The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-02
IN THE WEST INDIES
HARD TO SEVER BUSINESS RE
LATIONS AT ONCE.
SPAlN'S CASE VERY STRONGLY STATED
Our Commissioners Ask Time to Conside
Matter Joint Session Postponed Until
To- day Germany Negotiating for
Purchase Of Caroline Islands.

Paris, Dec Anxious as 10th arc -
and Spanish peace commissions did n,t
hold joint session to-day. Their next
meeting will be held at o'clock to-mor>
s~s
row afternoon.
This delay arose from tie fact that the
Spanish commissioners ut yesteday's ses-
sion offered several urgent propositions
which called for special delberation upon
the part of the Americans. Spain asks
the United States to grant fm a term of
five years to Spanish ships carrying Span
ish goods or products to Porto Rice and
Cuba the same privilege IS Amer:"an
vessels engaged in the same trade may
have, and she qualities this request by a
proviso that trade privileges be extended
to Cuba long as the United States
Government is dominant over the island.
In support of this request the Spanish
commissioners assert that Spain cannot,
without vital harm, Immediately abandon
or cut the business relations so long
maintained between the mother country
and the West Indian territories.
They declare that family ties and So
cial relations, added to affairs of trade
maintained through centuries, require
gradual dissolution, They invoke the
terms of the treaty of 1919 by which the
United States took over Florida from
Spairs and the fifteentl, article ef
which granted Spain for twelve years
The right to send her goods and products
TO Florida III Spanish ships, on the same
terms as the ships carrying goods and
products of the United States.
The Spanish commissioners cite further
the fact that the treaty of 1903 with
France for the cession of Louisiana
granted French and Spanish goods and
products the same terms as Americans
in New Orleans and other ports i'll the
ceded territory
Finally Spain points to the American
proposed ''open door, policy i'll the Phil
ippines and asks a guarantee of the same
advantages in her late West Indian colo
nes, until trade relations can by degrees
accustom themselves to the change of
sovereignty.
This proposition and the arguments by
which it was supported are considered
strongly stated. and the American COM
missioners desired time for deliberati0n
Thus. though busy until nearly 2 o'clock
this afternoon, they were not fully pre-
pared and Judge Day sent message TO
Senor Montero Rios requesting that the
joint session fixed for this afternoon be
postponed until tomorrow.
Meanwhile the Spanish commissioners
had been preparing a list of subjects for
negotiation, supplemented by suggestions
counter to and amendatory of the sub
jedts, the Americans submitted yesterday
This came to the American commission
ers to-day in Spanish, rendering it even
more desirable TO postpone the joint ses
sion in order TO give time for translation
and consideration. The translation is be-
ing made this evening and the subject
will be laid before the American commits
sioners tomorrow morning.
Now that the first gust of grief and
chagrin has passed, the Spanish commits
sioners are meeting the Americans i'll
frank spirit that is helpful to an early
completion of the negotiations.
GERMANY WANTS CAROLINES.
Berlin, Dee. IA German Government
official, in an interview with the corre-
spondent here of the Associated Press
confirms the report that Germany is ne
gotating with Spain for the purchase of
the Caroline Islands. 1t is understood
that Spain expects to get 100000
francs for them which Germany consid-
crs excessive.
Germany also made the proviso that
the negotiations shall be contingent upon
no international complications arising es-
pecally with the United States.
Prince Won Arenberg, President of the
Colonial Society, assures the correspon-
dent of the Associated Press that the
acquisition of the Caroline Islands is
important less from the standpoint OF
commerce, which is insignificant, than
from naval standpoint.