The herald., 1898-11-11
PARTISAN PROPHECIES
THAT SPAIN WILL BREAK OFF
NEGOTIATIONS
Some Sympathy Wasted on Alleged
Lack Of Courtesy Of American
Commissioners

PARIS, Nov. l0-The newspapers of this
city after yesterdays meeting OF the Peace
Commissioners seemed to have gathered
from some source or other the impression
that the Spanish commissioners have cause
for complaint against the Americans because
the latter presented their replies to the Span
iards in English and without Spanish trans
lation OF the document. There is no basis
for complaint on the subject. The president
OF the Spanish commission, Senor Montero
Rios, and Judge Day, the president OF the
American commission, agreed that owing to
the length of the document all concerned
might be spared the reading of matter which
Is usually translated in writing into Spanish
for the benefit OF Senor Montero Rios and
the two members of the Spanish commission
who do not understand English.
Each side, up to the present, has made its
own written translations, but the Americans
alone have supplied an interpreter instead OF
the Spaniards furnishing an interpreter Tor
their use, as they might have been expected
70 do. The American interpreter is Arthur
Ferguson, and the Spaniards have marveled
at the facility with which he did his work.
They have never once checked him or cor
rected him in the slightest degree. In view
of the fact in the case, some references Of
the Paris newspapers this morning are inter-
esting.
Regarding yesterdays meeting. the Figaro
says: '"Ihe American commissioners con-
tented themselves with producing long
memorandum in English. After having de-
posted this upon the table they left the
task of translating it to the Spanish Commits
sioners, apologiZing courteously for its
length and the difficulties of translation
They then retired. The situation then at
present is as follows:
"The Americans persist in refusing to take
over the Cuban debt and exact the cession of
the Philippines. The Spaniards, on their
side, refuse to cede the Archipelago
The Petit Bleu says: IAN diplomatic
forms were outraged by the Americans at
yesterdays sitting. 1t is customary in such
cases to read the memorandum presented to
the other side. The Americans, however,
contented themselves with throwing it, writ
ten in English, upon the table"
Continuing, the Petit Bleu says: "a mem
ber of the Spanish commission has remarked
that his colleagues can never admit the
pines. The protocol says the treaty of peace
shall determine the disposition and control
Of the Philippines, and the Americans now
claim that disposition means the colony
shall be surrendered to America. This Spain
cannot ever admit" The Petit Bleu ex-
presses its belief of an early rupture in ne
gotiations.
The Rappel says: "a Spanish Commits
sioner has declared that the Spaniards will
yield only to force in the question of the
Philippines. Continuing, the Rappel asserts
gotiations at an early date, adding: "The
country which started out as the liberator
of Cuba now threatens war, although her
demands as to Cuba have been acceded to
because she cannot annex territory which
played no part in the bringing on of the
war. We preferred the liberator of Cuba to
the oppressor Of Spain"