The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-09

freshly clothe or sterilize OLD clothing De-
fore emharkation excluding after search
ing inspection of suspected cases.
s. Yellow fever convalescents or sus-
poets should not accompany healthy
troops.
g. No equipage nor personal effects ca
pable of conveying infection should ac-
company troops unless disinfected by
steam or otherwise.
Z. Arrange to embark by daylight under
careful supervision of surgeons who
will control sanitary conditions of troop
ships en- route.
by order of the Secretary of War,
H. c. CORBIN,
Adjutant General.
Spain's reply to the American peace
conditions was not delivered to the gov
ernment prior to the meeting of the Cab
met today. The last of 1t did not reach
here until late hour last night, and al
though the cipher experts worked until
long after midnight there was still some
deciphering to be done today. Moreover,
the early assembling of the Cabinet at IL
O'Clock made it inexpedient to hold con-
ference before that hour, which might be
protracted by the Importance of the ques-
tions considered.
In the meantime the government has
been informed that the reply had been re-
ceived by the French ambassador, but
the contents of the reply or its general
nature was not made known to Secretary
Day or any other official of the govern
ment The plan was to present the com
munication later in the day, and no doubt
existed that by evening the government
would be in full possession of Spain $
position.
Under the circumstances 1t was evident
that the Cabinet meeting at most could
not consider the situation with all the
light which the text of the reply would
give, and at most the only consideration
would be as to the policy of entertaining
incidental questions which might be rals-
ed by the reply.
AS to this, official opinion appears to be
divided The general draft of sentiment
was toward standing strictly on the con-
ditions first laid down by the United
States and requiring direct answer ac-
cepting or rejecting without any consid-
Grafton of incidental questions which
Spain's reply might raise
But ON the other hand there was be-
lieved to be a considerable and inf1uen-
tial element of the administration desir-
Gus of a realiza tion of the present pros
poets of peace, so long as every vital"
and essential condition laid down by this
government was accepted, even though
the Spanish reply sought to dispose of
other incidental points involved in
transaction of this vast magnitude.
So far as the reply itself is concerned,
even the best informed government Off
cials had no information, and there was
little but conjecture as to its contents.
But there were several points apparently
established beyond question.
First of these was that the reply was
SO framed as to be considered by those
who drafted it an acceptance of all the.
conditions laid down by the United States.
Second, it was established that this ac
ceptance was a general characterization
of the document as a whole, and that in
making the acceptance Spain had pre-
sented elaborate views on each point in
volved, and on questions which would
naturally arise when the American con-
ditiens were carried into execution.
This raised a question as to whether the
reply would be accepted as completely re-
sponsive to the American terms or as an
indirect opening of negotiations on sub
ordinate points. A determination on this
matter cannot be reached until the Ad-
ministration has the full text of the re-
ply, and is able to measure the serious
ness of the incidental points raised.
If the points are purely incidental and
informal, strong hope is entertained in
official quarters that peace will be realized
as a result of the present negotiations;
but. if Spain seeks to impose important
conditions there is a prospect of delay,
and possibly refusal to accept the re-
ply as responsive.
The latter condition is hardly expected,
however, in any quarter.
Some of the Madrid advices have sug-
gested that the reply might bring crisis
on at least one point involved and lead to
a sharp and immediate answer from this
Government. From the best information
obtainable here, there is nothing to war
rant the view that the reply contains any
great surprise or any far-reaching con-
ditions outside of those which have been
the subject of general comment.
1t is probable that the circumstances
under which the Spanish army will be
withdrawn from Cuba will be one of the
incidental points raised by Spain's answer,
Just as it was when General Toral sur
rendered his forces at Santiago. The
Spanish General, while conceding the vital
point of surrender, was tenacious that
there should be no undue humiliation of
his forces, and he pleaded for the reten-
ton of arms and ammunition. In the
general evacuation of Cuba practically
the same conditions arise on a larger
scale.
The question of the Cuban debt, 1t was
thought might raise serious issue but
while this is still possible the present in
dications are that tbs matter has not
though it involves elements making an
issue possible at later stage. There are
said to be precedence of international law
by which the debt of an evacuated coun-
try continues as charge upon that coun-
try There are specific instances also of
exceptions to this rule.
The American terms demanded simply
the evacuation of Cuba. without specify
ing, so far as can be learned. how the
Spanish forces would be treated when
they evacuated, whether as prisoners of
war without arms, or with their arms
and ammunition. It is probable that Spain
seeks to be assured that her forces will
depart with their equipment, arms and
flags.
Having yielded the main point of evac-
uating, it is possible that the officials