The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-11-26
TWO ALTERNATIVES.
spain Must Accept Americas Offer or be
Prepared to Suffer Still Greater
Loss of Territory.

Paris, Nov. 21.-The Spanish peace
commissioners have been notified
that the United States commissioners
will be ready to treat with them in
joint session this afternoon. Unless
the Spaniards have an adequate rea-
son for further delay the two COM
missions will join in the most i'm
p~ortant meeting thus far held.
Only One Fair Construction.
The American commissioners, in a
written communication, will declare
that the third article of the protocol
regarding the Philippines is capable
of only one fair construction hat no
arbitration is needed to elucidate its
terms, AMI that the United States can
not admit any other power to figure
here purely as a Psychologist. They
will maintain that the two commits
sions are charged to determine
whether Spain or the United States
shall in future own the Philippines.
This will he accompanied by the clear
declaration that the United States will
possess the Philippines.
Will Lay Before the Spaniards Two Alter
natives.
Following this declaration the Amer
lean commissioners will lay before
the Spaniards two alternatives:
First-To accept a sum of money
from the United States and to cede
and evacuate the Philippines.
SeCond-To lose the Philippines to
the United States by conquest, with
the possibility of other territorial
losses to indemnify the United States
for the added expense of conquest.
\ Practical UItirnatum.
This communication may not he
formally designated as an ultimatum,
but it will lack naught of the concIu-
siveness indicated by the word. This
will be so plain that the Spanish COM
missioners will scarcely haggle for
money on the first alternative nor
cherish any doubt of American action
under the second, should the first be
declined.
Nobody but the Commissioners Know.
No one here but the American COM
missioners known how much will be
rendered Spain as to the Philippine
islands rs the most humane way of
settling the difficulty. She is exceed
ingly anxious to escape the Philippine
debt, and possibly the sum to be Of
fered may be determined by an analy-
sis of that debt, which consists of S40,-
10000 in bonds on which she realized
$50, OOO, OG0. Of the latter amount she
is believed TO have eXpendedsome S1O,-
$1,000 or S11.OOO, 900 in fighting the
United States and a part in attempt
ing to quell the Philippine i~nsurrec-
ton. y reasonable guess at the sum
for tender would be $50, OOO, 900 though
it may fall below that.
The Cuban Question Again.
The Cuban question may come up
again to-day. The American commits
sioners had thought the decision on
that point finished, but the Spanish
commissioners are reported to have
declared last week that the mortgages
imposed by Spain on the Cuban. as
well as on the Philippine
must not be impaired or questioned.
This would compel the American COM
m~issioners soon-and probably to-day
to demand whether Spain means to
repudiate the plain compact of the
protocol to relinquish sovereignty
over and :itle TO Cuba. Three weeks
ago the Spanish commissioners ac-
cepted the Cuba article in the pro-
tocol without conditions. save that it's
embodiment in the treaty should de-
pend only on an agreement here on
all articles in the protocol. Recently,
however, Spain's representatives have
said that the Cuban matter had been
only temporarily passed and was still
In allegiance.