Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1898-08-06
THE SPANISH REPLY.
The Long-Expected Answer to the
Presidents Note Unsatisfactory.
A CONFERENCE WITH N. CANBON.
The Parties ut the Meeting VIII Not Mako
Public What Occurred Military Opcr-
ations In Porto Rico to
De Pushed.


De Pushed.
Washington, Aug. AFTER q con-
ference on the peace question lasting
just an hour yesterday afternoon be-
tween the president and M. Cambon,
the French ambassador, the latter act
ing rs the representative OF Spain,
Secretary Day emerged from the white
house and announced that the confer
ence was inconclusive, wherefore the
parties to II had agreed to say
nothing public Us TO what hid
occurred. The secretary did not
appear TO be discouraged as
he made this statement, though
he admitted that no time had been set
for another conference. From this it
is gathered that the long.expected IN.
swer OF the Spanish government to the
presidents note, upon being received,
had turned out TO be jrst rs was cx-
pcctcd-cither counter proposition
or request for fuller statement In
detail upon some OF the heads OF the
presidents note.
Meantime, In consonance with the
declared purpose OF the president at
the beginning Of the overtures, THU
conference is not operating to restrain
military operations in any degree.
Orders went out yesterday for n con-
ference OF leaders Of the regiments t.
accompany Gen. Wade to Porto Rico
and within "a hours some OF the troops
OF this expedition will be boarding
the transports Mt Newport News. 1t
Is felt that, even should IN armistice
be declared before these troops see ac-
tive service at the front, it will be
beneficial for them to have made the
trip, for otherwise there was danger
OF the morals Of the troops being de-
stroyed through their craving to get
away from the big concentration
camps and at least see the shores of
Cuba or Porto Rico.
On the assumption that peace is near
ut hand some attention Is being given
TO the steps by which this may be
brought about formally, and the meas
ures necessary 10 be adopted immedi-
ately afterwards. II Is said to be not
at all improbable that the prelimi-
narics leading up to the signature OF
the treaty may consume fully three
months, so that 1t may be well along
toward the legal date Of the assembly
Of congress before the president will
be prepared TO submit peace treaty
to the senate. 1t does not follow from
this that an actual state OF war will
prevail during this interval of three
months, for, Us a matter-of fact, hos
Utilities will terminate within a very
few days after Spain has notified the
United States government OF her &C.
ceptance of the terms laid down in the
presidents note Of last Saturday. The
military establishment, however, must
be maintained during that time and
many acts performed that are incident
to actual warfare.
It Is expected here that the Spanish
pledge to accept the broad conditions
laid down by the United States will
take the form OF n written agreement,
something in the nature Of q protocol,
which, while very necessary step In
the negotiation Of treaty, is not al
ways q part OF the document The
negotiations have not progressed sufti-
GENTLY to indicate who shall be the
parties to this agreement, or rather
who shall represent the principals
the United States and Spain. 1t Is
possible that It may be signed In
Washington, as between Secretary
Day and NJ. Cambon, or on the other
hand the ambassadors OF Spain and
the United States in one Of the Euro
pean countries-probably in this case
France might meet and by the au-
thorization Of their respective govern
ments sign this agreement The pro-
tocol. II It may be so called, in either
case would not take the place in any
manner Of the treaty Of peace which
would be drawn up later by commits
sioners to be appointed for this pur-
pose.
Under the terms OF the presidents
note. II they shall be accepted by
Spain, the Spanish government Is
bound to evacuate Cuba and Porto Rico
Immediately. This action is not to
wait upon the work OF the peace COM
missioners. but is to precede 1t, and
to follow Immediately upon the sigma
ture of the memorandum accepting
the presidents conditions The word
Immediately" in this case is perhaps
q little deceptive. The experience OF
the war department In the en-
deavor to remove to Spain the Span
ish troops surrendered at Santiago,
has not justified the expectation that
the large force Of Spanish regulars can
be gathered up and shipped home to
Spain in less than about 80 days at the
best This estimate Is based on the
fact that It Is not expected by the
Spanish troop transports that they
will be able to return all Of the Span
ish prisoners to Spain before the ist OF
September. Therefore what Is meant
by the word Immediately" Is that the
Spanish government shall ut least be-
gin the arrangements at once for the
evacuation of the islands
A~.t..lac,. AtinwaA Crnaltv nanlad.