Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-28

which the Americans entered upon the war
with more or less mock incredulity.'
Mr. Stead reports that the bitterest hos
tility of all was found at the Vatican.
The President Looked for an Agree
mcat.
Up to 80 o'clock this afternoon nothing
had reached the White House from the
American commissioners as to IL prospec-
tive agreement with the Spaniards Such
information was expected at any minute.
Secretary Hay was not a visitor to the
White House up to the hour named.
President Mckinley received the press
dispatches coming from across the water
during the morning. These all indicated a
settlement and the signing of Il treaty, but
the President did not talk to his visitors
on the subject. The President was conf
dent today, however, as he has been for
some time. that a treaty, satisfactory to
the United States, would be drafted. Judge
Day is said to have given the President to
understand that this would be done.
If agreement is reached today or to-
morrow, the President will be able to dis
cIss thu negotiations in his message to Con-
gress. The message is nearing completion.
he pOIAlOI TSldilDS 10 tHe HtSOlld HIS
been left open, and the President may be
compelled to discuss much of this in a
special message if there is delay in the
work of the commission.
The greater part of the Presidents mes
sage will probably be read at the cabinet
meeting Friday 1t will go to the printer
Saturday or Sunday, and will be quickly
rut in type. The usual secrecy, to prevent
Il
If the President is able to discuss the
completion of the negotia tionS at Paris his
message will be a full and complete history
of the war, a document well worth pre-
serving for this reason alone. 1t is ax-
pGcted that the question of an "open-dOOr
policy in the new possessions will be dis
cussed. This question is one of absorbing
interest among public men now. Many of
the visitors to the White House during the
next week or so will discuss the question
with the chief executive. The President is
said to be opposed to making the Philip
pires territories of the United States like
Alaska, for instance. He may recommend
that they stand on their own footing.
What Secretary Hay Expected.
The officials of the State Department ac-
cepted without hesitation as accurate the
Associated Press bulletin from Paris this
morning announcing that the Spanish COM
missioners mad accepted the American
terms, although official advices to that eff
feet had not then been received. Secretary
Hay has been confident from the beginning
that such would be the outcome although
at times in the negotiations there were
signs of serious disagreements that might
have led to a failure of the commission
1t is not understood from the news so far
received that the commissioners have vet
reached the point of signing a treaty. Much
remains TO be done in execution of the last
instructions of the State Department before
the treaty itself can be completed and made
ready for signature. The work may be
hurried materially, however, should the
State Department decide to permit the
treatment of the remaining questions to be
settled in separate conventions with the
purpose of speedily concluding the peace
treaty. The instructions to the American
commissioners sent last week were to ar
range for a renewal of trade treaties with
Spain; for the acquisition of Ualan, for OBJ
tanning concessions for cable connections
in other quarters and for the procurement
Of religious liberation in the CaroIiues
These things are not likely to be easily
disposed of, it may be that the Ameri-
can commissioners will feel that they have
complied with the spirit of their instruc-
uons If they succeed in including in the
peace treaty a provision binding the Span
lsh government to negotiate hereafter on
those subjects on lines that may be very
broadly defined in the peace treaty. In
this case two or three more sessions of the
peace commission should suffice to COM
plete the work of that body, otherwise it
is doubtful whether the work can be COM
pletcd before Christmas
Text of Agreement Not known.
SO far the exact text of the agreement
reached in Paris up to this point is NOT
known to the State Department. although
OF course, ii has knowledge of the genera!
terms of the agreement. Consequently il
Is not possible at present to obtain here a
copy for publication of this important doc
ument. Indeed, it is suggested that if the
customary rules relative to the publica ton
OF treaties are followed, this particular
treaty must be withheld from the press un-
Ill the Uaited States Senate in its discre-
ton, decides to make it public There is no
rule or law, however, on this point and the
practice is based entirely upon a rather old
fashioned conception of the degree of cour-
tesy which should be exhibited toward the
Senate by the executive branch.
Claims of Outside Parties.
y call at the State Department this morn
ing Of the German charge, Count Won
Sternberg, gave rise to rumor that he
had come to make representations to the
department respecting certain rights claim
ed by Germany in the Su!u Islands. Wheth-
er this is true or not could not be ascar-
tanned. The department, however. has not
failed TO take notice of certain indirect and
suspicious attempts to ALLEVIATE the Sulu
Islands from the rest of the Philippines and
has been forehanded in this matter. 1t was
recognized from the beginning, and this
lesson was learned from the experiences %
other nations that have gone to war in re-
cent years. that attempts might be ex-
pected to be made by nations that wer.