The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-24


it has been suspected that it was being
made on Spanish account. If this
should prove to be true. and the fact
will soon be known, it would seem to
indicate a purpose on the part of the
Spanish naval commander Camara to
carry that celebrated Cadiz fleet
around into the Pacific and use these
colliers to supply the fleet with coal. In
this case the object of attack probably
would be the west coast of the United
States instead of the Philippines, but
after all the whole thing is still mat
ter Of mere conjecture.
The European stories, published this
morning, of an alliance among the
powers against the United States and
of the reported of proffer of Germany
to lease the Philippines from Spain, are
received here with amusement, for it
will appear clearly from the place of
origin of these stOrieS-Madrid-if not
from their substance, that they were
inspired by desperate wish on the
part of Spain to involve US in trouble
with Germany.
The secretary Of the navy today
speaking to an Associated Press report
er of the general satisfaction that has
been expressed with the navy depart
ment said that in justice, it should be
: borne in mind that the navy is always
in state of mobilization, although
a vast amount of special preparation
and a large increase of vessels and
naval force.
CABLEGRAMS FROM SHAFTER
AND SAMPSON.
official dispatches received tonight
! by both Secretary Alger and Secretary
Long indicated that the landing of
troops was progressing most favorably.
The first landing was affected at Dali
quri this morning and met with COM
paratiVely slight resistance. This was
stated in a dispatch received this even
ing by Secretary A1ger, which, though
brief, was full Of news and meaning.
1t follows:
playa del Este, June %.
{ "Secretary of War, Washington, D. c.:
| "Off Daiquiri, Cuba, June 22.-Land-
ing at Daiquiri this morning was sue
/ was made. 'SHAFTER."
| Secretary Alger expressed himself as
/ delighted at the expedition with which
, the landing of the troops was being
! effected and with the fact that no seri-
! Gus obstacle was being offered by the
/ enemy. He construed the text Of Gen
i eral Skaters message to mean that the
enemy had made merely a nominal re-
} sistance by firing from the hills at long
! range.
Shortly after Secretary Alger receiv-
| ed his dispatch, Secretary Long. re-
! ceived a more extended cablegram
| from Admiral Sampson. It. too was
| dated at Playa del Este at $50 o'clock
| this evening. The text of the dispatch
| translated from the navy department
| cipher is as follows:
| Landing of the army is progressing
| favOrably at Daiquiri. There is very
| little if any resistance. The New Or
| leans, Detroit Castine, Wasp and Su-
vance shelled the vicinity before the
| landing. We made a demonstration at
| Cabanas to engage the attention of the
| enemy. The Texas engaged the west
| battery for some hours. She had one
man killed. Ten submarine mines have
been recovered from the channel of
| Guantanamo. Communication by tele-
graph has been established at Guam
| tanamo. 'SAMPSON.'
In both army and navy circles the
information contained in the dis
| patches of General Shafter and Admir-
al Sampson was received with intense
| satisfaction. The landing of so large
a body of troops as General Shafter at
| present has under his command is a
| task of immense proportions. A prom
| lnent official of the war department
| said tonight that the complete debark-
| at1ons of the troops, animals, field guns
| and supplies within a week after their
arrival off the Cuban coast would be a
| task will accomplish 1t is probable.
IN the opinion of the officer referred
! TO- that only a partial landing of the
| troops was effected today and that
the landing will be continued from day
to day until completed
1T is not unlikely, too, that the troops
| VIII pe landed at several places along
the coast, of course, within a short dis
lance OF the headquarters which Cen
| eral Smarter Will establish for himself
| Admiral SIMPSONS dispatch indica-
ted that he was carrying out his in
| structonS thoroughly to clear a way
| Tor the landing Of troops. The demon
| strat1on which he made with the Texas
| before Cabanas, which is Just east of
| Guantanamo. may easily have led the
Spaniards to suppose that a general
| landing was to be attempted in that
vicinity. 1t was evident from the text
| OF Admiral Sampson's dispatch that a
j considerable handing had already been
erected near Guantanamo, as he noted
| that communication by telegraph had
| been re-esta b1isbed at that point and
| that the channel had been cleared of
submarine mines. In the opinion of
naval officers the landing at Guantana-
mo was of marines rather than of land
forces
! The cable station through which the
American commanders will communi-
I cate with the department in this city
| mas been established, as shown by
| tne oates or the dispatches received
| TINS evening, at Playa del Este, d, small
pace directly on the coast and about
IIteen miles east of Santiago. The
Change was made from Camn McCalla
to 'laya del Este in order that the sts-
ton might be nearer the scene of ac-
ton. L.