Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-08-04
The Cabinet to Have Another Con.
ference Before Answering Spain.
A GENERAL AGREEMENT REACHED.
Tho Disposition Of the Philippine Island.
the Question Not Yet Dscided-No Ac-
tion by Outside Powers Wanted
In the Matter.

uenJ ana MS CONSTITUTIONAL advisers o
the nature of the response to be mad,
by the government to the Spanish
overtures for peace broughtno conclu
sion, and the subject was postponed
for further consideration at another
meeting Of the cabinet, to be held to
day, to smooth away inequalities am
adjust some very minor points OF diff
ference before making the an
swer expected by NJ. Cambon. The
point under discussion during the
greater part of the meeting was what
disposition should be made of the Phil.
ippines. On the other issues una
I nimity developed There was to be in.
dependence demanded for Cuba; Porto
Rico was to be ceded to the United
States; coaling stations were to be &C.
quired at Guam, in the Ladrone is
lands, and one in the Caroline islands
These propositions were disposed of
quickly, but when it came to the Phil
ippines some diversity OF opinion was
revealed. AS near as can be gath
cred, this did not relate mainly to
the retention OF the islands. On that
proposition majority of the cabi-
net was speedily recorded in the
negative. But, accepting the broad
proposition that Spain was to be
allowed to keep these possessions,
other questions OF Importance de.
veloped, and it was felt that these
must be answered definitely before the
subject could be disposed of. There
was no question as to the propriety Of
demanding a coaling station in the
Philippines, and, while there reason
ably might be difference of opinion
OF the location and extent of this sta
ton, little difficulty was expected to
be encountered in solving that prob
lem, because the matter could be re.
ferred to the navy board, which is
competent to deal with the subject
The perplexing problem was what
form Of government should be insti-
tuted in the Philippines and what
should be the nature Of the guarantee
required Of Spain that the new gov
eminent should be liberal and autono-
nous in character. These questions
hinged on the primary decision to in.
terfere at all in prescribing change
in the conditions in the Philippines.
Some members Of the cabinet felt
that the insurgents under Aguin.
aldo, having acted Independently
OF the United States from the
very beginning of the discretionary
movement and having lately shown a
disposition to make trouble for us, had
no moral claim upon the United States
in the settlement of the terms of peace.
On the other hand, it was urged that
our government should lose no oppor-
tunity toextend its principles through.
out the world and that this would be
done best in the present case by re-
quiring Spain TO extend genuine au-
tonomy to the Philippines. 1t was
upon just such points as this that the
discussion proceeded all day.
lnasmuch as the insurgents are now
so firmly established in the islands as
to make it improbable that Spain
could overcome them unaded, it seems
only probable that the Spanish gov
eminent would be willing to make any
pledge in the direction of granting an |
autonomous government that would
result in the submission of the natives.
A difficulty about the matter is that it
might be assumed that the United
States has obligated itself to compel
the acceptance by the insurgents of
something 1t was indis-
posed or unable to do in the case of
the Cuban insurgents.
A point which was quickly estab-
lished was that there should be no ref.
erence of any phase of the question of
the disposition of the islands to any
or individual action by outside
powers Another point that was set
tied, though there was no formal &C.
ton on it, was that no protest against
the continuance of military or naval
operations pending the peace nego-
tiations, would avail in the slighte
that there would be no armistice, no
OF operations nor any mod
ltcation whatever of present plans
until the Spanish government had
agreed to the terms proposed.
Incident to the cession of Porto Rico
and the recognition of Cuban indie
pendence by Spain was the decision
that every vestige of Spanish govern
nent and authority in the Caribbean
and West Indian waters must be re-
moved, etfecting a material acquisi.
lion of numerous islands over which
The Spanish flag flies, one of the most
important of which is the Isle of Pines.
Furthermore, the sweeping change of
from Spain to the United
states in our nearby waters is to be
effective also as quitclaim of all in.
iebtedness assumed by theSpanish gov.
'rnment and charged by her to those
Stands, so far as the United States is
and all commercial treat.
es now existing between the Spanish
government and her possessions there
md outside powers are extinguished.
Trains Collide Mt Wichita.
Wichita, Kan, July 3O.-,rwo Mis-.
ouri Pacific passenger trains ran to.
'ntlar In Wart M.al.t.