Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-07-28
NILES EXPEDITION.
The Invasion of Porto Rico Com
mencing in Earnest.
.REINEORCEMENIS TO Be HURRIED.
president McKInley's object Is to ForeStall
the Spanish Government In Any At
tempt to Dispose OF the Island to
ANY European Power.

that no news can be expected from any
official source as to Gen. Miles move
ments until some time to-day at the
earliest 1t is calculated that he ar
rived last night at the point on the
coast of Porto Rico selected as rem
devious for all the vessels of the eXpe-
dition. Whether or not he will UNI
dertake to make landing in advance
of the arrival of the whole expedition
probably will depend entirely upon
conditions as he fnds them. Should
there be no Spanish force, or an ircon-
siderable one, on the coast, the troops
will be landed to relieve them from
the disastrous effect of being
confined closely on shipboard UNI
der tropical sun. The general
has with him sufficient artillery to
hold any position he may choose to oc"
.cupy, supplemented as this artillery
will be by the guns of his naval con-
voy. Meanwhile the department is
making every effort to hurry along
the remainder of the expedition.
Some troops are now on their way
from Tampa and Charleston and
should reach Porto Rico by the mid
die of the week. Naval officials are
assisting actively in getting the troops
off and were engaged yesterday in
sending the necessary orders to the
commanders of the naval auxiliary
vessels which have been placed at the
service of the war department. In
the course of a day or two the
troops brought from Chickamauga by
Gen. Brooke will sail from Hampton
roads, where they have been arriving
all day and are ready for the trans
ports. There is probability that
Gen. Miles may be delayed for several
days in his landing operations for lack
of lighters, but several of these are
now on their way and others will be
hurried forward as rapidly as possible.
However it may be as to his speedy
landing on Porto Rico soil, it will be
well along toward the end of the week
before the active land campaign can
be begun in Porto Rico.
THE PORTO RICAN EXPEDITION RUSHED.
Chicago, July 25. "A special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
Spain's exclusive title and right to
Porto Rico will cease the moment Gen.
Miles soldiers set foot on Porto Rican
soil. In rushing off the preliminary
expedition from Santiago to Porto
Rico it was President McKinley's OBJ
ject to forestall the Spanish govern
ment in any attempt to dispose of the
island to some European power under
the cover of peace negotiations Hence
Gen. Miles mission has a twofold OBJ
ject of capturing Porto Rico and free
ing its citizens from the yoke of
Spain forever. Indeed, this is the
most important part of the attack
upon Porto Rico and the POSSIBLE
ity of peace proposals from Spain
necessitated quick work on the part
of Gen. Miles in getting away from
Cuba SPANS claim upon the island
will he invalid when the Spanish solr
diers in Porto Rico are outnumbered
by American troops. Gen. Miles, upon
landing at Guanica, will Immediately
proceed to organize his army for the
advance towards Ponce, the second
city of Porto Rico, which will be the
first Spanish stronghold in the island
to fall beneath the onslaught of the
Americans Gen. Miles will rendez-
vous his troops in the spacious ware
houses at Yauco, capable of accommo-
dating 5000 troops, which have been
prepared for the occupancy of the
Americans by Porto Ricans under the
leadership of Gen. Lluveras Pend
ing the arrival of Gen. Brooke,
Gen. Miles will busy himself organic
ing pack trains. Immediately upon
the arrival of Gen. Brooke's expedition
Gen. Miles soldiers will be moved to
the eastward along the line of march
to make room for the most recent ar
rivals, and when the force which is
destined for Guanica, which is on the
south coast, is reduced to perfect or
ganization, the advance upon Ponce
will begin. Ponce will perhaps be in
possession of Gen. Miles and Gen.
Brooke before the troops under Maj
Gen. Wilson and Gen. Coppinger effect
landings at Fajardo, on the east coast,
and Barceloneta, on the north coast.
Ponce is the first objective point,
however, in view of the fact that
Miles forces will be compelled to
make a longer march towards San
Juan before gaining tho position on
the Bayamon mountain, which has
been designated as the meeting place
of three expeditions. The march from
Barceloneta, on the north, and Faiardo,
on the east, will be accomplished in
much quicker order than the advance
through the interior from Yauco, and
hence if the troops at Tampa and
Chickamauga under Coppinger and
Wilson delay for two weeks they
will reach Porto Rico in time
to form the junction with Miles
and Brooke on the Bayamon
mountain. In their march from
Yauco it is possible Miles and Brooke
will be compelled to perform some ex-
tensive accommodating in pursuit of
the Spanish garrison at Ponce and
Guayama, for in view of their inferi-
ority, it is believed by experts that the
enemy will not resist, but attempt to
retreat eastward via Cayey to San
Juan. Gen. Miles brilliant plan of
campaign is such that it would be ut
terlV impossible for the Standards In,