Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-07-23
PROBLEMS.
Significant Statements as to
Administration Plans.
POPULAR IDEAS At FAULT
( Mary Years May Eiapse Before the Cubxr.s
+ a re Permitted :" Govern Thensriv.s.
Cpsn,nn.lers Warson's Mission 10
Find Cauara's Fleet.
G?y Teleyraph.)

-5s5 w AHff l NJ o-\. July "a sSiS0ifi-
ant statement was made to the Ass ~.
4 ated Press by a gentleman in a los.
ton to speak With knowledge ard ,u-
SSthority as to the plans of the aG,ninis-
1raton With reference to future war
8 operations. In substance the state
ment Was as follows:
Commodore Watson. In iir5ce.ti ng
TO he Spanish peninsula as soon as he
Porto Eican expedition Is :,sita, ut.,.er
Way. is not to lombard the ,..E!. on
the Spanish coast. No such ide.. of
bolnbardment CT the coast is e.itt rtain-
ed. While there may be other Incl
n dental purposes the main mission of
4 Watson is to take care of Admiral ca
1nara's fleet. The movement Of this
# f1eet and the fears and apprehcnsions
caused by reports concerning it are to
be stopped for all time. The ships un-
"A der CaInara Will be located by Watson
and finally met and engaged The t;ilk
H occasionally INDUCED in as to the Ca
nary Islands is utterly without foun-
dalton. This government has no plan
4 TO take those islands, as it does not
want them.
Despite popular expectation tina,
\ Porto Rican operations will be followed
Immediately by action against Havana
& it can be said that Havana will not be
attacked while yellow fever conditions
s exist. This is certain. 1t would be the
height of national folly to engage our
z troops in and about that fever pest
!. hole Consequently it win be left until
1.-The climate lends it's aid in the autumn.
u Shafter Will hold his own in the east
e ern strip now surrendered, may grad
i sually push his way over some other
districts and if there should be- any
4 particular need of immediate nEsrts-
4 siVe action at any point will move.
against ii. but Havana will be left UNI
til yellow fever dangers are past.
Y . Meantime, i'll the next two months
there will be enough ITO keep this gov
eminent busy. We will have to cope
with the most serious problem yet. that
OF providing for the government and
the future of the lands involved in this
war. The hauling down of the Spanish
flag and the hosting of that Of the
United States means more than on its
face it indicates.
There are questions of the most In
tricate and far-renching character to
be decided. Porto Rico, whose fall Is
likely to be recorded within 4 week or
ten days. will have to have Il military
government Porto Rico of course. is
to be kept permanently by this gov
eminent. but there must be a military
government first and many preliminary
details will have to be worked out
There must be Il rehabilitation of exist
ing systems of government where we
have carried our arms and, while loca!
schemes and conditions will form the
basis of the general system for the con-
troll Of the land. there must be numer-
Gus changes. abolShing such laws as
may be oppressive. Laws will have to
be very thoroughly gone over and the
tariff system revised in some way, but
IN general and as far as possible the
system OF government which now eX
lists is to be followed All this means
work of the most serious character and
In the absence Of existing laws to gov
.ar>S1 tt|lh u, Jlrae
go ahead on his own responsibility.
Next winter. however. when Congress
( conSenes. the necessity for laws cover
ing such matters will be recognized by
recommendations to that end to he sub
united by the President and ii is very
probable the shaping of the deStiricS of
y Porto Rico and similarly circumSt;.' G q
acceSSions viii be left To q commission
or commissions To be appointed to draft
the laws for adoption by Congress- The
government is likely to be busy from
now on considering all these matters
OF governmental detail.
1T is a certainty. so far as now can
be foreseen. than Gaum. the island in
the Ladrone group that was captured
by this government, win be permanen,-
~ retained as a coaling ana supply s a
ton. For these purposes it is valuable.
from It's location between the Sandwich
and Philippine islands. .M.
The disposition of the Philippines is
not settled and depends circum-
stances AS to the attitude of Garcia
and the insurgents in Cuba, there is no
change in our situation. This govern
rnent has not been misled in the esti-
mate Of those forces
This government will have to trea,
them kindly. but firmly. II has made
q pledge to establish Il firm and stable
government, and that must be carried
out. 1t therefore may be. III the light
of present circumstances and condi-
tiOnS, many years before affairs there
have so shaped themselves AS to en-
trust the island to the Cubans and we
{ finally yield our possession to them.
The transition mus; be gradual step
by step, and the final general change
effected only after a thorough training
and demonstration of the abilities OF
the people beginning with the trial of
some of the leaders at first in minor
capacities This is what is to be looked
for and the general transition will con-
sumo a length of time considerable at
variance With what the people NEST
expect
TROOPS AT MANILA.