Show REPLY READY FOR THE CABINET special meeting of the presidents advisers to be held there is still much uncertainty As to the nature of the spanish answer and therefore much speculation As to how it will be received neton aug 9 reply to the american peace conditions was not delivered to the government prior to the meeting of the cabinet today the last of it did not reach here until a late hour last night in the meantime the government had been informed that the reply bad been received by the french ambassador but the contents of the reply or its general nature was not made known to secretary day or any other official of the government the plan was to present the communication later in the day and no doubt existed that by evening the government would be in full possession of answer under the circumstances it was evident that the cabinet meeting could not consider the eit nation with all the light which the text of the reply give and almost the only consideration would be as to the policy of entertaining incidental questions which might be raised by abo reply AB to this official opinion appears to be divided the general drift of sentiment was toward standing strictly on the conditions down by the united states re quinne a dirtat answer accepting or rejecting without any consideration 0 incidental questions which answer might raise bat on the other hand there was believed to be a considerable influential element of the administration desirous of a realization of the present prospects of peace so long as every vital and essential condition laid down by this government was accepted even though the spanish reply bought to dispose of other incidental points involved in a transaction of this vast magnitude so far as the reply itsell is concerned even the best informed government officials had no information and there was little conjecture as to its contents but there were several points apparently established by discussion first of these was the reply which abo framed as to be considered by those who drafted it an acceptance of all the conditions laid down by the united states second it was established that this acceptance was a general characterization of he document as a whole and that in making the acceptance spain bad presented elaborate views on each point involved and on questions which would naturally arise when the main conditions were carried into execution this raised a question as to whether the reply would be accepted as completely responsive to the american terms or as an indirect opening of negotiations on subordinate points A determination on this matter cannot be reached until the administration has the full text of the reply and is able to measure the seriousness of incidental ci points raised it the points are purely incidental and formal strong hope is entertained that peace will be realized realised reali sed as u result of the present eions but i spain seeks to impose important conditions there i a prospect of delay and the possibility of a refusal to accept alie reply as responsive the latter condition is hardly expected however in any quarter some of the madrid mini atara have suggested that the reply might brine a crisis on at least one point involved and lead to a sharp and immediate answer from this government from the best information obtainable here there ia nothing to warrant the view that the reply contains anything surprising ot far reaching conditions outside ot those which have been the subject ot general comment the question of cuban debt it was thought might raise a serious issue but while this is still possible the present indications are that this matter has not a direct controversial issue although il involves elements making an issue possible at a later stage there are said to be precedents of international law by which the debt of an evacuated country acta as a charge upon a country there aie specific spec itic instances also of exceptions to this rule there ia no present indications 0 an extra cabinet meeting to consider the spanish reply it will be in the hands ot the president and secretary day by tonight and they doubtless will go over the subject before calling it to the attention of the cabinet washington aug a m the spanish answer to the american peace conditions will bo presented to the government of the united states probably this p m it is definitely settled that it will not be delivered prior to cabinet meeting no time has yet been fixed for the delivery of the answer nor will be until the french ambassador baa time to give careful consideration and study to the reply which has been deciphered in full and is now receiving close examination the reply certainly will be in the banda of the united states government during the day but it is possible that the ambassador will deliver it to secretary day and that there may be no occasion for an audience between the president and M cambon at the white house the only notification the government has received on the subject is a brief announcement that the reply itself has been received |