Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-21

The Movements or General Smarter,
the Manila Reenforcements, and
the Status of Hobson and His
Crew all Came in for a Share of
tne Anxiety Felt in Official Cir
c,es- Hobson's Case Was the
Most Important, Because Of Fears
That the Spaniards May Not
Treat Him According to the
Usages OF Civilization.
Washington, June 20-Public atten-
ion here to-day was divided almost
evenly between three subjects: the
n5vements of Gen. Skaters army, the
probability of reinforcements having
reached Dewey and the status of Hob
son. the naval hero.
liz 10 a late hour in the afternoon
neither of the anXiously awaited mes
ssges which were to announce the ar
rival Of the transports at Santiago and
Manila had reached either the War or
Navy Departments. 1t was not doubt
ID. however, that our vessels are off
Santiago, for although proceeding at a
less speed than the English steamer
which at Kingston to-day reported hav-
ing passed them in the Windward Pas
SAG asst night the distance which they
would be obliged to travel from the
Windward Passage to Santiago is less
than that traversed by the British ship,
which came into Jamaica in the early
afternoon. If they arrived only this
morning off Santiago they could report
that fact solely by means of a dispatch
boat running over TO Kingston, a twelve
hour journey, so that direct report from
the fleet cannot be expected till a late
hour tonight.
1t is not doubted that just about the
time Shafter appeared off Santiago the
Charleston appeared in Manila bay,
leading the three transports which
bring nearly 5000 soldiers to Dewey's
assistance. That fact will not be
known however. officially for two or
three days, owing to the distance from
there to Hong Kong. the nearest cable
point. 1t is questioned here whether
with this force to back him Dewey will
feel justified in assaulting Manila or
even in accepting its surrender. Either
course would involve heavy respOns-
Utilities for the admiral, and ii is eX
remely desirable that no pretext be af-
forded jealous European powers for in
tervention at Manila under guise of
protecting the interests of their sub
jects. Therefore it may be that the
admiral will wait for another ten days
until the second installment OF troops
reaches Cavite. In this case, he prob
ably will land the troops that arrive in
the town of Cavite, which is now COM
pletely under the control of himself and
the insurgents, and employ the time
in accustoming them to Manila meth
DDS and climate.
During the day dispatches announc-
ing that Captain General Blanco had re-
fused to exchange HObson and his fell
low prisoners created some indignation
which was modified later by Madrid adj
vices quoting Sagasta as saying no de-
cisOn had been reached. Should Spain
adopt the cruel and unusual course of
refusing an exchange, the resolutions
Of the War Department are sufficient to
meet the case. The following principle
is laid down in its regulations:
Retaliation will never be resorted to
as a measure of mere revenge, but only
as a measure of protective retribution,
Z
ably; that is to say, retaliation shall
only be resorted to after careful inquiry
into the real occurrence, and the char
acter of the deeds that may demand re-
tribution. Unjust or incinsiderate re-
-aliation removes the belligerents fur
Their and further from the mitigating
rules of regular war. and by rapid
strides leads them to the internecine
wars of the savages."
Il was pointed out to-day by a lead
Ing officer of the army that Spain had
most to lose by a course of cruelty,
which would call for retaliation as the
number of Spanish prisoners is far
more greater than that of American
prisoners.
There was wholesale christening at
the Navy Department to-day when Sec
rotary Long supplied names for no less
than thirty-five war craft. All of these
were provided for in the last naval APP
Preparation bill. and while contracts for
their construction have not yet been
let, the advertisements have been is
sued except in the case of the monitors
and all the boats will be under way be-
fore cold weather. First in the list of
The big battleships is the Maine. for
Congress has provided that that name
shall be continued in the naval list.
The ether two big battleships will be
called the Missouri and the Ohio. The
FIRST Of the torpedo boats bears the
name Of the brave young Ensign, Bag
.ay who was killed on the deck of the
Nnslow under the guns of Cardenas,
.ha first American naval officer to lose
MS life in the war Four States have
'he privilege of giving their names to
monitors. Arkansas, Connecticut, Flor
ida and Wyoming. The names given
To the sixteen torpedo boat destroyers
arr those of Americas famous naval
heroes. There is now only one vessel
either building or authorized left with
out a name, a gunboat officially known
as No IA.
Word went around the War Depart
ment this afternoon that the Cadiz fleet
had made another spectacular appear
aNce this time returning to the home
port. The source of the information is
not disclosed, so that it is impossible to