The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-12-06
IN THE WEST INDIES
HARD TO SEVER BU SINESS RE
IATIONS At ONCE.
SPAIk'S CASE VERY STRONGLY STATED
Our Commissioners Ask m4 to Ccnside
Matter Joint Session Postponed Until
10 dsy Germany Negotiating for
Purchase Of Caroline Islands

G'SlooC " "a UiHF iS'dttCS'
Paris, Dee 1.-AnX.ous IL lo'h aro +,
conclude their work, the United :5satcs
and Spanish peace commissions DID MT
hold Il joint session to-day. Their next
meeting will be held at :. clock to-mor~
row afternoon.
This delay arose from IT,, fact thlt tn,
Spanish commissioners at yesteday's ses-
sion offered several argent propositions
Which called for special delIberation upon
the part of the Americans. Spam asks
the United States to grant for term of
five years to S an sh ships carrying S an
ish goods or products TO Porto Rec ana
Cuba the same privilege Amc" .':n
vessels engaged in the same trade may
have, and she qualities this request by !,
proviso that trade privileges be extended
to Cuba 50 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 50 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
ma intained through centuries. require
gradual dissolution. Trey invoke the
terms OF the treaty of 1919 by which the
United States took over Florida from
Spain and the fifteenth article of
which granted Spain for twelve years
the right to send her goods and product.
to Florida i'll Spanish ships, on the same
terms rs the ships carrying goods and
nrQIIJctS Of the [TDitpG SfatpS
The Spanish commissioners cite fur then
the fact that the treaty OF 1903 with
France for the cessjon of Iouisiana
granted French and Spanish goods and
products the same terms us Americans
in New Orleans and other ports III the
coded territory.
Finally Spain points to the American
proposed open door policy III the Phil
ippines and asks Il guarantee Of the same
advantages in her late West Indian colo
nios 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
missoners desired time for deliberation.
Thus. though busy ntll nearly clock
this afternoon. they were not fully pre-
pared and Judge Day sent q message to
Senior Montero Rios requesting that the
joint session fixed for this afternoon be
postponed until tomorrow.
Meanwhile the Spanish commissioners
had been preparing list Of subjects for
negotiation, supplemented by suggestions
counter to and amcndatory Of the sub
j t., the Americ rs submi ted vest day.
This came to the American commission
ers to-day in Spanish, rendering it even
more desirable to postpone the joint ScS-
sion in order to give time for translation
and consideration. The trans alton 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
soners are meeting the Americans in a
frank spirit that is helpful to an early
completion of the negotiations.
GERMANY WANTS CAROLINES. |
Berlin, Dec IA German Government (
official in an interview with the corre-
spondent here of the Associated Press /
confirms the report that Germany is ne
gotiating with Spain for the purchas Of
the Caroline Islands. II IS understood
that Spain expects to ct 100oO.O 900
francs for them, which Germany consid-
ers excessive.
Germ: ny also made the proviso that
the negotiations shall be contingent upon
no international complications arising cs
pGcially with the [ United States
Prince Won Arenberg, Pres dent Of the
Colonial Society. assures the correspoI
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 q naval standpoint