The record-union., 1898-09-16
Authoritative Statement Given Out by the
State Department.
The American Members Of the
Paris Peace Commission Have
Been Intrusted With Their
Final Instructions and Will
Sail for the French Capital To-
Morrow Afternoon.

WASHINGTON, Sept. I0.-Ihe CAB
met met in special session this after
noon, and adjourned at o'clock. All
Of the members were present except
Secretary Alger, who is not in the city.
All united in the statement after the
meeting that they had agreed to say
nothing more of the deliberations than
that the Peace Commissioners had been
fully instructed AS to the nature of
these instructions, they conveyed not
a word.
1t was said that the Commissioners
were fully instructed and upon seek
ing a further explanation of this
phrase it appeared that the Cabinet
had patiently gone over in the discus
sion with the Commissioners every
subject that in their opinion could be
brought into the proceedings before the
joint Commissioners. 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 Com
missionerS go under ironclad and un-
changeable instruction at all points.
1t is not expected that they will have
a 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,
and at the same time have the oppor-
tunity to somewhat shape those de-
sires by conveying information to
Washington.
1t is expected that at Paris the Com
p1iccionprS will meet Canora1 Morritt
fresh from Manila 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 Philippine question in detail,
and even the information that is to be
acquired from the Spanish Peace Com
missioners is not to be despised when
it takes such an official form that 1t
can be relied upon as to accuracy. The
Commissioners will sail on Saturday
Senator Frye called at the War De-
partment during the afternoon and
had a talk with Acting Secretary Mel
klejohn. While they We're together
Representative William Alden Smith
of Michigan, who is a member of the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs,
joined them. In the course of a good
natured exchange, Mr.. Smith urged
Senator Frye to hold the Philippines as
an entirety, as we'll as all other terri
tory Of which we were possessed of
as a result of the war. Mr.. Frye dip
lomatically avoided committing him
self, beyond remarking that this idea
seemed to be growing.
AS Mr. Frye came from the depart
ment he was asked if he favored a re-
tention of the Philippines, to which he
replied: Il never have given my views
on that to any human being"
The State Department tonight gave
out the following concerning the dis
cussion to-day between the members
of the Cabinet and the peace commits
sion:
seThe members of the peace commits
sion have spent the greater part of
yesterday and to-day in a free discus
sion of the duties, with the discharge
of which they have been intrusted by
the President.
while for obvious reasons it was
determined that the nature of the ne
gotiations about to be entered upon
should for the present be Kept secret
and made known only after definite re-
suits shall have been reached, it is
possible to state authoritatively that
the commission goes to Paris fully pre-
pared to follow a course of action
mapped out for it as the result of the
consultations of the last two days.
cat 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
or modification of the demands made
by the United States.
"As previously announced. the COM
mission sails from New York on the
Campania at o'clock Saturday after
nOon'