The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-31
The PEACE TREATY
Correspondence on the Subject Trans.
mitted 10 the Senate.
ITS READING CONSUMED HOURS
President Originally Only Wanted the
Island Of Luzon.
SPAIN UNWILLING CfDE PHILIPPINES
Senator Gray the Only Member Opposed to
Imperialism.
REASONS FOR TAKING THE ARCHIPELAGO.
A Second Cuban Experience Feared
should america Only Hold the
SPAIN UNWILLING TO CEDE PHILIPPINES
Senator Gray the Only Member Opposed to
Imperialism.
REASONS FOR TAKING THE ARCHIPELAGO.
A Second Cuban Experience Feared
should America Only Hold the
Island of Luxon.

Washington, January 3o.--The president
today sent to the senate the correspond
once on file in tho state department bearing
upon the peace treaty and 1t was read at
today's executive session. Tho correspond
ence was sent in response TO the resolution
introduced by Senator Hoar and includcs
most of the letters and cRblogranis from
the commissioners TO the president and
from the president to the commissioners
in the way of instructions on return. Tho
documents are numerous. MS were tolc
grams letters and reports for every day
the commissioners were at Paris. One of
the first cablegrams from the president in
structed them 10 demand the cession az
Luzen island only OF the Philippines and
he told them that full sovereignty should
come with H. Tho reading OF the corrc-
spondenoc received the closest attention
from senator's.
In submitting the papers The president
sent briet message saying that he trans
mtttcd thom in accordance with the rcso-
luton. The reading consumed the entire
executive session, lasting from . TO $50.
Much OF the matter covered the same
ground as that already published. but 1t
was placed in a form from which the
proceedings were outlined from day to
DAY IN the cable correspondence between
Secretary Hay and Judge Day.
The principal interest among the sem
htcrs attached to the presidents instruc-
tons 10 insist upon the cession of the
island OF Luzon, and after that in the de-
cision TO take the entire group of islands.
This latter development appeared from
the correspondence to be growth, and
the suggestion was made by the commits
sioners TO the president as the result OF
pnris aft q arrival there
was but one alternative: The United States
must either take the island and assume
sovereignty or return IL TO Spain, and vi
the two courses he preferred the former.
Spain was from the first unwilling to
cede any Of the Philippines, and she made
especial objection TO letting go of Lu2on
alone. The commissioners with the ex-
ception of Senator Gray urged that TO take
Luzon and leave the other Islands of the
archipelago in the hands of the Spaniards
would be to invite innuinerablo complica-
lions with other nations and especially
with Europe and with Spain.
Much stress was laid upon the probable
lily of the future trouble with Spain. With
Luzon under American administration
there would soon be such vast improve
ment. they wroie. that the other islanders
would soon grow more and more rebellions
and with Spain's oppressive methods OF
government we would soon again find that
we Hau dnOIUeT 0uDu
Furthermore there would be constant fill
clustering and we should And ourselves
spending millions to preserve a state OF
neutrality Just as we did in the case of
Cuba prior to our declaration of war on
account OF that island
General Merritt's testimony on this
point was gwen In favor of taking the en-
tire group. The president does not APP
pear to have at any time given explicit
instructions TO consurnmate the bargain
by taking all the Philippines, but rather
after hearing full explanation to have
left the matter 10 the discretion of the
The entire controversy
was practically over the Philippines and
the question OF assuming responsibility for
the payment of the Spanish bonds for
which the Cuban revenues were pledged.
The Spaniards from the first insi sted
upon an Indemnity for the Philippines,
and the correspondence shows that after
the proposition 10 pay $50 ooo.o 900 was
made tho negotiations proceeded much
more smoothly and were soon brought TO
a close.
The American commissioners appear 70
have been Of ono mind as to the wisdom OF
taking over all the Philippines with the
exception OF Senator Gray, Who notwith-
standing he signed the treaty. he'd out
10 the laot against the policy OF acceptins
these islands. In one notable dispatch ne
pleaded zealously against the policy hs
un-American and inconsistent
with probity and good statesnianship.
After q brief debate tho senate rcfuscd 10
print the correspondence.