The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-09-20

Washington, Sept. 1.-THE cabinet
met in special session at 3 o'clock yes
terolay afternoon and adjourned at
o'clock. All of the members were
nrpsent except Secretary Alger, who is
not in the city. Ali united in the
statement made after the meeting
that they had agreed to say nothing
more of the result of the deliberations
than that the peace commissioners
had been fully instructed. OF the
nature of these instructions they con-
vcyed not word. Each pointed out
that to do so would amount to arming
the Spanish commissioners in advance
against themselves. The peace COM
missiOners who were approached on
the subject made a similar response,
thus closing all official avenues of in-
formation. 1t was said that the COM
mssiOners were fully instructed"
and upon seeking a further explana-
ton of this phase it appeared that the
cabinet had patiently gone over in the
discussion with the commissioners
every subject that in their opinion
could be brought into the proceedings
before the joint commission. On each
of these the American commissioners
were made acquainted with
The Views and Wishes
of the administration. 1t is not to be
understood from this that the commits
si0ners go under ironclad and I'M
changeable instructions at all points,
for there is q certain amount of fleXi-
bility in the instructions also, as one
Of the cabinet members put it, the
president might just as well have re-
duced his wishes to paper in the form
of an ultimatim and have sent that to
Paris by a messenger. The peace
commissioners are in no sense mere
m0uthpieces, but having chosen with
the greatest care and consideration
five men in whom he puts the most
implicit confidence, the president feels
that they are to be trusted with the
interests of the United States. 1t is
no expected that they will have
free rein in the larger questions of
policy, but with ample opportunities
for consultations by cable and other
wise, there is no reason why the COM
missiOners should not be able to carry
out the
Desires of the Administration
tunity to somewhat shape those de-
sires by conveying information they
may acquire. For instance, it is said
that at Paris the commission will
meet Gen. Merritt, fresh from Manila,
and in addition they will there have
the benefit of a special report from
Admiral Dewey. These will be of the
greatest value, for the commissioners
are not acquainted with the Philip
pine question in detail and even
the information is to be acquired from
the Spanish peace commissioners is
not to be despised when it takes such
an official form that it can be relied
upon as to accuracy.
All the arrangements have been
completed for the departure of the
commission and it's staff The Cam
panla sails at 2 D m. Saturday, and
explicit instructions have been given
all Of the members of the party as to
being on board at that time.
In statement given to the press,
Secretary Day, speaking Of the work
OF the commission and the instructions
gwen the members by the president,
says:
At the very outset it will be made
clear to the Spanish commissioners
that as in the case of the preliminary
protocol, there can be no deviation
from nor modification of the demands
made by the United States"