The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-11
TREATY HAS BEEN SIGNED
AND PEACE is RESTORED
Negotiations at Paris Ended With Solemn and
Dramatic Scene
Signing Of the Treaty Was Bitter Tragedy For the Span
Americans Happy and COmplacent.

Paris, Dec 1O-The treaty of peace
was signed at S:45 this evening. The
signing of the treaty would have af-
forded a subject for a great historical
painting. The group. gathered about
the table in the stately chamber OF the
foreign office, was impressive in itself,
while the fact that the sense of the
momentousness of the issues which the
act decided was deeply felt by all the
participants, and gave an impressive
and solemn tone to the scene.
Around the great mahogany table sat
the ten arbiters of the destiny of an
old and a young nation. Ranged about
and behind were numerous attaches Of
the American commission. The jets
from the crystal chandeliers above the
heads Of those present magnified the
brilliant green and scarlet CT the uphol-
stering in their gaudiness.
There was q contrast between the
black-clOthed arbiteTs and the scenery
To the Americans it was a happy end
ing of the epilogue of war; for the
Spaniards it was plainly a bitter trag-
edy, none the less painful because long
foreseen- They sat silently, as though
almost crushed, and none could with
hold sympathy for Senior Montero Rios.
sion, who, coming from his bed, was
bundled in a great overcoat though
logs were burning in the fireplace near
by.
The spirits of the two bodies were
symbolized by the clothes worn by the
members of the commissions, for the
Americans were attired in evening
dress for the dinner given them imme-
diarely after the meeting by the Due
de Loubat, and the Spaniards wore
black frock coats.
Although the commissions met at $3.50
O'Clock, expecting to finish their work
in half an hour, the engrossing of the
treaty on parchment was found to be
so troublesome that it delayed the sign
ing Of the document until 500. Clerk
Martin, of the American commission,
worked all Day, without even stopping
TO eat. When he came into the cham
Der at 7:30 with the document, he found
the commissioners waiting. The Span
lsh copy had arrived a half hour ear
lier.
Mr.. Arthur Ferguson then proceeded
TO read first the English and after that
the Spanish version of the treaty.
TREATY SIGNED.
This finished, the two copies were
passed around the table. the commits
sionerS signing them in the order of
their rank.
William r. Day, Senator Cushman K.
Davis, Senator William P. Frye, White
law Reid and Senator George Gray;
Senor Montero Rios, Senor Abarzuza
Senor Garnica, Senor Viilaurutia and
General Cerero Y. Scans. each commits
sion signing its opponents treaty. Both
We're. tied with the Spanish and Amer
lean colors.
When the seals were prepared to be
affixed attendants were sent scurrying
Il --1.
which the documents were sealed, as a
compliment to the French hosts of the
commissions.
Many officials interestedly watched
every detail of the proceedings.
The last seal being impressed, the
commissioners rose and without for
mality, each member shook the hands
Of all his antagonists and exchanged
assurances Of sincere personal esteem.
The Spaniards afterward commented
acridly upon what they termed the bad
taste Of the Americans in mastering a
crowd of attaches to gloat over the
ccnsummation Of their downfall and
the scramble fo~ relics
The signing was finished at S:45. At
that time the door of the chamber
opened and Senor Villaurutia appeared
and exclaimed TO a group of correspon-
dents who were waiting in the corri-
dor. "cest fni''
The other members of the Spanish
commission followed Senor Vinaurutia
and passed silently through the vesti-
bule to their waiting carriages. The
American commission strolled out,
chatting co1npiacently, and as they de-
Scended the steps the lights in the
chamber We're darkened.
CONTEST FOR RELICS.
y There has been a great contest
o,,aa7,cr tho fn raf1iaC and friends Qf tho
American commissioners for possession
Of the pens with which the signatures
to the treaty were written Some of the
Americans were provided with hand
some pens purchased for the purpose.
The SpaEiards appeared to be unaf
fected by the souvenir craze, and con-
tented themselves with the ordinary
uu;l pens StreWn upon the table.
Arthur Ferguson. the interpreter Of
the American commission, requested
Senor Montero Rios to give him his
pen, saying:
Have you any desire to preserve the
pen with which you viii sign?"
Not in the slightest, said the Span
lard, with a courtly bow.
The treaty, as signed, consists of
seventeen articles. it having been found
advisable to sub-divide two or three of
the articles in the draft agreed upon
at the last meeting.
The commissioners Of the two nations
wrote their signatures on two copies Of
the treaty, one copy being for the arch
ives.
The document was prepared by Sec
retary Moore in behalf of the United
States commission, and by Senor Viii
lauruthia for Spain, on account OF the
continued illness of Secretary Ojeda of
the Spanish commission.
Each copy contains the English and
Spanish texts Of the treaty in parallel
columns. The wording had been APP
proved previously by the commission
without a joint meeting, so there was
no controversy on this subject
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS.