The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-10
AMERICANS PRESENT ANSWER
A COMPLETE REPUTATION or ALI
LEGATIONS MADE BY sPANIARDs.

Absence From the Protocol of tha
Words "POssessiOn," "OwnershIp,p
or "CossiOn" Has Nothing 10 Dd
with the CaSe-United states Mill
tRry Occupation of Manila Justi-
fes Her in Collecting Revenues
and Exercising All Functions OF
Possession.
Paris, Nov. 9,-The American and Span.
ish peace commissioners held an hour'a
joint session this afternoon. When tha
to their Spanish colleagues the answer OF
the United States 90 the claims submit.
ted on Friday last in behalf of Spain.
The document in which the Americas
answer was set forth consisted of nearly
fifty sheets OF typewriter matter. II was
a refutation OF the Spanish allegation that
because the words, possession" Owners
ship" or "cesson," do not occur In the
protocol clause touching upon the Phil.
ippine Islands, the peace commissions
have no right to discuss them here. ana
that even If they did so It must be Iu
the light of the alleged fact of an exc
terror agreement that Spain's sovereignta
would not be impaired.
The Americans also answered spain'a
claim for the restitution to her of publlo
money and customs collections taken by
United States officials since the capItula-
ton of Manila, and made reply to Spain's
claim for an indemnity on account of the
alleged imprisonment by United States au-
thoritles Of Spanish troops at Manila. and
for their subsequent restraint from being
of service 10 Spain In the suppression of
the insurrection and the preservation Of
property
To these points the Americans had pre-.
pared an exhaustive reply yesterday
which though not fully typewriter at 4
p M, the time fixed for the meeting OF
Tuesday. would have been submitted Ia
the Spanish at 4 p. M. yesterday had IL
not been that the commissioners of Spaiu
refused to meet at that hour, pleading
other engagements as an excuse for their
refusal The Americans are surprised
that the Spaniards made unalterable en-
gagements for 4 o'clock, in view of the
fact that the meeting, had 1t occurred,
might have extended, as has frequently
happened. until half past clock
The American commissioners held that
there was justification under the terms OF
the protocol, for the discussion of the fu-
ture Of the Philippine islands, and they
also claimed that the occupation of Manila
Is a military occupation, which justihes
the United States in collecting the reve-
nues, administering the government, ana
exercising all the functions OF possession.
The joint session was short. because
Senor Montero Rios and Judge Day con-
CURED In the service of the American
rejoinder upon the Spanish commissioners
without a formal reading of the paper,
which would occupy many columns In am
ordinary newspaper, and an adjournment
was taken until Saturday.
II Is quite safe 10 say that the Ameri-
cans have made no new propositions re-
gardng the possession of the Philippines.
but confined themselves TO a discussion
of the proposals and assertions made by
Spain at the previous meeting. Just what
were the terms of the American rejolnder
cannot, of course, be ascertained. But.
despite persistent assertions here TO the
contrary, there is no ground, as has all
ready been cabled, for the Spanish COM
tention that the United States acquiesced.
al the signing Of the protocol In some
reservation by Spain Of her Philippine SOW
ereignty. This utterly unfounded rumor ia
now quite well understood to have come
from high source not In sympathy With
the United States.