, 1898-11-22
LITTLE NEWS IN WASHINGTON.
American Commissioners May Pack Up
and Come Home.

and Come Home.
Washington, Nov. 21.-The state de-
partment has not yet been advised of
the reported refusal of the Spanish
peace commissioners to continue nego-
tiations in Paris. Secretary Alger ex-
pressed disbelief of the accuracy of the
report. or rather. he feels that it was
based upon the personal expression
of opinion of President Rios of the
Spanish commission, and that he did
not necessarily represent the formal
opinion of the commission.
Still the breach. if breach there has
been. would not be a matter of surprise
to the state department, which has
shaped instructions to the American
commissioners to bring. the negotia-
lions in Paris to a sharp issue. one way
or the other, today.
If President Rios did express the de-
termination of the Spaniards. under
their instructions the American COM
m]issioners will promptly pack up and
leave Paris for the United States at
once. 1t is said at the state depart
ment hat nearly all of their work in
such case will go for nothing. The pro-
ceedings before the commission were
so conducted that no one point agreed
upon a to be regarded as binding
unless a complete treaty should be
made. In other words the agreement
en- each point as it was passed I'VE was
tentative, and the final acceptance was
conditioned upon the complete agree
ment on all points.
This does not necessarily wipe out
what has been accomplished under the
terms of the protocol! Each article of
the protocol must stand. for 1t is in no
respect dependent on what would fol-
low at Paris, saving the one clause
touching the Philippines. For in
stance, Spain agreed positively to re-
liHQuish her sovereignty over Cuba and
Porto Rico and %evacuate those islands
and to cede to us one of the Ladrone
islands for a naval station. Those
agreements are beyond recall, and all
that was left to be settled at Paris re-
lated to the Philippines. That is the
ultimate position Of the United States
government announced at the state de-
rartment.
AS to what shall follow now-peace
or war-the officials are not clear and
earnest consideration will be given to
this subject before any decision is an
nounced. It is believed hat the Span
ish forces in Cuba will continue the
evacuation of the island which is now
in progress. 1t is not thought probable
that they will attack the United States
forces, and the latter will not attack
so long as they continue to carry out
the terms of the protocol. There is no
problem connected with Porto Rico
which is now completely in our.posses-
sion. Guam. one of the Ladrones, can
be easily g%arrisoned at any time, the
Spanish force there having surrender
ed. This leaves about tl.s only Ques-
tions to be determined those connect
ed with the Philippines. 1t is not be-
lieved that Spain will make any effort
to reconquer these islands.
Meanwhile the United States military
and naval commanders probably will
be directed to extend their occupation
at once to the whole group of islands,
though it Is not clear that this can be
accomplished without any trouble
and perhaps a hostile clash with the
insurgents. For some reason a speedy
decision to undertake this work would
be acceptable to the state department.
There are foreign interests and lives
and property at stake there for which
the United States has assumed a moral
if not technical responsibility.
Such, for instance, is the situation In
the city Iloilo. the second of impor-
tance Of the Philippines. which is be-
Sieged by a large number Of insurgents.
The small Spanish garrison is made
quate to defend the foreign interests in
the place, and although under our con-
struction of the rules Of war we are
not permitted to act there 80 long as
hostilities are suspended yet there Is
some force in the Spanish plea that we
have prevented them from defending
themselves and the foreigners in their
care from the insurgents.
Old papers IN any quantity, onn 36c
,er 100 at The Republican once.