Evening star., 1898-07-16
No Terms Have Been Suggested by
This Country.
PRESIDENT DISPOSED 10 MODERATION
France Not Authorized to- Make
Any Offers.
A Misunderstood CALL

watchers as. evidence that they are the
bearers OF peace overtures. Thus when to-
day the German secretary of legation, Ba-
ron Spec Won Sternburg, came to the State
Department, his visit Immediately gave
rise to the story that he had come charged
with such mission. This, however, met
with very prompt denial from everybody
concerned, and it was added as we'll, that
the visit had no reference to the Philip
pines.
The statement attributed to Premier Sa-
gasta that Spain had been making extra
oincial inquiries to learn what terms the
United States might accept as basis for
peace, failed of confirmation to this extent:
Ihat up to this moment the State Depart
ment has not been approached on the sub
Ject directly or indirectly. Perhaps the
spanish premier may have some means of
obtaining the information he desires that
is not known to our officials here but how
ever that may be the statement still re-
mains good that the United States govern
ment has not even unoffcally indicated the
terms it would accept as a basis for peace
negotiations.
VI course, these matters have been dis
cussed between government officials with
out relation to any Spanish inquiries, and
II Is also true that the President would like
very well to accurately gauge the wish of
the majority Of the American people in this
matter.
President Disposed to Be Moderate.
without assuming to speak for him IN
matter of this Importance, 1t is gathered
1Iom nigh members of the admins ra ton
that the President himself is disposed to be
n oderate in his den ands, and while secur-
ing all that he feels that the United States
Is 1alriy entitled to exact from a nation in
SPANS distressed condition, he is not dis
Poseo 10 embark In world-conquering
enterprise and insist upon the retention Of
remote territories that would be unservice-
aDie to Us. In other words, unless there is
an overwhelming demand on the part of
the American people for the adoption of
some such course 1t Is not believed that
the President would, as a fnality. insist
that Spain abandon all of her colonial pos-
sessions, and while the proposition is ten
tatiVe, it is felt that as a minimum de-
mand he will be content with the acaui-
sition of Porto Rico, an admission OF the
independence of Cuba. coating station in
lhe fhillppines with provision for some
kihd OF protectorate over the island and
moderate indemnity.
1t Is judged that the Spanish government
as this, and that utterances of Premier
Sasasta and the cautious declarati tions in
the pro-Spanish newspapers are simply
INTENDED TO gradually bring the Spanish
populace into state of mind where thev
VIII be willing to submit quietly to rho
imposition of some such terms of neaoa
1t is realized that at present the conditions
OF Spain are not ripe. and that some time
now much cannot be estimated now-w1,
De required to cultivate public sentiment
in Spain to the proper point.
A Much misunderstood Cau.
In view of renewed reports that tho
French ambassador at Washington. NJ.
Cambon. had opened peace negotiations or
inquiries relative to possible terms of
peace, 1t can be stated authoritattvelv
after inquiry ct the French embassy. that
no negotiations or inquiries of any char
acter relating to peace have been made,
ofncially or unofficially, direct or indirect.
by the French ambassador
Ihe reports grow out of NJ Cambon.s
call at the White House July II. The pur-
pose OF this call and the entire conversa-
uon which passed between the President
and the ambassador is fully known, and 1t
can De stated positively that 1t contained
no reference to the present conflict between
Spain and the United States or to the
prospects of its being brought to a close.
1t related to subject wholly outside Of
the war, or its close by peace or otherwise
and the question Of the war did not come
up even incidentally. The only incidental
question referred to was the loss of the
French steamship Bourgogne, for which
the President expressed the deepest regret
as well as his satisfaction that the inquest
had mitigated the early reports OF the oc-
currence. The main question discussed
however, related solely to the United
States and France without the remotest
bearing on Spain, and in due time this dis
cussion will bear fruit in certain express
sions Of good will between this country and
the French republic.
Misleading Reports Abroad.
Notwithstanding the well-estabHshed
character of this conference between the
President and the French ambassador 1t
has served as a text for reports that NJ.
Cambon was sounding this government on
the terms of peace. This has been asserted
SO positively that even some officials have
accepted it as accurate, and an indica-
ton that the peace movement had at last
assumed tangible FORM The report has
even been accepted at Madrid, after being
caDled 10 tne lmparclal, ana todayS reports
from the Spanish capital show that Pre-
mier Sagasta has read this press report of
the alleged peace discussion between Presi-
dent Mckinley and Ambassador Cambon
1t shows how misleading the peace discus
sion is at Madrid, being thus founded in
part on an exchange Of views at Washing
ton, which, in fact, never occurred.
The French ambassador here was never
authorized by his government to make
peace overtures or inquiries, and In the abb
sence of such instructions he would not as
sumo such a delicate duty. Furthermore,
he has not taken any such step, with or
without instructions. AS a result of his
call at the White House the French gov
ernment was apprised by cable fully on
what occurred, and this conveyed not the
slightest reference to Spanish affairs, the
progress OF the war or the possibilities Of
peace. The Star is able to make this state
ment with full information as to the ma
trre Of the conference between President
Mckinley and Ambassador Cambon.
What Representative Stone Said.