become wholly unequal, it made overtures of peace through the French
ambassador, who, with the assent of his Government, had acted as the
friendly representative of Spanish interests during the war. On the
26th of July M. Cambon presented a communication signed by the Duke of
Almodóvar, the Spanish minister of state, inviting the United States to
state the terms upon which it would be willing to make peace. On the
30th of July, by a communication addressed to the Duke of Almodóvar
and handed to M. Cambon, the terms of this Government were announced
substantially as in the protocol afterwards signed. On the 10th of
August the Spanish reply, dated August 7, was handed by M. Cambon to the
Secretary of State. It accepted unconditionally the terms imposed as to
Cuba, Puerto Rico, and an island of the Ladrones group, but appeared to
seek to introduce inadmissible reservations in regard to our demand as
to the Philippine Islands. Conceiving that discussion on this point
could neither be practical nor profitable, I directed that in order
to avoid misunderstanding the matter should be forthwith closed by
proposing the embodiment in a formal protocol of the terms upon which
the negotiations for peace were to be undertaken. The vague and
inexplicit suggestions of the Spanish note could not be accepted, the
only reply being to present as a virtual ultimatum a draft of protocol
embodying the precise terms tendered to Spain in our note of July 30,
with added stipulations of detail as to the appointment of commissioners
to arrange for the evacuation of the Spanish Antilles. On August 12
M. Cambon announced his receipt of full powers to sign the protocol
so submitted. Accordingly, on the afternoon of August 12, M. Cambon,
as the plenipotentiary of Spain, and the Secretary of State, as the
plenipotentiary of the United States, signed a protocol providing--

ARTICLE I. Spain will relinquish all claim of sovereignty over and title
to Cuba.