Mesa free press., 1898-09-02
LATEST WAR NEWS.
Resume of Events on Land and
Sea During the Week.


The customs revenues Of Santiago
from July 80 to August 13 were $64,215,
an excellent showing.
Some of the newspapers sharply
criticise the actions of the Germans in
assisting the flight of General Augusti
from Manila.
Henry Rochefort of Paris, comes out
in favor of the out-and-out retention of
the Philippines by the United States.
He says that the Philippines have as
many claims to freedom as the Cubans.
The government of Spain realizes
that the surrender of Manila after de-
feat in actual battle greatly weakens
Spain's position in the negotiations re-
garding a disposition of the Philippine
Islands.
Generals Wade and Butler, with Ad-
miral Sampson, the Military Commits
sioners for Cuba, will be required to
meet in Havana before September IL,
to arrange for the time and manner of
evacuation of the island.
Ell Epoca, a Madrid publication, says:
"The peace Is the saddest imposed
since the treaty of Utrecht" and ex-
pressed doubt of government which
allowed itself to be dragged into war
will acquit itself well in negotiating
peace.
Six Porto Ricans from Ciales re-
ported to General Wilson yesterday
that some Spanish soldiers, crazed
with liquor, seeing an improvised
American flag on the plaza, sacked the
town and killed or wounded 80 men,
women and children.
A high official of the War Depart
ment at Washington says that not less
than $4,000 men will constitute our
force in the new military department
of Havana, which will be almost imme-
diately organized. If General Lee is
not appointed Military Governor, he
| will have command of this depart
ment.
The Vossiche Zeitung says that
France openly espouses the Spanish
cause and that Russia is displeased at
Americas triumph, and 1t adds: pub
lie opinion in Germany, on the con-
trary, though somewhat enraged at
the outset by American ruthlessness,
made no secret of its desire that Amer
lea should win
A secret meeting was held at Santi-
ago last night between the commando
ing officers of the American army and
the Cuban leaders. General Garcia
was present. The Cuban situation
was thoroughly reviewed, and it was
resolved to disband the Cuban army,
and the United States should pay the
men off. This involves the expendi-
ture of $15,0O0,0OO.
The naval program for presentation
to congress involving the immediate
construction of fifteen warships, has
been adopted by the naval board ex-
perts. The board has decided that
the Pacific, rather than the Atlantic,
would be the chief theater of naval Op-
erations in the future, on account of
the increased responsibility of the
United States in the Pacific.
Arrangements are being made at the
War Department for the establishment
of new military department on the
island of Porto Rico similar to those
recently established in the province of
Santiago de Cuba and in the Philip
pines. The new department will be
known as the Department of Porto
Rico" and will be commanded by
Major General John r. Brooke.
Under the terms of the protocol we
get, as one installment, the island of
Porto Rico and a job lot of islets in the
Antilles. The Spaniards were very
10th to give up Porto Rico, and hence
Wo fol 10
erty is valuable In area it foots up
over $500 square miles. Considering
the improvements this property ought
to go long way toward offsetting the
war bill.
The Spanish cooped up in Manila
mistook thessecond fleet of transports
for the Cadiz squadron and as the
China came steaming up the bay July
10Th they cheered her wildly. The true
story was slow in overtaking the false
one in the suburbs and the Spanish
troops, ,cheered by the false hope, made
series Of vicious assaults on the reb-
ell lines. 1t was at this time that the
battle of Malate was fought.
The government will probable have
considerable surplus of the two hun
dren million dollars obtained by the
bond issue. The current revenue was
shaped with the object of greatly
helping to support protracted war,
and even with a large army the in
come will largely exceed the require
ments An early repeal of the war
stamp act may therefore be expected
after the meeting of Congress.
Probably not one in thousands at
the Murray street pier of the Fall Riv-
er line knew that while Admiral Ger
vera passed that the man who helped
destroy his fleet was then a helpless
invalid on the St. Paul in New York
harbor If all reports are true. Cap
tain Clark is very sick man. He is,
it is said, so i'll that he cannot be re-
moved to Montauk. The report as to
his complaint was simply nervous
prostration.
An affecting scene characterized the
meeting in Secretary Alger's Office of
Ma. Gen. Wheeler and Maj. Gen. Lee.
They are old friends and comrades-in-
h,Yt \