The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-09-23

ing regiments, now at San Francisco,
to Manila: The Fifty-first Iowa, TWEEN
tieth Kansas, First Tennessee, FirLt
Washington, a detachment of the Sec
ond Oregon, four companies Of the
Twenty-third infantry and recruits for
the Tenth Pennsylvania, First Ne
braska and First Colorado.
1t was stated at the wal department
that nc exigency had arisen which
made it necessary to send the troops
now at San Francisco to Manila, but
the order issued today was in accord
ance with the general plan Of the de-
partment regarding a garrison for the
Philippines. That plan Of garrison
duty included 20, 600 men for the Phil
ippines, IL, 500 for Porto Rico and 60, 600
for Cuba. The troops to be sent to Ma
Mia under today's order will fill the
complement for the station. The troops
would "a been sent before, it is said,
except that the department was await
ing the return of transports.
The order, directing the movement
of troops from San Francisco, contains
the following: 1.-THE quartermaster's
department will furnish the necessary
transportation, especial care being TAX
en- to provide sufficient space, and the
subsistence and medical departments
are charged with providing ample n
suitable supplies furnished by their
respective departments, to insure the
comfort, well-being and health Of the
troops en- route"
NEW CANADIAN COMMISSIONER.
Senator C. J. Faulkner, of West Vir-
ginia, was today appointed to the po-
Sition on the Canadian commission
made vacan by the retirement of Sen
ator Gray when he was transferred to
the Paris peace commission. The ten
der of the position vas made by the
president today in a personal interview
with Senator Faulkner and was accept
ed by the latter.
THE CUBAN COMMISSION.
The war department has received a
cablegram from Major ClOus, the sec
rotary Of the American military COM
mission, dated Havana, today, stating
that the commission has removed to
Sedado, a suburb of Havana, and that
all of the party, as we'll as the people
on the steamer Resolute, notwithstand-
ing newspaper reports to the contrary,
are in good health.
THE PHILIPPINES FRIENDLY.
The officials at the state and war
departments welcomed the notice sent
to the American people through the
Associated Press of the falsity of the
stories describing the friction between
the Philippines n the American
forces in LuZon. While the officials did
not care to discuss the matter for pub
LEGATION, it was evident that the main
source of their satisfaction was the
internal evidence contained in the doe
ument that Aguinaldo had profited by
the warnings of the American COM
ynordarc and had urannf111Iv rocp6eI
from the arrogant attitude assumed by
him just before General Merritt left
Manila for Paris.
RUSHING REPAIRS ON THE ORE
CON AND IOWA.
The navy department is rushing
preparations for the start of the big
battleships Oregon and Iowa to Homo
lulu and orders AVE been sent to the
New York navy yard to have the me-
chanics work overtime on these ships
The purpose is to have them start or
their long voyage by the end of the
Npresent month and, according to the
= department calculations, they will ar
rive at their destination by the enc
of January. There is little effort now
to conceal the fact, that the depart
ment will have the ships met at Homo.
lulu by a dispatch boat with orders tt
turn their prOwS westward to Manila
Battleships of this character art
not needed to keep the Philippine in.
.surgents in order, and their assembling
at Manila in conjunction with the dis
patch of heavy achievements o
troops for the American land forces
cannot but be regarded as significant
In we'll informed circles here it is sait
that the real purpose of the preSiden
in making these preparations is to in
sure the peace commissioners agains
any interference in their work of dis
posing of the future of the Philippin
islands according to their best judge
ment. Not having disclosed his plan
respecting the islands outside of Lu
Zon, the seat of the capital of tn
group, the president still reserves 70
the American peace commissioners tn
right to dispose of the remainder of tn
islands as they may deem best.
PREPARATION TO RESIST AN EU
ROPEAN POWER.
A long line of curious Incidents, t
which one of the great European pow
ers has been a party has, beyond ques
ton, done much to cause. a feeling Q
uneasiness on the part of the admins
tration, as tending to show a purpos
to interfere in our free action in tn
Philippines and this has been onl
x slightly diminished by apparent
frank disclaimers of an Interior puI
pose, because the incidents continu
quietly and in a manner calculated I
avoid attracting attention. Such fC
instance is the gathering of naval YES
sells to the south of the Philippir
group, the only explanation of which
coming from native sources, 1t is tru
but still bearing marks of genuinenes
is a purpose of acquiring either by seis
ure or by some secret compact with tn
Spanish government the important i:
land of Palawan. This particular i:
1on1 fnrrnC ono eide Of tho oofau-o
through which must pass all of the e.
tensive m that flows betwee
Australia, Micronesia and souther
China. The passage is narrow and
the islands of the Philippine group a.
to be retained, outside of Luzon, tn
island of Palawan must be kept, {
forming one side of the gateway. It
AEathered that it is the purpose of IL
president, therefore, to prevent Il
alienation by Spain of any Of the Phi