretary Adee of the State
Department and NJ Thiebaut. sec
rotary of the French Embassy, IN
the preparation in formal shape
of two copies Of the protocol, one
in English and one in French.
There were prepared very care
fully, the idiomatic variance in
the two languages necessitating
the greatest caution in order that
the identical character Of the two
copies should be preserved The
length of the protocol imposed a
great amount of labor upon the
cipher clerks, or whoever is
charged with the work of render
ing the original into cipher, so
that altogether it is apparent the
consumption of time involved is
purely mechanical functions will
be so considered as TO make the
rendition of a very early answer
improbable.
AS to the character of the pro-
tocol. it can be stated on authority
that the terms are in all practical
points those set out in the abstract
of the presidents conditions pub
lished from the White House a
week ago. From this fact it is
deducted that the extra conditions
or qualifications sought to be i'm
posed by the Spanish government
were abandoned at least in large
part by the French ambassador.
This deduction is supported by the
circumstances that in the early
morning and before the conference
between Secretary Day and NJ.
Cambon, which resulted in the
agreement, there was a prevalent
Impression, based upon the utter
ances of public men who had talk
ed with the president, that the
Spanish answer was unsatisfactory
and that the negotiations looked as
If they might terminate suddenly.
AS this situation changed so sud-
denly after the conference, it may
be fairly assumed that the ambas-
sador abandoned the conditions
which the president was reputed to
have regatEed as unsatisfactory. 1t