The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1898-08-06
DEEP INTEREST IS SHOWN
BY FOREIGN AMBASSADORS IN
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
WHY FRANCE ONLY WAS SELECTED
To Present the Petition Through NJ.
Cambon-Engiand Sought TO
Make the Move.

n washington bpeclhi VI Weuhosuny
says: In diplomatic quarters SPANS
peace proposal, made through the
, French ambassador, is the absorbing
topic and the answer Of the president
is awaited with keen interest.
The diplomats showed their interest
early T. calling at the state department
and at the French embassy TO learn
with more exactness the details OF
SPANS proposal. This developed sew
eral features Of the proposition which
had not been entirely clear before.
In the first place no foreign govern.
ment outside Of France has been con.
suited by Spain in this overture for
peace, and the present movement is
not shared, directly or indirectly, by
Germany, Austria, Italy, Russia or
Great Britain. II can now be stated,
however, that the formal proposition
submitted had been under considers-
tion at Madrid for five days previous
to Tuesday, during which time the
British as well as the four others were
cognizant of the fact that Spain was
about to sue for peace. This being
settled, II appears that good-natured
but keen rivalry sprang up between
Sir Drummond Wolf, the British am
bassador at Madrid, and NJ. Pateno tre,
tho French ambassador there, as TO
which government should have the
honor Of initiating the movement de-
signed to restore the peace of the
world.
Spain seems to have preferred the
intermediation of the French govern
ment, and as result the negotiations
finally were intrusted to the French
ambassador at Washington.
Another essential point is the exact
proposition made by Spain. There
has been some misapprehension over
this owing to the publication Of an al
legged text of the proposition and other
reports asserting that Spain asked
President Mckinley to state terms Of
peace. As matter OF fact the Span
ish proposition does not mention the
word "terms," and there is no request
or suggestion in It that the president
shall state terms of peace. The dis
tinct inquiry made by Spain Is as to
whether the United States will open
negotiations toward the settlement of
the war and the arrangement of peace.
At the same time it is framed on the
idea that II the peace negotiations are
entered upon there will be suspen.
sion of hostilities, pending and agree.
ment upon the exact terms Of peace.
In this connection there appears to be
distinction made between the word
''armistice" and suspension of hos
tilities," for while it is said the former
is not asked or expected, it seems to
be taken for granted that suspension
Of hostili,ies will be essential to car
rying forward the peace negotiations.
The Spanish proposition is clothed
with oil the solemnity and formality
Of government act, despite the cable
report from Madrid that the peace
proposal is of "private" nature. The
instructions to M. Cambon bear the
official signature OF the Duke Almodo-
var de Rio. the Spanish minister of
foreign affairs, and besides expressing
the desires of the cabinet and the
government that the peace negotia-
tons be opened, they are given the
added solemnity Of approval and earn
est personal request by "Queen Re.
pent Maria Christina" The instruc.
tons bear the date of Madrid, June
25th.
These formalitics dismiss all ques.
ton in the minds of officials here as
to the regularity of the Spanish prop
osition as expressive of the wishes OF
the government of Spain. Aside from
this NJ. Cambon is too much Of veteran
in diplomacy TO have embarked on any
private overtures toward peace.
1t is said also that Spain is so COM
pletely humbled and 30 powerless to
further continue the war that the
United States can secure through
peace negotiations everything which
even q prolongation Of the war would
ultimately make possible.