The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-08-01
ions were ratified as they stood yesterday

coded to the United States as coallng
station and az an Immediate STEP all
Spanish military forces in the Weso IN
dies to be withdrawn with the lorL n;n re-
linquishment by Spain OF her soye ;s1a5d:
over any possessions among tnese tsia es,,aod
AS to the Philippines the capine0's 'oN
upon the following point: IL ovid
That Manila bay, with the CITY any
surrounding territory, should pe re,slhou ~
in the possession of the United olaUes a0
least for such u length Of time as Is ieooa
sary to devise and put i'll operation solno
plan for the future government Oh uho ~
tire group After that point the mail
divergence of opinion began and all soroS
of propositions were put forward anu
urged by individual members as the best
means of dealing with the future OF the
islands. In the very midst of the discus,
sion the element that had strongly urSeu
the necessity of protecting Aguinaldo In
any settlement we should arrange, re-
ceived severe check through the receipt
of cablegram from Admiral De wey,
stating that the insurgent chief had
assumed defiant attitude and Admiral
Dewey expressed the opinion that the
United States would be obliged to make
war upon the insurgents necess1tatlug the
requiring of $50, 900 troops to subdue the
islands. While this did not bring about
a complete dismissal of the proposition to
take the insurgents into account in SET
Ting the terms of peace, it did cause an
agreementsupon proposition to defer
action on the question as to the dlsposl-
tion of the islands until the other phases
of the peace negotiations have been satls-
factorily adjusted, meaning by that the
matter goes over until the last Spanish
flag has disappeared from the Wester n
hemisphere and the American flag is
hoisted to stay over the coal1ng stations
we require in Micronesia.
The discussion lasted two hours and a
quarter before the cabinet hit upon the
best course for the United States to adopt.
It was finally decided that what we de-
sired could be best done by the appoint
ment of joint commission, limited in
its representation to the governments Of
the United States and Spain which com
mission is to endeavor to settle the details
OF the government of the Philippines and
determine what treatment shall be &C
corded the insurgents, the United States
army and navy meanwhile occupying
Manila and Manila bay and retaining
thus position to enforce speedily the
verdict that shall be finally reached by
the commission.
When the cabinet meeting had ad-
journed Assistant Secretary Moore, VINO
had been called into the meeting at the
last moment, went to the State Depart
lnent to put the views of the President
and cabinet in proper diplomatic form.
While this was goingIon notice was sent to
the French Ambassador that the PresldenJ
would be pleased to hand him personally
the reply of the United States government
at $50 this afternoon. 1t was expected
that this ceremony would occupy only
few moments, that the Ambassador
would take the note and Immediately
hurry with 1T, to his cipher clerks and
then to the telegraph office. The Am
bassador cameron time, accompanied by
his secretary but, as the minutes ran
along into hours without the reappear-
ance of NJ. Cambon il was Immediately
surmised that something had happened
to disarrsnge the original plans for this
meeting, 1t was after stay of two hours
and quarter that the French Ambassador
terminated mis- visit
While it continued, Secretary Long and
Admiral Sicard of the naval war board
and Assistant Secretary Adee OF the
State Department., were called into con-
suitation.
/, The newspapers had been led by promis-
es made earlier in the day by members OF
the cabinet to expect that statement
would be given out explaining the nature
of the answer to Spain, but it was an
nounced by Secretary Day that this plan
had been abandoned as the making OF
any statement at this point would involve
O serious breach of diplomatic etiquette
that might embarasS future negotiations.
The extended stay of the Am bassador
with the President opened ur wide field
Of conjecture, but in all official quarters
there was reticience as to the nature OF
the discussion. From reliable quarters,
however, it was learned that the confer
ence did not result in any change in the
conditions already laid down, but that it
was devoted to an explanation OF them in
detail. 1t was said that no new condition
of affairs had risen by reason of the Am
bassador's call, and that there would be
none for another cabinet meeting to con.
slider new factors. The case remained,
it was said, as fixed by the cabinet early
in the day and the next movement was to
transmit the note to Spain and await her
reply. 1t was said that the terms given
in detail in the Associated Press
dispatches wereYcorrect in all essentla
particulars, the only features remaining
being those of relatively unimportant de-
tail. s39ea zoos
Immediately following the lengthy con-
ference, the French Ambassador and M.
Tiebaut returned to the French embassy
and then began the work of reducing to
cipher thu American peace conditions, to-
gether with the results of the conference
and transmitting the same to Madrid.
The Ambassador was smiling and appar.
emily we'll pleased with the result OF the
conference, and all the staff Of the en-
bassy were engaged on the cipher work,
as it was long and intricate process.
Allowing for the difference of time be-
tween Washington and Madrid, the terms
could not reach the Spanish capital be-
fore midnight tonight and would not get
before the Spanish ministry before to-
morrow.
There was little news of interest in the
field OF war today. An agreeable item
was the announcement that the wrecliers
had practically succeeded in saving the
Spanish cruiser Maria Teresa.
Lieut.. Hobson has already started for
his home in Alabama and will sail in a
dav or two from Tampa directly for
Santiago to endeavor to raise the Colon.
General Shafter transmitted his daily
health report showing that about the
same state of affairs prevails In the camp
there as existed yesterday. In another
message the General answered some Sc.
we're criticisms passed upon him in con-
nection with the exclusion of Garcia s
Cubans from Santiago and he succeeded
in removing all doubt from the official
minds as to the prnpriety of the course
he adopted. General Miles made no re.
port today.
The Secretary of the Navy has COM
menced to retire from active service such