The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-04
LEADS ALL M0TH GARMA DADLE@ DIM NEWS AMID GRGUA0Mo
THE OLINDE RODRIGUEZ.
The Case Will Soon Be Satisfactorily
Arranged.


Washington, d. c.. August "a call
by NJ. Cambon at the State. Department
to-day is likely to cause speculation,
though it has no reference to the peace
negotiations or to the affairs of Spain,
but is for the purpose of discussing Il
matter relating to France and the
United States. Some weeks ago Il
United States warship captured the
French merchant steamer Olinde Rodri-
gucz, when she was nine miles off San
Juan. 1t was claimed she was running
the blockade, and she was taken to
Charleston, S. g., where she is still de-
tained with IL number of passengers
and freight, and with the official mail
of the French Minister at Port An
Prince. Both the French Embassy and
the French Transatlantic Steamship
Company asked for the release of the
steamer on the ground that she was not
running the blockade. The Depart
mcnt Of Justice has been considering the
subject, and the prospects are for Il
satisfactory adjustment and release or
the steamer, if no claims for detention
are made NJ Cambon called at the
State Department on the matter to-day.
On the assumption that peace is near
ut hand some attention is being given
to the steps by which this may be
brought about formally and the mea-
SureS necessary to be adopted Imme-
diatCly afterwards. 1t is said to be not
at all improbable that the prellmlnarIes
leading up to the signature of the treaty
of peace may consume fully three
months, so that it may be well along to-
ward the legal date of the assembly of
Congress before the President will be
prepared to submit peace treaty to
the Senate. This allowance Of time is
rather moderate than excessive. We
were two years, from 1871 to 1888 in
arranging Il peace with Great Britain
to terminate the revolutionary war.
In the case of the Chinese-Japanese war
it was several months before the COM
missi0ners were able to perfect the
treaty of Shmonsaki. which terminated
that war. 1t does not follow from this
that an actual state of war will prevail
during this interval Of three months, for
rs Il matter of fact hOstlites will ter
inmate within a very few days after
Spain has notified the United States
Government of her acceptance of the
terms laid down in the Presidents note
of last Saturday The military establish
mcnt. however, must be maintained du-
ring that time, and many acts perform
ed that are incident 20 actual warfare.
1t is expected here that the Spanish
pledge to accept the broad conditions
laid down by the United States will
take the form of written agreement
something in the nature of Il protocol
which, while Il very necessary step i'll the
negotiation Of treaty, is not always Il
part of the document. The negotiations
have not progressed sufficiently to iRdi-
cate who shall he the parties to the
agreement, or rather who shall represent
the principals. the United States and
Spain. 1t is possible that it may be
signed in Washington as between Secre-
tary Day and NJ. CambOn. or on the
other hand the Ambassadors of Spain
and the United States i'll one of the Eu-
ropcan countries. probably i'll this ease,
France. might meet and by the authori-
Zaton of their respective governments
sign this agreement. The protocol. if
it may be 50 called. in either case would
not take the place in any manner of the
treaty of peace, which would be drawn
ND later by commissioners to be appoint
ed for this purpose.
Under the terms of the Presidents $
note, if they shall be accepted by Spain,
the Spanish Government is bound to
evacuate Cuba and Porto Rico imme-
diatcly. This action is not to wait upon
the work of the peace commissioners,
but is to preccde it, and to follow imme-
diatcly upon the signature of the memo
randum. accepting the Presidents condl-
tons. The word 'immcdiately" in this
case is perhaps Il little deceptive. The
experience of the War Department in
the cndeavor to remove to Spain the
Spanish troops surrendered at SANTA
go, has not justified the eX-
pectation that the large force of Spanish
regulars can he gathered up and shipped
home to Spain in less than about sixty
days at best. This estimate is based
on the fact that it is not expected by
the Spanish authorities who are direct
ing the movements of the Spanish
troops transports that they will be able
to return all of the Santiago prisoners
TO Spain before the first of September.
Therefore what is meant by the word
Immediately" is that the Spanish GOV
ernment shall ut least begin the ar
rangements at once for the evacuation
of the islands.
On the whole, it is Il rather fortunate
circumstance that this evacuation can
not take place Ell maSse and immediate
ly, for it has been determined that theI
Spanish troops withdrawn must be re-
placed by United States troops. This isl
deemed to be absolutely necessary tol
guard against anarchy and to secure the
establishment of Il stable form of Gov
ernment in Cuba, under the proper con
stitutional guarantees, but in all proba-
bility not many of them will have to gol
there before the present rainy season
has nearcd its end.