Evening star., 1898-10-28
THE PHILIPPINE CASE
Expected Before the Peace Commits.
sion Next Monday.
PREPARING A MEKORANDUE
Cession of the Islands Advocated
by Paris Papers,
COMPENSATION SUGGESTED

PARIS, October 2s.-The American peace
commissioners, at their sessions today will
draw up a memorandum on the subject OF
the Philippine Islands. which IL Is expected
they will place before the Spanish commits
sioners at the JOINT session, which is 10
take place on Monday next.
La Volente. discussing the Philippine
question today, says;
''1 he Americans could well make conces-
sions to compensate IJr their rigor on the
Cuban question"
Quoting the Philippine article Of the pro-
tccol, the paper says
THE wording is vague and forecasts the
Spanish contention relative to the meaning
of the words control and disposition
Spain" La Volente concludes. 'fs minus
money and a feet to re-establish order. ard
II would be more prudent to allow the
Americans to do so, Spain claiming "a
money indemnity in exchange for her SOW
ereignty over the archipelago, which 1t
would be difficult for the Americans to re-
fuse"
The Gaulois takes the view that the Gu
ban question was not settled by itself, aud
that by counter-concessions on the Philip
pine question an arrangement mutually
satisfactory will be reached.
But in the meanwhile" the Gaulois
adds, mo decision is possible before the
elections, which is according to the desire
of the American commission"
Encouraging Reports From Paris.
The President was enabled to lay before
the cabinet today very encouraging reports
from Judge Day at Paris regarding the
progress Of the peace negotiations. The
administration now fully believes that the
neg citations will be concluded much sooner
than was expected from the outlook few
days ago. 1t can be authortatiVely stated
that the commissioners have not vet actu-
ally begun the discussion of the Philippine
question, and. further, that 1t will not be
taken up before next week. That the dis
cussion over that question might be pro-
longed was anticipated some time ago; hut
since the Spaniards have found that the
American commissioners mean exactly
what they say, and that their prese ltdtion
of the case of the United States is practi-
cally an ultimatum, the uselessness Of pro-
longed debate over the matter is apparent.
The recent action of the United States
government in intimating that the nego-
tations were proceeding much too slowly
has had its effect up n the Spanish commits
s.oners, and they ale not likely TO debate
further propositions at the length that
they discussed the question of the Cuban
debt.
Municipal Debts I'm Cuba.
The United States has not assumed nor
guaranteed the so-called municipal debt of
Cuba or Cuban municipalities, but 81 is ex-
pected that such debts will be eventually
paid by the municipalities incurrlng them,
for by no reasoning could they be charged
upon Spain. Our government would look
tpon any attempt at evading the y yment
of such debts as dishonest, and whatever
form of government is establ shed I'm Cuba
will. no doubt. be expected TO see that
these obligations are met in good faith.
Another feature of the case is that some
of the bonds of Cuban municipalities are
held by citizens of the United States. and
the United States might insist that the in
vestments of her citizens in such securities
be made good. The State Department has
no information 10 the amount of these
municipal liabilities.