The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-29
SPANS BAD FAITH.
The Talk About Peace and the Men who
Are Making 1t.

Washington, July est can be stated
on the authority of the state department
and the foreign embassies here that there
were no overtures in behalf of Spain for
reace or cessation of hostilities until
the French ambassador last Tuesday
afternoon pre- 2ented his note to the Presi-
dent. This statement is made with full
knowledge of European details and must
be accepted as that of the government OF
the United States. Therefore, all OF the
talk about bad faith shown by our gov
srnment in pressing the Porto Rioan cam
paign during the last fe W days, is abso-
lutely without foundation and our govern
ment has done nothing that can subject
it to criticism on this score.
Persons qualified to speak for Spain IN
this country, make the same statement.
The alleged charges Of bad faith against
, the United States attributed to Premier
Saoasta. are discredited as inventions de-
signed to prejudice the successful progress
of the present peace movement. 1t could
not be contemplated for moment that
any mere personal exchange of views be-
t,veen persons in Europe could be con-
strued as an overture for peace, and it
can be again affirmed that the United
States government has not been a party
to it. Moreover, so far as Ambassador
positively that he made no overtures,
direct or indirect, official or unofficial,
relating to peace, or to any phase Of
peace. prior to 3 O'Clock last Tuesday
afternoon.
Military authorities regard Premier
Sagasta's alleged statement that peace
overtures operate to stay the course OF
military operations as little short of
amazing, and directly contrary not only
to the military law of the United States
but to the whole recognized principles of
international law. In general the inter-
national writer's agree that military
operations stop only when truce or
armistice is actually concluded and that
this truce or armistice must be in writ
ing. Until then, the mere preliminary
overture toward suspension of hostili-
ties is rot regarded as any warrant for
stopping the war.
The military authorities, as we'll as the
specific regulations of the United States,
hold that there is no suspen sion OF hostlll-
ties prior to the agreement to suspend
military operations Even then the agree.
ment is binding on military commanders
only from the time they receive actual
notice of it. In the meantime, military
commanders have the right to push
forward and hold such territory as they
occupy. The need for limiting this
cessation of hostilities, is obvious, for
until signed agreement is made, there
is no knowledge of the extent OF the
arnistice. In the present case an
armistice might include or exclude the
Philippines or Porto Rico. as the two
parties might agree, but until they agree,
there will be no obligation to abate mill
,tary operations in any field of opera
lions. After the signing of the armistice
preliminary to peace, status quo Is
established and all military operations
come to a halt at the points designated.
and at points not designated, the military
operations proceed. In the present case
if the truce is general, Gen. Shafter, Gen.
Miles and Admiral Dewey would simply
retain the POSSESSIONS they now occupy
and a moral obligation would be imposed
not to strengthen these positions or to
make preparations secretly for a more
effective continuance of the war here
after. The military authorities agree
that the only qualification for this rule
is that endorsements may be sent for
ward and that defensive, but not often
sive, operations may be continued.
Under such rule. Spain could continue
her preparations for defending the coast
of Spain even after a suspension OF hos
Utilities and at the same time the United
Statss could send forward reinforcements
to Gen. Miles and Admiral Dewey, but
all offensive operations would cease.
With these well defined rules of mill
tary procedure accepted by all nations.
the assertion attributed to Premier
sSagasta that the mere overture for cessa-
tion of hostilities should in itself stop
these hostilities, is regarded as unac-
eountable. Moreover it is looked upon
as showing disposition on the part of
Spain not to deal with frankness and
with the usual custom of international
procedure, but rather to adopt methods
which will excite foreign powers and
create misleading prejudice against the
United States. This view is likely to
seriously prejudice the efforts of the Span
ish government toward the opening of
peace negotiations and suspending hostili-
ties, as it inclines the authorities here to
believe that the only method of procedure
which will be clearly understood by
Spain is to push the war forward vigor.
ously and without recourse to evasive
diplomacy. y