The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 27, 1898, Page 1

This to be taken from the Library.v+++ Paper not The =3 ¢ Tall "VOLUME LXXXIV.—NO. b7. SAN FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1898. PRICE FIVE CENTS. SPAI A DIRECT APPEAL TO | McKINLEY Made Through the French Embassador at Wash- ington. The United States Asked to For- mulate Terms the War. NEW YORK, July 26.—The| Herald’s Washington corre- spondent sends the following: Spain has sued for peace. Ap- preciating the futility of indirect methods of inducing the Ameri- cans to consent to terms of peace, the Madrid authorities have come out openly, frankly admitting their defeat and direct- | ly asking the United States for | a statement of terms upon which it would be willing to end the war. This important and deli- | cate mission was intrusted to M. | ©ambon, the ' French-Embassa- | , the of W cial representative of | ashington since t!‘.ei beginning of the war. Embassa- | dor Cambon, accompanied by M. | Thiebaut, first secretary of the | Embassy, called at th House shortly after 3 formally presented e President McKinley a message | from the Spanish Government, | the purport of which was subse- | quently officially .announced by the Embassador in these words: The French Embassa- dor,on behalfof the Gov- ernment of Spain, and by direction of the Span- ish Minister of Foreign Affairs, presented to the President thisafternoon a message from the Spanish Government looking to the termina- tion of the war and the settlement of the terms of peace. Momentous was the mission intrusted | to M. Cambon, and correspondingly fm- pressive the scene which occurred dur- ing its execution. A Cabinet officer | who learned all the details of what | passed between President McKinley, | Secretary Day and his distinguished | callers described them to me to-night. | The message which he presented to the | President had been sent in cipher by the Madrid Government to the French | embi via Paris. As soon as thei oo jag=geReFuReRaRuRoRegaguRegaPayea] [aReReReRaRuReReRuRuRaBuRaPeRaFaatal message reached the Embassador it was translated and a note was drawn | up In English. The message was described by a high | official as a dignified and courtly docu- | ment, thoroughly good in terms, but | showing the distress which Spain is| | mand she refused to comply with. | Spain admits that she has been worsted | has now come when she can properly | | rectly in front of a large white sofa sat | the Embassador, dressed in diplomatic N SUES FOR PEACE AND ADMITS HER DEFEAT REPORTED SURRENDER OF MANILA Augusti Is Said to Have Yielded to Admiral Dewey. for Concluding suffering as a result of the war. It was ken to the White House by M. Cam- who was accompanied by M. Thie- baut, first secretary of the embassy. The President and Secretary Day had previously been notified of their call, | and Mr. Day had been closeted with the President half an hour before the arrival of the diplomats. The French representatives were escorted to the blue room, and later, at the invitation of the President, they ascended to the second floor, where they entered the private room of the President. Mr. Mec- Kinley, who entered by a side door, walked over and greeted the Embassa- dor, and then his secretary closed the door by which they had entered and courteously invited his callers to be seated. Before complying the Embas- sador announced in French, which was translated by M. Thiebaut, that with the consent of his Government he called to deliver from the Queen Regent of Spain a message having as its object the termination of the war between the United States and Spain, which his sec- retary would read. M. Cambon then took his seat, the President sank into an armchalr just | before him and Secretary Day occupled a chair to the right of the President. M. Thiebaut remained standing and read the message. As told to me to- | night by an offi iliar with its 1 fanp contents, it is bri s “The Government of the TUnited States and the Government of Spain | are unhappily at war as a result of the | demand of the United States that Spain would withdraw from Cuba, which de- | In| which followed | the contest of a and that her sufferings as a result are very great. She believes that the time | ask the co-operation of the United States in terminating the war, and, therefore, asks to be furnished, through | the French Embasador, with a state- ment of the terms upon which the| United States would be willing to make peace.” That the President appreciated the | gravity of the message, I am told, was evidenced by the close attention he | gave to M. Thiebaut as he was reading the document. The light coming from | the south through three broad windows in the circular wall fell upon the Presi- dent, seated in a great armchair, listen- ing intently to the words which slowly dropped from M. Thiebaut’s lips. Di- garb, his monocle in his right eye. To the right of the President and at one end of the sofa; silent, Impassive, his legs crossed, was Secretary Day, weighing each word, each sentence, and preparing to raise questions which he would put to the Embasador for reply when the reading was concluded. To the left of the President stood the Sec- retary of the Embassy, several pages of the message closely held in his left hand, reading the words slowly, as if he desired the President and Secretary of State to comsider each word as he dropped it. Just back of the President, unrolled on a circular table, was the O0000C000000C0000000000000000000000000 SPAIN’S CABINET COUNCIL DISCUSSES THE PEA nies that the Cabinet council tion of peace, although Senor subject. Senor Sagasta denies the eign Affairs, says negotiations The council discussed the consequences. to the situation in Cuba or the ©C000CO000NO0O00C000000000OD000ODC MADRID (via Paris), July 26.—The Government de- Instruction and Public Works, gotiations, but Duke Almodovar de Rio, Minister of For- been opened, due to private initiative. Nothing new was announced with reference 00000000000000000000000000000000000 CE QUESTION. occupied itself with the ques- (Gamaza, Minister of Public made a long speech on the existence of official peace ne- of a private character have landing in Porto Rico and its Philippines. CO00000000000000000000000000000 JULES CAMBON, the French Embassador at Washington. theater of operations of war and the | seen that there is comparatively little | cause of the message—maps of Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines. ‘When M. Thiebaut had finished read- ing he handed the message to the Em- bassador, who gave it to the President. The President then invited M. Thie- baut to be seated on the sofa next to his chief. He expressed gratiflcation at the receipt of the message, saying he | was very glad to receive it from the | hands of the French Embassador, that | in view of its gravity he would like, | before making reply, to discuss it with his Cabinet, and he begged the Embas- sador to kindly call for an answer, which he would be glad to make to the Queen Regent of Spain through him, and that the Embassador would be ad- vised by the Secretary of State when | to return. This closed the official ceremony. A general conversation then began be- | tween the President and Embassador with Secretary Day occasionally ask- ing 2 question, the questions and an- swers being translated into French by M. Thiebaut. Embassador Cambon was unable to tell the President what | concessions Spain would make to ob- | tain peace, and Mr. McKinley did not | indicate what terms his Government would be willing to give. Then there were a great many sentences in the message which the President desired to more perfectly understand and he asked M. Cambon to explain them at length. The time passed quickly 1In such conversation, and when the French diplomat arose to leave it was found that their call had lasted three- quarters of an hour. Before departing the President sug- gested that it would be wise to prepare a statement for the press, and M. Thie- baut volunteered to take it down. Sec- retary Day dictated to him upon a plece of paper torn from an envelope in which the message had been inclosed the statement which begins this report of the proceedings. Spain having inserted the entering wedgeé in the direction of peace, the great question now is whether an agreement can be reached as to the terms. Upon President McKinley de- volves the duty of making the first definite proposition. He has a very good general idea of the minimum de- mands which he will make, but it will be several days before he will commu- nicate with Embassador Cambon. Meantime he may be influenced by what he can learn about public senti- ment throughout the country, and es- pecially among the Senators who will have to ratify any treaty of peace that may be agreed upon with the Spanish representatives. Although no formal statement will now be made as to what the Presi- dent will demand, it may be safely stated as a result of the conversations I have had during the last few days with members of the Cabinet that these, briefly, are the minimum terms to be acceptable to the administration: Complete independence of Cuba un- der the protection of the United States; absolute cession to the United States of Porto Rico and the Ladrones; a coaling station in the Philippines. The extreme concessions that Spain 1s supposed to be willing to make are: Cessfon to the United States of Porto Rico; cession to the United States of Cuba rather than recognition of the | absolutely essc difference between the demands of the United States and the extreme con- cessions of Spain as to Cuba and Porto Rico. If these islands alone were to be considered there is reason to believe | the basis of peace could be soon agreed upon. Questions that will arise &s to the disposition of the Philippines and the Ladrones will probably give the negotiators serious trouble. Spain will probably first yleld to the demand for the cessionof the Ladrones and will hold out to the last to preserve Intact her Phillppine colony, which will be her only possession of Importance outside of the peninsula after Cuba and Porto Rico have been given up. Neither V- ernment, however, will allow the ques- tion of the Ladrones to delay peace. The United States will demand as tial to peace the ces- sion of a coallng station and a port in the Philippines, and whether anything more will be demanded in these islands will depend on the progress of events, and perhaps !n no small degree upon the expressions of public opinion in the United States, between the present and the time when actual negotiations as to the details of the peace treaty are taken up. As to Cuba, Spain is believed to be ready to give more than the United States asks. The President will de- mand that Spain give up the island in trust to the United States, to be turn- ed over to an independent Cuban gov- ernment as soon as such government can be established on a stable basis. Spain, it is believed, would prefer to turn Cuba over to the United States absolutely and have the island annexed to this country. The reason for this, as explained to me by a person in a position to know, is that the Spanish Government feels that Spanish life and property will be safer in the island under the Govern- ment of the United States than under any government the Cubans might set up. It {s feared that if the Cubans should be allowed an independent gov- ernment they would find means per- haps under the form of law to oppress those residents of the islana who have remained loyal to Spain throughout the war and have refused to aid the insur- gents in any way. The message from the Queen Regent did not ask for a cessation of hostili- ties pending negotiations for peace, and had such a request been made, it would not have been granted. The ad- ministration will go on with the vigor- ous prosecution of the war in every ai- rection just the same if no peace prop- ositions had becn received, and hostili- ties will not cease until some defirite understanding has been reached as to the basis on which negotiations for the final treaty are to be conducted. If, after receiving the propositions of Mr. McKinley, Spain indicates a wili- ingness to make the basis of a final treaty, and asks for an armistice, her request will be complied with. It ig recognized here that the course of the Spanish Government will probably de- pend in a great measure upon the tem- per with which the people of Spain re- ceive the propositions of the United States. If it should appear that the Spanish people are so tired of the war independence of the island. It will be | that they are willing to pay almost price, there may be little haggling over the Philippine Islands, which will form a bone of contention, and an armistice will be speedily agreed to. If, on the other hand, there are indi- cations that any ylelding by Spain on this point would cause grave civil dis- orders, the final termination of hostil- ities would be delayed. The Spanish | Ministry probably realizes. however, that every day of delay will make the conditions imposed by the United ! pine T } | | | States more onerous, and will increase the danger of the absolute loss to Spain of the entire Philippine group. I have reliable information that the action of Spain In proposing peace ne- gotlations at this time was brought about by a desire to save the Philip- nd to arrive at ) 4000 more trooy The Monterey and Monadnock will arrive about the same time to reinforce Admiral Dewey's al- ready formidable fleet, and then, un- less peace should intervene, active land operations against the Spanish army in the islands would begin. Should Spain’s land forces in the Philippines be as thoroughly defeated as her navy, and there is reason to believe this will be go If the war is continued for only a few weeks longer, the problem for the final disposition of the islands will be greatly complicated. It is difficult to see how Spain could regain control over them with Aguinaldo and his in- surgent followers ready to oppose every attempt in that direction. Pres- jdent McKinley may be compelled, by the existing situation, to Insist upon terms which would leave the United States practically in control of all the islands. Of this question of the disposal of the Philippines the President will hear a great deal in the next few days. He will be strongly urged by the extreme advocates of territorial expansion to in- sist upon their retention by the United States as a colonial possession. Others will urge him to set up a native gov- ernment under a protectorate by the United States, and still others will im- press upon him the importance of end- A ing the war and preventing the sacri- | fice of more American lives, and will urge that the question of the Philip- pines be not allowed to stand in the way of reaching this end. Secretaries Alger and Long were at the White House during the afternoon, General Merritt is due | anila in a few days with | and in the evening the President was | joined by Secretaries Bliss and Wil- son and Postmaster General Smich. There was no Cabinet meeting in the ordinary sense, but these talks with individual members were as a formal meeting. It is considered likely that one means likely to be proposed is to authorize direct negotiations between Spain and this country, Spain being represented by Senor Leon Castillo, Spanish Em- bassador at Paris, and the United States by General Horace Porter, our Embassador to France. Senor Castillo is one of the foremost diplomats of Europe, and General Porter, while not a veteran in diplomacy, is regarded as able and tactful, and every move would be regulated by explicit instruc- tions from Washington. This plan is quite tentative, however, and it is rather doubtful whether the United States Government would consent to ave such negotlations removed so far Probably Prefers Falling Into the Hands of the American Forces. MADRID, July 26 (11 p. m.).—Information has been re- ceived here to the effect that Captain General Augusti has sur- rendered the city of Manila to the American forces commanded by Admiral Dewey and Generals Anderson and Greene. The Spanish garrison was short of ammunition, and food and water were both scarce, the insurgents having control of the pumping works, and having surrounded the city so as to prevent any supplies being sent to the enemy. It is believed that rather than yield to the insurgents the captain general decided to give up the city to the Americans. Several days ago a message was received by the Minister of War from Augusti, stating American forces was expected events were about to occur. that an attack on the city by the at any moment, and that grave It is now believed that this was intended as a warning to the Ministry that the city would be given up to avoid useless bloodshed. Conditions at Manila have been causing the deepest anx- iety of late. The Government believes that the town has been bombarded by the American warships, and that it was simulta- neously attacked on the land side by 12,000 Americans and 20,- 000 rebels. Captain General Augusti has about 10,000 European sol- diers, sailors and marines. He has been sorely embarrassed by the non-combatants, but he was nevertheless expected to make a prolonged resistance, unless the lack of provisions and water compelled him to consider the sufferings of the inhabitants. In any case, it has been understood that he would only surren- der to Admiral Dewey. 2 from Washington and conducted in a European capital, where the atmos- phere might not be conducive to for- warding the desires of this country. LANDS TO BE TAKEN IN LIEU OF INDEMNITY LONDON, July 27.—The morning papers agree that it will be impossible for Spain to pay indemnity, and that it is impossible that the United States will demand money com- pensation. They all concede that the Spanish flag has gone forever from Cuba, and Porto Rico. The question of the future of the Philippine Islands is universally admit- ted as presenting grave uifficulties, ow- ing to the impossibility of granting in- dependence. The general opinion is that the United States will retain a coaling st.tion and have a reversion in the islands. The Daily News says: “It would be an act of extreme generosity to leave Spain in possecsion of the Philippines, but generosity is often the best policy. If the United States should be content with such a reward of its labors as would leave the Philippines to Spain, it would set the world an example of con- spicuous magnanimity.” The Daily Chronicle thinks that some kind of international protectorate over the Philippines should be arranged. The Daily Mail says: “We hope President McKinley will be moderate. Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines should be ample compensation without indemnity.”” The Times in an editorial this morn- ing applauding Spain for accepting the London | inevitable, advises her to “face the facts of the po..tical situation with the same frank courage which secured the respect of the Americans on the battle- field Discussing the probable terms of seace, the Times says: “The United tates will probably take Porto Rico n lien of a money indemnity, and it | would be best for the world at large if | America boldly undertook the burden {of giving Cuba and the Philippines a strong, honest government through American officials. If Spain is permit- | ted to reassume reignty over the | Philippines, she will have to engage in a w us conquest, which might be at- tended with serious consequences to American and other international in- terests in the Pacific.” | GERMANY TO RAISE A CLAIM AT MANILA LONDON, July SO ar The Berlin corre- spondent of the Times The Cologne Gazette, in an article evidently inspired, says it would be difficult to claim com- pensation for the loss of German firms at Manila, because, though Spain is offi- cially mis of the Philippines, she has no voic here, but when a settled Government has been provided for the i{slands, then Germany will raise a claim. The Gazette says, also, that Germany has @ fleet at Manila for no other pu: than to protect German interests w! anarchy reigns. 2 o Big Fire at Crawford, Texas. ST. LOUIS, July 26.—. Post-Dispatch from Da that the Allen block, in Crawford, ay. al The loss, including the ks of sever mercantile firms and numerous offices, aggregates $50,000; i 0,000. 000000000000 0000000000000000000000000 steps Spain has already taken 0000000000000 000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000000 SPAIN WOULD NOW TRY TO SAVE THE PORTO RICO ISLAND. MADRID, July 26.-——The Ministerial El Correo, in an important article declaring that the seizure of Porto Rico is “only an afterthought on the part of the United States,” says: “The Washington Government cannot ignore the fore, in accordance with the most elementary principles of international law, acts posterior to these steps cannot be ta- ken account of in treaty negotiations.” in favor of peace; and, there- DOOOOOO0OCOOOOOOO00O000