The herald., 1898-11-23
BUT WILL PROBABLY DECIDE TO
OBEY ORDERS
ANSWER TO THE ULTIMATUM
May Be Delayed for Day or Two but
Eventually Spain Must
Yield
Associated Press Special Wire

Oranuum presented yeSteruuy, anu io.o i"''
evening they were discussing it among them
selves. As late as l o'clock this morning n
Spanish commissioner affirmed that his col
leagues did not know what to do regarding
the American offer.
There is difference of opinion among un-
official people near the commissions, but the
prediction is made that Spain will decline TO
accept the American offer of money, that
she will refuse to cede the Philippines and
will saw to the United States: "You may
take the archipelago because you have the
power to do SO. AS you advance we will
retire, protesting against greedy aggression.
We will faithfully carry out our part OF the
pledges and leave Cuba and Porto Rico In
YOUR hands You came here to engage in
but you evidently meant, when drawing up
q discussion under the terms of the protocol,
that document, to provide n conference in
which, though we differ, man to man, you
proposed to announce at the proper time
what you will do whether we agree to it or
object. Such an attitude robs the confer
ence of negotiativc character and sets up
the United States as a dominant power,
whose first purpose is to listen but whose ul-
innate determination is to do Its own Will.
RIOS EXASPERATED
As a matter OF fact, Senior Montero Rios
is reported to have used virtually such
language and arguments as the foregoing.
He said more, even indicating a high degree
of evaporation at the American offer OF
$20,000000. His manner, no less than his
words, betrayed his repugnance. His dis
play of feeling and utterances, however, are
not wholly approved by his Spanish col
leagues, who did not hesitate to say as much
after yesterdays session.
MAY OBEY ORDERS
Utterances later by Spaniard of import
ance, whose name is withheld for the pres
ent, indicate another line of action, a treaty
of cession of the Philippines.
"Suppose," said the speaker in question,
"that Spain said to the United States: we
are exhausted. We have no funds with
which to continue the war. We do not want
to continue it and we cannot. You serve us
with an ultimatum. We must submit to
your power. Prepare your treaty and when
you want us to sign we will sign. We must
bend to physical force. You have the An
titles, and you will possess the Philippines
as conquest from a helpless people. We
yield, but we decline $50, ,O00, 900 for prop
erty on which our valuation was not asked
nor respected. You have your will. We
trust you will not continue the war upon
our helplessness because, forsooth, we de-
cline your $40, ,0O0,0 ,0O0.e Surely this waiver
by us of your money will not provoke fur
ther use of arms against Spain. We sign,
we cede, we are dumb. 1t is finished and
we may be permitted to retain the privilege
of assuring our people and our national
creditors that we at least have not stolen
and re-sold territory we had pawned.'"
MERE ECHILDISHNESS
Should Spain cede, by treaty, or on the
other hand, should she refuse and break off
negotiations here her protests will embody
such declarations as this.
AS against such sentiment, it is argued
that the business in hand is work for grown
men and it would be childish folly to refuse
500, 100000 and the Spanish government
could not justify such refusal before the
Spanish public or the public creditors of
Spain, a deliberate throwing away of $20,.
900 900 in addition to the loss Of the Philip
pines.
Last night the Spanish commissioners sent
the American proposal by special mes
senger to Madrid, where it will arrive to-
morrow. 1t is felt that the Spanish gov
ernment must answer the American ulti-
matum, but as it is not likely that the an
swer of Madrid will arrive tomorrow in time
for the commissioners to formulate their re-
ply to the Americans by the afternoon, it is
probable that the joint meeting will be de-
ferred from tomorrow to day later in the
week.
NO WAY OUT
NEW YORK. Nov. pa dispatch to the
World from Paris says: Secretary Ojeda
of the Spanish Commission tonight said to
the World correspondents:
America proposes to pay 800, 600 for
the Philippines. We regard it as rdicu-
lously inefficient, considering that we raised
$40,000,0O0 on the security from the Manila
customs alone.
"She adds promise that for number of
years, not specified, she will admit Spanish
merchandise and ships of the United States.
We regard this part of the proposal as of
very little value.
"This condition no doubt has been put in
at the suggestion of England-not of Ger
many, for she is favorable to SPAIN"
When pressed for his opinion as to ulti.
mate action on the American demands. he
said:
ut is for the Spanish government to de-
eide what to do. 1 do not see how we are
to avoid yielding to them. We have no
friends and apparently are helpless in the
matter"
SIS the Queen Regent in favor of accept
ing them!"
Personally, no doubt she is," answered
Senor Ojeda, "but she will be guided by the
government and the Cortes, and nobody can
tell what the Cortes will do. l am not a
politician and have no idea."
IF Spain accepts" the correspondent in.
quired," how long will the Commission sit p,
In that case," Senior Ojeda responded"
there will remain only matters of detail to
settle for which seven or eight sittings should
SUFFICE"
"Was there any reference in the American
communication to the Cuban debit" was
asked
"None whatever" replied the Secretarv
"but our answer next Wednesday or Thurs.
day may refer to it. No article of a treaty
has yet been finally drawn"
HAS America asked for one of the Caro-.
lines?" o''o-
station there" e''''''s
Senior Ojeda's demeanor was that Of q
man much depressed :"
The Spaniards were prepared for Amer
ica's insistence on the demand for the Phil.