Evening journal., 1898-06-15
STARTED AT LAST
Army Gets Of After Many
False Alarms.
NERRITT'S TROOPS READY TO SAIL.
Philippine Expedition Expected to Leave
San Francisco Today or Tomorrow.
Lieutenant Blue Counts Cervera's
ships-There Are None Missing.

WASHINGTON, June 15.-Without
reference to the exact hour at which the
United States army left Florida for Gu
ba, IL may be safely said that before the
end OF the week General Shafter viii
have landed with his 5000 United
States troops on Cuban soil and that
che investment Of Santiago by land viii
have begun. There was some confusion
In the official mind here yesterday on
the time OF departure of the transports.
though assurance was given that they
had all got away. The confusion on
this point Is easily accounted for by per-
sons who know anything Of the difficult
~ Of moving simultaneously a numer-
Gus fleet composed of vessels Of all sizes
and classes. No less than three times,
beginning Sunday, was a definite hour
selected for the start and the war de-
partment so notified, yet In each case
some untold obstacle was encountered
that required notification TO the de-
partment that a postponement had been
forced.
Having started the Santiago expedi-
tion. the war department has now con
centrated all its energies on the prep
aratiOn of the force to be sent to Puerto
Rico. Active movements In that line
have been made on a scale so extensive
as to lead TO the suppositlon in some
quarters that the attack IS to be di-
rected upon Havana, but If this Is so
there Is no open indication Of il. The
volunteers collected at Chattanooga,
1900 In number, are reaching a de-
gree Of excellence under the magnif-
cent management OF General Brooke
that would warrant the government in
ordering them Immediately into active
service, but unfortunately there is still
a considerable lack Of equipment that
win not permit OF this. General Mer-
ritt has brought the second installment
Of his force into readiness and sails
for Manila today 1t is believed that
the advance guard, the three transports
which followed the Charleston to Homo
lulu, met the cruiser there and sailed
in her company for the Philippines
about the 18th of this month In This
case It Is reasonable to expect them to
arrive at Manila within a week.
The only bulletin posted at the navy
department yesterday from Sampson
contained the satisfactory news that an
American naval officer, Lieutenant Vic
tor Blue of South Carolina, at the risk
OF his life had succeeded in encircling
the bay Of Santiago and counting the
Spanish vessels therein. with the re-
suit OF establishing the fact that all Of
Cerveras fleet is bottled up
An unexpected complication hasarisen
as to the right Of Admiral Sampson at
Santiago and Admiral Dewey at Ma
nila TO use the cables which each has
secured with a view to bringing them
into direct telegraphic communication
with the authorities here
It IS understood by officials here that
Admiral Dewey secured the shore end
! Of the cable leading from Manila to
Ifongkong some time ago and buoyed
It with view to sending dispatches.
The same condition is understood at
Santiago where Admiral Sampson has
buoyed the shore end OF the cable with
view to repairing and using 1t, but no
messages have been sent, and the ques-
tion has arisen as 10 whether il IS al
lowable under the rules of neutrality
for tho French and British companies
owning these lines to permit them to be
used for strictly military purposes. The
companies control the points OF exit and
are able to refuse to pass dispatches
along. so that the holding of the shore
ends by Admirals Dewey and Sampson
does not permit them 20 carry on COM
munication except through the consent
OF the companies. These are private
concerns, but they are bound to observe
the neutrality Of their respective gov
ernments. There is some anxiety, there
fore. as to the course of the operators
OF the French company in Haiti when
they receive messages from Admiral
Sampson. Should they refuse TO handle
them over neutral lines touching neutral
territory an interesting international
| question might arise. The stn1e condi-
ton exists as TO the Manila cable, and
/ the failure to receive dispatches from
/ Manila is attributed to the failure OF
I the British operators at Hongkong to
/ take the messages. It was stated to-
night that negotiations were now pro-
| crossing which gave promise Of a salts
/ factory understanding with the com
/ panies and the forwarding Of such mes
sages as the American admiral should
/ send.