The San Francisco call., 1898-11-09
CONCERTED MOVE OF BONDHOLDERS It Embarrasses Peace
 Negotiations. CLAIMS OF MANY MILLIONS UNCLE SAM CALLED UPON TO
 LIQUIDATE. French Embassy Submits Formid- able Array of Figures to the
 State Department at
 Washington.
CLAIMS OF MANY MILLIONS
UNCLE SAM CALLED UPON TO
 LIQUIDATE.

PARIS, Noy S-The United States Peace Commissioners had formulated an answer to Spains voluminous pre- sentiment of Friday last, but the work of typewriting this reply was too great to be finished before 2 D. m. to-day. the time fixed for the meeting of the joint commissions This fact was com municated at noon to-day to the Span iards, with a request that the meeting occur at 4 o'clock to-day. This re- quest, however, was declined by the Spaniards on the ground that they had some other engagements for o'clock to-day. Consequently the meeting of the joint commission was deferred until o'clock tomorrow.
 The Gaulois this morning, referring to to-days sitting of the Peace Com mission, says it will in no way modify the SpaniSh-American situation, as the American Commissioners have or ders to await further instructions from Washington"
 The Gaulois says these instructions will depend upon the result of the cleo tions, which, the paper mentioned thinks, will be favorable to the Repub licans.
 The Gaulois continues "The Gov ernment will eventually recognize that pecuniary compensation is due to Spain for the evacuation of the Philippine Islands and the ne gotiations will continue and be brought to a satisfactory conclusion in a friend ly spirit
 WASHINGTON, Nov. S.-The advices that have come to hand so far from the commission at Paris are said to be rather encouraging than the reverse, and there is a disposition here to agree to the statement, rather cautiously made by the Spanish Cabinet yeSter- day, that there will be three or four more meetings of the joint commission. This is taken as an indication that the Spaniards themselves are not looking for break in the negotiations, but they rather expect peaceful conclu- sion in a short time.
 The foreign bondholders have at last moved formally to protect their inter ests in Cuba and Porto Rico. The ini- tial steps have been taken through the agency of the French Embassy, which In this case acts no longer as the rep resentative of the Spanish Government, but for French subjects. Through the Embassy most formidable statement has been presented to the State De- partment being an account Of the va rious Spanish bonds owned by French citizens chargeable against the territo- ries either seized or set free by the act of the United States Government. The sum total of these bonds runs up far into the millions.
 Just what it is expected shall be done with them is not clear. The United States Government, of course, will not pay them, but it may be that the French Government looks to it to cause the independent government of Cuba to assume liability for the redemption of the bonds charged against that is- land when that government shall have been duly installed by the act of the United States Government. It is prob able that other holders of like bonds, German and British, will take similar steps to have their claims brought through their diplomatic representa- tives to the attention of the United States Government, and it may be even that the holders of such bonds in Spain, though Spanish citizens. will take a like course, which would present a novel claim upon the generosity of the United States Government.