Evening journal., 1898-10-29
WILL KEEP THEM.
No Philippines to Be Given
Back to Spain.
NAY DECIDE TO PAY FOR THEN.
Administration said TO be Consider
ing the Payment of a SfO.O0O,OOO
Indemnity TO Cover Philippine
Debt - Final Negotiations.

Debt - Final Negotiations.
WASHINGTON, oct 2s.-President
Mckinley is convinced that there IS no
way N which the United States can es-
cape the responsibility OF taking all
the Philippines. He has arrived at this
conclusion after mature deliberation.
He at first favored keeping nothing
more than n military and naval base
and thought that the United States
should In no event retain more than
the island OF Luzon. When the Ameri-
can peace commissioners left for Paris,
Il was not contemplated that they
should demand from the Spanish gov
ernment more than the absolute ces-
sion OF this one island to the United
States and q reversionary interest In
the other islands OF the group.
1t has been found, however. tnat
there We're many practical difficulties
I'm the way OF such a solution, not the
least of them being the evident impcs-
sibillty OF Spain's ge-establishing au-
thority over the remaining islands
without a prolonged and a bloody
struggle with the insurgent forces.
information coupled with the opin-
ion Of military and naval command
ers familiar with the Philippine situa-
tlon has led the president TO believe
that Admiral Dewey's destruction Of
the Spanish fleet I'm Manila bay and
General Merritts capture Of Manila
annihnated Spanish sovereignty IN the
islands. and II became a duty Of the
United States to establish a better gov
ernment than the one which was de-
stroyed by American arms.
a. o.,
letters from all parts of the United
States and with resolutions from COM
mercial and religious bodies urging
that American sovereignty should he
maintained wherever the flag has been
planted, In this same line the presi-
dents recent western trip was n reve-
latlon to him and the members of his
cabinet who accompanied him. The
farther he went west the stronger he
found the sentiment In favor OF holding
all the Philippines and establishing an
American government over them.
Secretary Gage, who went west before
the president and who went as far as
Denver found the sentiment there even
stronger than I'm Omaha. In all the
meetings OF the cabinet before the peace
commissioners left for Paris Secretary
Gage was the most conservative Of all
the presidents advisers. He doubted
the wisdom OF taking even as much as
the island of Luzon and would have
been glad If way had been found OF re-
llnquishing all the Philippines. Since his
return from the west. however he is an
advocate Of holding all the islands
Although II has been finally deter
mined that the Philippines shall be re-
tained, the peace commissioners may
be given considerable latitude as 10 the
terms on which they are to be re-
tained
The Philippines are regarded asstard-
ing on a different basis from Cuba and
Porto Rico. and some Of the members Of
the administration believe that n all the
islands are taken Spain should be given
some measure Of compensation for
them. especially as the Philippines have
been by far the most valuable OF all her
colonies.
IT can be said that It is quite probable
that the American commissioners will
be authorized 10 go so far as to offer to
pledge the United States TO assume the
Philippine debt. or at least such portion
OF II as has been expended on public
works in the islands. The exact amount
Of the debt that could properly be
charged to the United States under such
an arrangement could not be accurate
ly stated without a fuller analysis Of
this debt than as yet has been made
but It is believed that it VIII be less
than SiO.OOOO O0O A high administration
official said last night that Il might b,
decided that the Spanish government
should receive an actual cash payment
for the Philippines IN addition TO the
assumption OF the debt or a part Of II
-lY the United States