The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-29
Official Denial Of Cession b. England of Island
at Mouth of Red Sea.
FOR THE OCCUPATION OF CUBA.
First Order for Movement of Troops-Spanards Fully Expected to
Acquiesce in Cur Demands Before End of Limit Imposed..Mar.
shall BIanco Resigns--CeIl for Popular Aid to Spanish
Credit---The PrI ideLt OF Costa Rica in Washing
tom -OffciaIf Courtesies Between the Two
Presidents.

Washington. November GAN Of
fetal denial is given to the soy com
ing from Vienna via LondorI to the
effect that the United States us been
negotiating with the British govern
ment for the lease OF the island Of So
cotra, off the eastern extremity Of At
RIGA and near the entrance Of hhe Red
sea.
ORDER FOR OCCUPATIOE OF
WESTERN CUBA.
The war department today is b ed the
first Of the general orders lo1king to
the occupation of the centrA and
western provinces Of Cuba bIUnited
States troops. The order cOntSpplates
the early beginning Of the movements,
as the Spanish troops are expe cted to
have progressed with the evacuation
movement early in December The
order is dated November 23rd and is
as follows:
commanding General, Second Army
Corps, Augusta, Ga:
wit the approval Of the secretary
of war, til. First brigade, Third divi-
sion, Of your corps will proceed fully
equipped for field service and take
station in Cuba as fOllOWS:
headquarters and n regiment Of
infantry at G~uanajay.
The troops will embark at Savan-
nah, and the movements will be 50
regulated that no regiment Will reach
Savannah more than tWenty-fOur
hours prior to sailing. The regiment
for Mariel should land at that point.
The other two should land at Havana
and proceed to destination by rail. 1t
is not necessary that the entire bri~
gade leave at the same time, but regi-
ments may move in succession as
transports can be provided. The eVac-
uatiOn of Pinar del Rio by the Span
ish will be completed by December 3rd
and the troops above designated
should reach destination by December
LIST, or earlier.
THE brigade will take as much of
it's wagon transportation as is posi-
BILE and camp and garrison equipage,
including tent floors.
by command of Major General
Miles.
H. G. CORBIN,
Adjutant General"
This brigade is commanded by Brig
adler General VIM. G. Yates and the
officers Of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania,
Third New Jersey and Two Hundred
and Second New York regiments. They
are now at Athens, Ga. Mariel is the
seaport of Pinar del Rio province on
the north side. 1t lies about thirty
miles west of Havana, n lying in
land fifteen miles is Guanajay, the
nearest point to the railroad line run
ming from Havana to the city of Plnar
del Rio, the capital of the province of
that same name, which is about TWEEN
ty miles west of Havana and is to be
the headquarters of the American
army of occupation in the province.
The railroad can be reached from
Guanajay by q short march.
THE PEACE COMMISSIONERS.
Paris, November 23.-At the request
of the Spanish peace commissioners
there Will be no joint session today,
pending instructions from Madrid. The
date of the next meeting is not fixed.
The p~ostpOnement of today is regarded
as a hopeful sign that the treaty will
be signed. While the Madrid govern
ment hos not yet received the .
of the American ~ultimatum, the Span
ish ministers received quite enough by
telegraph ON Monday night to enable
them to instruct their commissioners
to retire, were such their intentions.
The belief was confidently expressed
by several of the American commits
SiOners in conversation with the CORE
SpOndent of the Associated Press to-
day. that before the expiration Of the
time fixed by the Americans, namely
Monday next, the Spaniards would ac-
quiesce in the Philippine offer and
that, ultimately, the treaty would be
signed by all the Spanish commission
ers. 1t is true that the course which
Senior MOnterO Rios, president of the
Spanish commission, will follow is still
uncertain. as he continues to play to
the gallery, but a leading m of
the American commission believes he
will sign with the other S~paniards. In
any case. his place on the commission
will be speedily filed, probably by
Senior Leon V Castillo, the Spanish am
baSSadOr here.
Senior NonterO Rios sent a comma
nication to the American commission
ers last evening, asking a nunbe OF
questions. The most important of them
and to get an answer to which the
letter was undoubtedly written, was
tucked aWav in the middle of the let
ter. 1t asked. in effect, if the Ameri-
cans really meant that the ultimatun7
must be answered by Monday. Tha
Spaniards were assured that such was
the intent. and the answer has cleared
the air.
4 member of the Spanish commits
sion today assured the correspondent
of the Associated Press. that the next
meeting OF the commissioners VII
take place on Friday or Saturday anC
that Spain's answer then will be the
last she Will make and that it Will'ht
= definite conclusion of the matter ir
hand.
This utterance Is looked upon as in
dicating that Spain viii sign the treat!
of peace.
MARSHAL BLANCO RESIGNS.
MadTid. November 23.-The Onicia
Gazette today publishes a decree &C.
cepting the resignation of Marsha
BIanco as captain general Of Cuba.
After the meeting of the cahine
council a minister said that nothing
definite had been decided upon TIL
subject of peace.
Washington, November 23.-No sur
prise is expressed in government cir
cles at the news of General Blancoi
resignation. 1t is known that SOM