<P> The negotiators then turned to the question of the Philippines . Spanish negotiators were determined to hang onto all they could, hoping to cede only Mindanao and perhaps the Sulu Islands . On the American side, Chairman Day had once recommended the acquisition of only the naval base in Manila, as a "hitching post". Others had recommended retaining just the island of Luzon . In discussions with its advisers, though, the commission concluded that Spain, if it retained part of the Philippines, would be likely to sell that part to another European power and that this would likely be troublesome for America . On November 25, the American Commission cabled President McKinley for explicit instructions . Their cable crossed one from McKinley saying that duty left him no choice but to demand the entire archipelago, the following morning, another cable from McKinley arrived, saying </P> <P>... to accept merely Luzon, leaving the rest of the islands subject to Spanish rule, or to be the subject of future contention, cannot be justified on political, commercial, or humanitarian grounds . The cessation must be the whole archipelago or none . The latter is wholly inadmissible, and the former must therefore be required . </P> <P> On November 4, the Spanish delegation formally accepted the American demand, and Spain's Prime Minister, Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, backed up the commission . As the specter of collapse of the negotiations grew, there were mutters about resumption of the war . U.S. election results on November 8, however, cut McKinley's Republican majority in Congress less than had been anticipated . The American delegation took heart from this, and Frye unveiled a plan of offering Spain ten or twenty million dollars for the islands . </P> <P> After some discussion the American delegation offered twenty million dollars on November 21, one tenth of a valuation which had been estimated in internal discussions in October, requesting an answer within two days . Montero Ríos said angrily that he could reply at once, but the American delegation had already departed from the conference table . When the two sides met again, Queen - Regent Maria Christina had cabled her acceptance . Montero Ríos recited the formal reply: </P>

The treaty ending the spanish-american war made the philippines a us territory