The times., 1898-12-21
WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER q, 1895.
The Text of the Treaty.

The Text of the Treaty.
The regular readers of The Times will
not experience any difficulty in remem-
bering that the first reliable news of the
destruction of the Maine came to the
Washington public through its columns.
They will not forget that they also heard
first of the victory of Dewey at Manila in
the same way, and that the earliest accu-
rate information of the battles of Ell Ca
ney and San Juan. and of the annihilation
of Cervera's feet by Commodore Schley
off Santiago Harbor was presented in The
Times.
These things all happened principally be-
cause The Times was not. and happily is
not, member of the inefficient and unre-
liable Chicago Associated Press, to VIII ch
the other Washington papers are tied
hand and foot. /; Is to this important fact
that, all through the war with Spain, the
people of this city and the resident
authorities of the nation have been able
TO secure, through our superior news ser
vice. intelligence of the greatest moment
at least twenty-four hours in advance of
that furnished by the moribund Chicago
concern, or from any other source.
1t is proper to call attention to these
matters. since a new and startling evil
dence has just been afforded of the enter
prise of the news service with which The
Times is associated-the Laffan Bureau,
organized under the auspices of the New
York Sun. On Monday, while the Chicago
Associated Press was content to advise
American papers under its control that
the text of the peace treaty would be
made public in Spain before long, the Laf-
fan Bureau secured the full document and
cabled it TO its patrons, and it appeared
in The Times yesterday morning. In the
language of the newspaper world, a great
er beat was never perpetrated. If any
of our Washington friends have wondered
why We have ignored or laughed at the
alleged news organization TO which our
neiGhbors owe much of their shortcoming
in the way of delayed or untruthful news
matter for twelve months past. and more.
the present explanation should be con-
elusive. The Laffan service encircles the
world. is comprehensive and always re-
liable. The Chicago Associated Press SER
vice is inert, haphazard. in the hands of
poorly equipped men or agencies, and. to
use another professional expression, its
foreign dispatches are too frequently
faxed in its New York office Let every
body from the President down be thankful
that one journal is published in the city
independently of the discredited Chicago
Associated Press.
Secretary Hay said yesterday that his
first knowledge of the treaty in detail
came from The Times He was agreeabl
surprised to see the text in print. Sc
We're all the members of the Senate and
House, and, in fact, everybody else. All
persons interested in the subject-and
what American is not?-wiH now have an
opportunity to study the treaty before
its transmission to the Senate by the
President
Regarding the document itself, its ma
terial provisions have been completely
forecasted in these columns. The full
text does not contain anything of sur
prise to the country. The remuneration
of Cuba is stated in language that does
not seem to open any door for the bond
eictNNAS ~ IidNl ILL., ElllltT as against the
United States or the future Cuban Re
public, except, possibly, as will hereafter
appear. The cession of Porto Rico. Guam
and the Philippines appears to be absolute
and unqualified by anything but our
straight payment of twenty million dol
lars for the Philippines The conces-
sion of equal terms to Spanish COM
merpP In rOnunarah
of ten years. is not an obnoxious feature
Long before the concession expires it will
be as necessary as desirable TO extend
the same privilege to the whole civilized
world Proper provision is made for the
enlargement of prisoners, surrender of
public property, citizenship. and judicial
proceedings.
The only possible question that could
be asked in criticism is one relating to the
connection between the sixteenth and the
FIRST articles. The latter, referring to on,
position in Cuba, recites: THE United
States, while the occupation continues
Shall take upon themselves and fulfill the
obligations. which, by the fact of occu.
patton, international law imposes on them
for the protection of life and property
What is the definition of property" tc
be understood and applied? The six.
teenth article makes US promise to lad.
wise the government that may be estab.
lished in the island that it should accept
the same obligations
But We need not stop just now to split
straws. nor yet to look for ghosts in the
cupboard II there is a concealed mean.
fng or purpose anywhere 1t will come out
in plenty of time to be knocked on the
head by American sentiment AS a whole
the treaty seems fair on its face, anC
much what the people have expected ant
wished for Its ratification is not a ques
tion of doubt-not even ats ratification al
the present session of the Senate.
it is the baptismal register of new i'm