The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-05-27
NO OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION
LOCATION OF SPANISH SQUADRON
 NOT DEFINITELY KNOWN.

Secretary Long Receives No Word From
 Scouting Vessels but "Concludes That
 Cervera is still in Santiago Harbor''-
 Intense Desire on Part of Officials to
 Secure Some Absolutely Trustworthy
 Information on This Point.
 Washington, May 26.-Secretary Long said at the close of office hours to-day that no word had come from any scout ing vessels, so numerous in West h. dian waters, concerning the Spanish flying squadron, wherefore he conclud- ed that Cervera was still in Santiago harbor. Supposedly Schley is lying outside watching the entrance to pre- vent the egress of the Spanish vessels, but while there is evidence of a certain kind of that fact, there has been no off, cial confirmation. This is little re- lnarkable in view of the fact that it is only days run for one of Schley's swift torpedo boats from Santiago to a cable port in Hayti. There is also a curious lack of information from the newspaper dispatch boats on this point.
 It was supposed that the censors might have taken from the dispatches of the newspaper men any reference to the fleets, but this would apply, ac cording to the statement of the navy department officials here only to that part of the dispatches that might re- late to the movements and whereabouts of the United States forces and the censors f<les would not exclude refer ence to the Spanish squadron. Not withtsanding the officials profess un shaken confidence in their original be- lief that the Spanish squadron is se- curely bottled up in Santiago harbor, there is no concealment by them of an intense desire to secure some absolute point. It is not to be doubted that, with the question still open the begin ming of the military operations is re- tarded, for as long as there exists a possibility of the Spanish naval force being at large, there is an indisposition to start the troop transports for Cuba,
 Probably it was this uncertain con- dition of affairs that induced the presi- dent to call a consultation at the White house to-day between Secretaries Alger and Long, General Miles and the meln- bers of the war board, Admiral Sicard, Captain Crowr4inshield and Captain Mahan. As stated by one of the men- bers of the conference the purpose was to go over the whole situation from the Philippines to Cuba and Porto Rico and decide just how far the plans all ready laid should be modified to meet existing conditions. This involved a discussion of such important points as the propriety of the immediate advance of the military forces upon Cuba; the credibility of the advices so far had touching the location of the Spanish squadron; the policy of preceding the Cuban expedition or accompanying it with one directed against Porto Rico and finally the extent of the military assistance to be sent to Admiral Dewey at Manila. As already indicated the proceedings were rather in the nature of a consultation than of a war coun- cil where a full decision is demanded at once, so that it is not probable that all these important questions were dis posed of at the council. None of the members of the conference felt author ized to tell what had taken place, but there are thought to be patent indica- tions of decision to embark military expeditions, whether for Cuba or Porto Rico, can only be conjectured, in the course of the next few days.
 NEW SPANISH WARSHIP
 Trial of fhe I'm ared C..r