Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-07-21

washington. July l7.-There was a
long and anxious wait Yesterday 10
hear further news from the commits
siohers who had been charged 10 make
arrangements for the surrender of the
spanish army at Santiago. For eigh-
teen hours no word came from either
ten. Shafter or Gen. Miles. although
there was the keenest desire on the
part or the president and cabinet ad-
ylsers 10 learn what had been done,
n particularly TO know whether the
actual surrender Of Santiago and the
Spanish troops had been carried our.
When the cabinet met at IL O'Clock
there was positively nothing from the
front which would serve as a guide for
the deliberations. 1t was thought the
cable had been interrupted. but on in
curry or Gen. Gridley, chief signal Of
nicer, he gave assurance that the cable
was intact. Thereupon, Secretary
Alger sent a dispatch asking for the
situation up to the latest moment, and
particularly inquiring as TO how far
the surrender had proceeded. No an
swer came while the cabinet was in
session. In the meantime Gen. Greedy
a cabied and he was the first official
to
Hear From the Front.
A dispatch from Lieut.. Jones. military
censor at Playa del Este. reported that
the message from the secretary Of war
TO Gen. Shafter was only six minutes
in passage from Washington TO Playa.
The message received by Gen. Greelv
came ar 2:23 p. M, and indicated that
negotiations We're yet In progress, but
as the dispatch was submitted TO the
president no details were given out.
Toward the middle Of the afternoon
dispatches from Gen. Miles and Gen.
Shafter began to arrive in response TO
Secretary Ayers rather imperative re-
quest. They were not given out in
full. but such portions as were made
public showed that the negotiations
were still in progress and that the
Spaniards had raised some rather I'M
expected questions. Most important OF
these was an insistance that the Span
fish troops hould retain their arms
when they returned to Spain. There
was entire willingness On the part of
Gen. Toral TO turn over the arms TO
Gen. Shafter at the time of the sur
render, but with this was to be the
understanding that the
Arms Were TO BE Returned
10 the Spanish troops when Spanish
soil was reached. This was a condi-
ton which had not been anticipated.
The authorities here did not regard IL
as serious, or as likely to overcome a
final settlement. as it was attributed TO
the Spanish sensitiveness against the
humiliation involved in the laying
down Of their arms. At the same time
II was a point on which neither side
appeared to be ready to yield. One OF
| the dispatches from the front, after
specifying that this difference had
| arisen, added that il was believed a
settlement would be reached before
the day closed. Gen. Shafter himself
summed up the situation by saying:
1T cannot be possible that there will
be failure in completing arrange
ments." No question whatever has
been raised as TO the surrender itself.
| Not only has Gen. Toral agreed to 1t
but this agreement has been ratified
by Gen. Blanco at Havana and by the
Spanish authorities at Madrid. Gen.
Greedy received another dispatch at 3
D. m. containing the information that
Col. Allen had landed the shore end of
the signal corps cable at Playa del
Este from the cable Steamer Adria.