The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-02
WILL SEND ~
10000 MEN
Number Decided on For
Cuban Invasion.
OUTLINE OF ALGER'SPLAN
Impression Formed From the At
tack on Santiago de Cuba.
3 NAVAL OFFICERS MYsTIFIED.
OUTLINE OF ALGER'sPLAN
J NAVAL OFFICERS MYsrIrIED,

Washington. June 2.-Fcr the first time
since the beginning of hostilities there
spears to be something in the nature on
an oficial statement OF the plan of cam
paign of the United States government.
This is confirmed In letter of Secretary
Alger to the speaker OF the house, trans
mitting certain recommendations and
statements OF General Ludlow. which
disclosed the purpose of the war depart
ment to send 10000 men to Cuba, 10000
TO start at once and the remainder just
as soon as they can be made ready for
departure. Then there was an estimate
for establishing electrical communica-
tions in connection with the army In
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines"
showing for the first time officially an
implied intention on the part Of the gov
ernment to land troops in Porto Rico.
or course all these movements have been
anticipated by the press but nsvsrthe-
less a streng element Of doubt existed,
and therefore the official statement of
the governments purpeseS. made even
In this indirect fashion. created a pro-
found sensation here. The three are to
Philippines. and pass into the military
occupation or the United States troops.
as the secretary says that the second
contingent of troops Is to 60 forward as
boon as they can be prepared.
A great deal OF interest attaches to
an order of the war department. provid-
4ng for the organization Of the $4,000 ad-
N ofoax loA 10 ho
der officially established the statement
heretofore made that large proportion
OF the new men are to be used to I'LL the
existing regiments of volunteers, which
are In most cases deficient In numbers.
1t fs to be presumed that the volunteer
regiments collected under the first call
will be detained until they are filled up
IN this fashion. SO that the order has
some bearing upon the plan Of campaign.
The department has received a dis
patch from General Brooke. in command
OF the forces at Chickamauga. setting
nt rest the reports as to inadequate food
and water there. When these reports
were circulated recently, Secretary AL
ser telsgraphed an inquiry to Brooke,
whose reply Is as follows: There Is no
reason whatever for complaint as to the
Quality and kind OF food furnished the
troops In this camp. Some regulars ar
rived here With food rations only. but
defects Of this kind are quickly remedied.
and the vegetable component Is pro-
Sided. The water question Is being
solved - to quantity, and IL has always
been good as 20 quality"
Naval oflcsrs were considerably mys-
fified yesterday by the reports Of an
engagement on Santiago. At the out
bet there was complete scepticism, with
= digpositien 70 treat the reported ac-
fion - = myth. Gradually, as the day
advanced, the ccrrsborative evidence
coming from many quarters. including
xhe e1Beiel announcements from Havana
pnA Madrid. led the officials to con-
eeds that ssme engagement had taken
place. although they aid not regard It
ps serbeus one. No bulletins were is
oue4 BY the 1spaytnnent during the day.
and ut the o1ose sf once hours Il was
stated that no dispatches from Com
modcrs Schley haa been received. There
~ reasen to believe. however that the
department received indirect advices
,ehRough the gtate department. possibly
not bearing 0a the detailed press dig
patches. bnt, suilicient to indicate that
IN engagement Of some kind had oc-
'euPred ~ GRnbiago.
The impression obtained during the
Afternoon that IN the execution of the
tgeneral instructions to all United States
naval commanders on the Cuban coast
10 prevent the construction or strength
ening of batteries by the spaniard..
Commodore schley. ON perceiving work
bf this kind going on at Morro castle.
mad drawn his fleet up close enough To
stop II. II II not believed that he made
my real attempt to enter the harbor.
although II is conceivable that while en-
gaged In Smelling the shore batteries.
0nding the CristobaI Colon in range he
could not resist the temptation TO try =
Yew shots at her.
fhe statement from Madrid IN what
eeems 10 be almost somi -official form ~
the acuteness Of the financial strjnrencv
There ana the plain intimatIon that the
oank OF Spain (and consequently spain,
Was nearing the end OF it's financial re-
sources, was regarded at the state de-
Dartment as Of more Significance than
many OF the stories Of battles on land ana
eea that have been coming over the
cables Tor the past few weeks. The
offect Of this notice may be to hasten the
operations against Porto Rico. lest the
prize slip from our grasp through a sud-
den and unexpected termination OF the
war.
An additional evidence that the actual
Forward movement Of the army and navy
has begun was given Ia the action OF the
Foreign naval and military observers.
10y have been sojourninE icisureiy I'm
Washington for some time. but within
che last week all cf them have started for
FLORIDA
WHAT BOSTON EDITORS SAY.