Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1898-06-04
TO INVADE PUERTO RICO.
Conference of High Officials Decides
on the Movement.

Washington, May 27.-An important
conference of high officials was held with
the president at the White house yester-
day Among those present were Secre-
tary Long and Alger, General Miles, Adj
lutant General Corbin and Captains Ma
han and Crowninshield and Admiral 81
card of the naval strategy board.
The conference lasted several hours but
none of the parties were willing to speak
of the matters under discussion beyond
the statement that it was he first time
the strategy board has joined the other Of
ficials in conference and that the whole
field of military and naval operations,
present and prospective, was gone over.
There is reason to believe that. not
withstanding this reticcnce, the move
ment on Puerto Rico is in contemplation
and should it appear that the Spanish
fleet is hemmed in at Santiago harbor as
believed, active operations Will begin Ill
the near future against Cuba, Puerto Ri
co and the Philippines. This is believed
to be the presidents purpose i'll calling
for 10000 additional volunteers and it is
said to. be not unlikely that other calls
will be made, as rapidly as the troops can
be equipped until the effective force OF
the army will be sufficient to make short
work of the Spanish forces wherever and
whenever encountered.
To Move at Once.
New York, May 27.-A special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
Extraordinary activity in the war and
navy departments, which was not limit
ed to the higher officials but included ev-
cry individual in both services, gave ev-
cry indication of important developments
in the conduct of the war; while an un-
usual secrecy served to strengthen the
impression that prompt and energetic ac-
tion along the whole line i'll the West
Indies had become question of hours
rather than days.
Rumors, too definite to be ignored but
impossible of official authorization, eN-
planned the remarkable hurry and hustle
as due to the presidents determination
to have Puerto Rico occupied by Amerl-
can soldiers without further delay and
that the troops which had been concen-
trated at gulf ports for the invasion of
Cuba were to embark Immediately on the
20 transports which had been secured and
under convoy of Admiral SIMPSONS
squadron, be sent at once to San Juan de
Puerto Rico and establish a permanent
colonial government in the island similar
to that which General Merritt is charged
with creating in the Philippines
However startling the report, its plaus-
ibility soon received coTobative strength
through the reluctance of every high Of
fetal to deny it, while many senators and
other prominent civilians having inuen-
tial relations with those carrying on the
war, not only affirmed the existence of
the suggested plan, but gave cogent reas-
ons for its sudden adoption by the auth
critics.
Spanish Resistance VIII Collapse.
1t was said tnat the events of the last
few days in Cuba, eliminating in the
uselessness to Spain of Ccrveras fleet
securely 'corked up at Santiago and the
destruction of the untrammeIed cable
communication between the colonies and
speedy collapse of Spanish resistance to
the inevitable and the United States had
awakened to the necessity of possessing
Puerto Rico before the end came.
That island and the Philippines had
come to be looked on as an essential rec
ompense to the United States for its ex-
pensive intervention iii behalf of Cuba's
freedom and the fear had arisen that,
unless they were actually secured before
Cuba fell, embarrassing complications
leading possibly to grave international
complications with European powers,
might not be avoided.
With the Spanish military forces at
Havana efectually isolated and without
even remote hopes of reinforcements:
with Spain's naval force ON this side uf
the Atlantic completely paralyzed, and
tering in its insecurity of policy, the
opportunity for dealing crushing blow
through the island of Puerto Rico was
hardly to be resisted.
No Cause for Delay.
The sanitary condition of Cuba, the
strength of the army there, and many
other causes which operated to delay the
invasion of that island with the insult
fcient force of trained regulars which it
had been possible to concentrate at Tam
pa in single month, wholly disappeared
as factors of delay in the Puerto Rican
project.
RUSH WORK ON CARTRIDGES.