Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-05
Claims We Had No Such Thought
When Protocol Was Signed.
Reply Will Be that Protocol Covers
Every Conceivable Question.

Paris, Nov. 4.-The Spanish commits
sioners, in the course of two hours
session, today, fatty refused to accept
Mondays proposition by the Americans
to take the entire Philippine group and
to reimbures Spain for her pacific eX-
penditures" there.
This negative decision was expected
from the Spanish commissioners, also
a number of positive declarations,
which filled some 81 sheets of a type
written presentment. In this state
ment the Spaniards held that the Uni
ted States had no ultimate rights in
the Philippine archipelago, and could
have none. save by the consent of
Spain in these negotiations and upon
terms satisfactory to her.
According to the Spanish contention
in the formal statement, the United
States entertained no thought of an
nexing the Philippines when the pro-
tocol was signed, or it would have been
expressed in the protocol as clearly as
the conditions regarding the cession of
territory in the Antilles and the ORR
ent.
NJ. Cambon, before the signature of
the protocol. received from Madrid
the presentment alleged-a cable mes
sage clearly setting forth that the
maintenance of SPANS authority over
the Philippines should not be affected
by the protocol to which reservation
the United States made at that time no
protest or objection.
This dispatch to NJ. Cambon, as the
Spaniards claimed. today. embodied al
so the view that the United States has
no valid basis for claims in the archi-
pelago.
1t was further held, today, by Senior
Rios and his colleagues that the cap
itulation of Manila, having occurred af-
ter the signing of the protocol and thus
after the suspension of hostilities. was
invalid
With all this for ground work, the
Spaniards made their first positive
move against the Americans. and it
constituted their counter-pr proposition.
They charged upon the United States
a wrongful appropriation of public
moneys belonging to Spain by Selling
the tariff duties at Manila: and they
formally demanded the return of these
moneys, in a sum of nearly 81 100000.
On the same premises the United
States We're. today, declared to have
made and held as prisoners. the Span
ish troops at Manila in violation of in
ternational law, because done after the
suspension of hostilities, under the pro-
tocol. A further charge was made that
by the Imprisonment of the Spanish
troops at Manila, the United States had
prevented Spain from quelling the in
surrection and had thus contributed TO
the violation against Spain after the
cessation of hostilities.
Today's Spanish presentment also
cited the refusal of the Americans to
consider the Cuban debt on the ground
that it was not mentioned in the pro-
tocol and demanded an adherence to
this as precedent in the discussion of
the Philippines. regarding cession of
which the~Spanish commissioners held
the protocol to make no mention.
In support of these assertions, argyll
ments and demands the Spanish pre-
sentiment invOkes SPANS record in the
correspondence, by mail and telegraph,
but it is not known unofficially whether
the Spaniards produced the message
said to have been sent from Madrid 20
NJ Cambon, at the time the protocol
was signed, in which, it was affirmed,
today. Spain reserved her Philippine
sovereignty.
The presentment was read by Inter-
prefer Ferguson. being rendered from
the Spanish, in which it was written.
into English. AT the close of the read
ing the Americans said they wished to
have the Spanish statement referred
into written English for careful con-
sideration, and adjournment was taken
to Tuesday next.
This evening the Spaniards affect to
believe that the Americans had planned
to develop the spirit of their Philippine
demands before the American, elections,
but they decline to say whether they
expect easier terms after the election.
The entire clerical force of the
American commission will be busy the
greater part the night in handling the
Spanish presentment. and the counsel
to the commissioners will at the same
time examine it with a view to tomor-
rows private session of the American
commission, when a response will be
Terminated. 1t may again be asserted
on the highest authority, as bearing on
the Spanish argument. that when the
protocol was signed there was no I'M
Outstanding, verbal or otherwise,
which the protocol does not SHOW forth.
Nor have the American commissioners