The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-18

Madrid. March 1.-THE queen regent
has signed the treaty of peace between
Spain and the United States.
The signed treaty cf peace will be
forwarded to the French ambassador
at Washington, NJ. Jules Cambon, for
exchange with the one signed by Pres
1dent Mckinley. No decree on the sub
ject will be published in the official ga
zette.
The draft of the treaty Of peace be-
tween Spain and the United States was
signed in Paris on Dec. 10, 1898. 1t was
approved by the United States senate
by a vote of 81 to q on Feb g., and
was signed by the president on zen. H.
Washington, March 1.-Offcial news
of the action at Madrid was not con-
Veyed to the state department befofe
the close of the department for the day
NJ. Cambon called at the department
about ten minutes to o'clock, and. In
the absence of Secretary Hay, called
upon Assistant Secretary Hill. He told
the latter that he believed the treaty
had been signed. 1t seems now prob
able that to the ambassador will be
confided the honor of closing UP the
task which he set about seven montnS
ago, that of bringing two great nations,
then at war, to a state of peace. Usually
the rule is for a nation situated as is
Spain to send a special envoy charged
with the duty of exchanging rauhca-
tions, but a. good reason for accepting
again the French ambassadors offices
in this last function would be the saw
ing OF time.
The signing of the treaty cannot in
any manner affect the status of the
Spanish prisoners in the hands of Agui-
naldo, for the United States govern
ment IS doing all that it can to secure
their release. Stfll, ii is a9prehended
that the Spanish government, being
able to address itself directly TO the
United States government as soon as
the ratiflcatiOnS are exchanged, will not
neglect 20 press the matter upon the
attention of the state deoarment, AID
perhaps viii solicit authority to resume
direct negotiations with the insurgents
looking to the release Of the prisoners.
If the Spanish government should in
sist, some disagreeable questions may
be raised, involving the formal recogni-
ton OF the insurgents by Spain, in
which case. perhaps, it might claim the
right to deal directly with Aguinaldo.
Contrary to an expectation that
seemed TO have obtained in some quar-
ters, the signature of the treaty does
not involve the immediate discharge Of
all the volunteer soldiers. 1t was stat
co positively at the state department
that, legally, the treaty does not go
into effect until the ratifications have
been exchanged, and it will further be
necessary for the president to proclaim
it before the people OF the United
States, including the soldiers, before it
can be known officially that the war is
over.
In all other aspects, however, the
state department will treat the war as
at an end
1t is believed here that new Spanish
minister Will come prepared, imme-
diately after making the exchange Of
Publications, to institute negotiations
for a treaty of trade, commerce and
amity, the old treaty having been nulli-
fed by the outbreak of war.
One of the first duties of the officials
in the war department who are charged
with the administration of the customs
affairs Of the insular possessions of the
United States viii be to prescribe reg
ulations to give effect to the pledge of
the United States to afford Spanish
commerce with the Philippines and
West Indies favored treatment.