The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-07-26

Letter Proves 10 be Fake. he Philippine
Question. To Creale Reserve Camps. Shat
Ter TO Send Officers TO Rec sive Surrender OF
Guantanamo Sagua and baracca.
Washington. ID. C., July 23.-General
Miles expedition in all probability. Is
now in the Mona Passage between Hay
ii and Porto Rico and viii be i'll sight of
the landing point III the morning. Nhl-
this is the expectation of Secretary "
ger for prudential reasons the War De
partment declines to make any comment
as to the accuracy of the various gueSSes
that have been made in the effort To as
certain exactly what point has been So
lected for the landing place. There IS
likely to be Il lapse of a day or two be
tween the arrival Of the expedition anV
the notification of the fact to the Departs
ment unless some merchant vessel cross
ing to st. Thomas should sight the
American hotilla After that. however,
the Department will be III the closest
communica ton with General Miles, for it
will possess itself of Il cable connecting
General Miles headquarters directly
with the Department. Some part OF
the Porto Rico eXDeditiOn has been de-
layed for Il few days beyond the dates
fixed for their departure but in view of
the difficulties OF handling large bodies
OF men and the supplies for them, this
is not surprising. Thus Schwan's troops
got away only today from Tampa though
ii was believed they started yesterday,
while the most numerous detachment of
the whole expedition. the First division
under General Brooke. will not be able
tp clear from Newport News before Mon
day. Still it is believed that they will
arrive at Porto Rico in good season and
it Will certainly facilitate an orderly and
comfortable landing of the troops to
have them land in detachments instead
oI III one vast army as in the case Of
Shafter's army at Santiago.
Doubt is east upon reports of recent
existing events among the CubanS ut or
near Santiago owing to the failure of
General Shafter to make amy report
upon them, and inasmuch rs he has made
less important subjects matter for dis
patches II Is hard to understand why he
should fail to mention an event of such
Importance as the reported attack by
General Garcia upon Spanish troops on
Their way to surrender to General Shat
ter. There was no health report received
from Shafter today. but so far from he
ing dlscouraging this is believed to indi-
cate the continuance of the improved
conditions reported yesterday and the
day before as to the health Of the camp.
The War Department is now while
keeping 4 close eye upon General Miles
expedition, looking with interest for de-
tailed mail reports from General Shafter
telling of the engagement preceding and
leading up to the surrender of Santiago.
1t was reported today that Colonel T. !.
AStor. of Shafter's staff was due IN
ashngton bringing with him the full
'"I'nahons signed by commissioners.
anu 1t was expected that Shafter's pre-
Tt'Hh& reports would accompany them.
Ii""tNcf up to the close of office hours
''i1N winch, to the relief of the hard
"iNt'' clerks was > o'clock. for the first
'il"' III months, the officer had NOT an
''leo ana the Department does not
know where lie is.
Some official papers have con,o cron,
sampson. but to the great dioonnoint
ment of Navy Department offciaIr ~
reports closed on the day hnfnrn 10
famous naval battle. Some noints of
interest contained in them will bn ,;ron
to the public in the course of :, a.,
or two, but they will relate only -
several fights between the sauadron a,,a
the shore batteries
IT IS the purpose Of the War Dan,r+
1nent to begin at once the execution &C
the plans devised by Secretary Algor
Tor the creation Of reserve camns ma
boards Of staff officers are now enpaoed
IA various localities looking after suita