Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-07-17
a REMARKABLE LETTER
en- OK General Torars Communtca-
M.. Hon to General Shafter.

'lon to General Shafter. :.
~, tBy Telegraph)
NASi1lNGTON, July 16-Tha u,x
department. today posted the fni,,n-,n a..
from General Shafter: AuS
flaya del Este. near Santiapo ID ~,
ba. July l6:
ceved: "eeii re-
To His ;cxcellency, commanding
American forces:
Excellent Sir:--I am now authorized
~ my government to capitulate.
'''Ne the honor to SO apprise you and
tSaues,ins that YOU designate hour and
place Where my representative shall
appear 70 compare with those Of your
eNcellency to effect the articles of ca
pitulation on the basis OF what has.
been agreed to this date. In due time
wish to manifest my desire to know
the resolutions OF the United sites
government respecting the return of
al ms. so as to note on the capitula-
tons. Fl. ist.ts, I, = .T.Tl7 7-
Also the great courtesy OF ~ yus,b
generosity and impulse for the Spanish
soldiers, and allow them to return to
The peninsula With the honors the
American army do them the honor to
acknowledge as duifully descended.
JOSE TORAL.
General Commanding Fourth Army
Corps I5I.7 Fr'5
:" TO General Shafter. commanding the
American forces.
Tive remarkable letter Of equalization
a s..l by, General Torai to General
Sh:iftSr and by him cabled to the War
l'.p;s'tmcnt this morning had the In
iliatial effect of completely mysSafying
the recipients. Every reader gneSe a
different Interpretation to the, letter
and only on one point did they at frs,
LaErSe, namely, that the translation
VAS wretched.
This, is not the first time that Gene
raj Shnfter has failed to convey to. the
department a clear Understanding OF
VIVA be had in mind. but it was un-
douhtedly the very worst Illustration he
had vet afforded
thinking 1t over. In the light OF pre-
""d'n" disratches and especially of the
brief bulletin of the early morning an
n"nncins the surrender Of the Span
.hrds. the officials, finally concluded
nat his letter. written Yesterday was
S'm"lE a part of the attempt of the
SnanlSh commander to gain tho
best terms possible. and that
s'"ra then neE"tint'ons. apra rently
lott nren Mt that time. had ndvance,,
10 conclusion. ltf
Looking closely Mt the letter and n.y.
iowin~ for the difficulties OF, transla-
| f'"n. II wns believed that. oven In this
i"@@ ~" Spar1sh commander had ad-
'n.itHd his surrender and thrown him
SELF unhn the generosity or the Arno--
''rons in tho matter nf details The
main difficulty In his mind vas t'c
convention over the arms Of the sol
diers. IT the SPANISH soldiers possess.
=" Ties" even IN packine boxes unor
th"ir arrival in Snain, they n,irht tac1,
c'ra''S claim to have only evacuated
Santa go l.. - :
On the other hand. returning withou,
ar5's; they would have surrendered
hnd . ~ General Toral's mind, he would
| tn imposition Of the death penalty.
however TINT was his concern. and
slfs s1sri ed tas, p,hrseI rtntenf fsyIre
e,"o,"ed that the arms must be surrem.
tered. General Shafter was SO ,nstr1ct
ca. ana the Spaniards must submit. 7,
IS not doubted in fact from Genera
! Shafter's first disnatch that thew haf
nHn" So and his letter from Toral
| when ne submits is regarded therefore
| as nothing more than IN jIIustra Hon
nf on" phase of the negotiations now
| passed. M