The times., 1900-12-20
ANOTHER TREATY HELD UP.
Objection to the Ratification of Last
Convention with Spain.

The only discussion at yesterdays short
| executive session of the Senate took place
over the treaty with Spain to purchase
| for 100000 the islands of Cagayan- Sulu
and Sibutu, both of which. together with
the islets surrounding them. were mad
vertently omitted from the cession of the
Philippine Archipelago TO the United
States in the Treaty of Paris. Mr.. Lodge
sought to have the treaty ratified yester-
! day, but Mr. Wellington made a peremp-
tory objection, which carried it over to
another session. Mr.. Bacon, who was not
present at the meeting of the Foreign Re-
lstions Committee when a report was Or
dered on the treaty, also objected. and
Mr.. Hoar suggested that he for one would
insist upon more time to examine into the
subject.
In explaining the reasons for this
treaty Mr.. Lodge said that while both
these islands belong to the Philippine
archipelago and were under the soyer-
eighty of Spain at the time the treaty of
Paris was negotiated, the title had Lot
passed to the United States because of The
incorrect charts and maps of the archi
pelaso upon which the Peace Commis-
sioners based their conclusions. Il was
Spain's intention to cede them to the
United States, but in the treaty an arDi-
trary boundary was prescribed, and under
international law particular description
took precedence over a general desorip-
tion and these islands being without The
bounds prescribed remained under the
Spanish Grown. Mr.. Lodge also called at
tention TO the fact that the United Stats
had taken possession of both islands I'D
raised the flag thereon, although teehni
cally we had no right to them. He point
ed out the fact that they may some day be
OF great military Importance, and urged
the Senate to ratify the treaty without
delay.
Mr.. Morgan called the attention of the
Senate to the fact that as soon as it had
been discovered that these islands had not
passed to the United States Germany had
sought TO purchase them from Spain. He
declared that it would never do for this
Government to permit these islands,
smell'as they were, to pass into the hands
of another power. because such an act
would threaten our peaceful possession
of the archipelago.
The Island Of Sibutu lies south OF the
Sulu group and near the coast of Borneo
and is inferior in Importance to Cagayan-
Suiu- lhS idllSI inc
of the two lies midway between the Phil
ippines and the straits, and if fortified
would practically command that gateway.
The Importance of this fact Mr.. Morgan
said, ought not TO be lost upon the Senate,
and il was undoubtedly the admirable po-
sition OF the island that caused the Ger
man Government to coyet it. Mr Morgan
also said that in the natural course of the
development of our new possessions in
the East it would be necessary to connect
the various islands by cable thence to
Singapore. When that was done the ISL
and of Cagayan would be of great value
in carrying out that important work
For himself Mr.. Morgan said that he
was opposed to any other nation gaining
a fOothoid on any territory to which the
United States had the least shadow of
title or would menace that which now be-
longs to the United States.
Giving to the objections that had been
made 10 the treaty it went over and Will
not again be called up until after the hol
idays.
As no one wished to speak on the Hay
Fauncefote Treaty the Senate. at 2:40
o'clock. adjourned until today.