The age-herald., 1898-07-15
RUMORS RIFE
 IN WASH|NGTO TON As to the Terms of the Surren-
 der of Santingo.
DENIED BY WAR DEPARTMENT
Ge neral ToraI Asked For a Commits sion to Agree on Terms-Insiruc- lions Sent to Shafter, the
 Exact Terms of Which
 Not Made Public.

Washington, July 14-While there are many rumors as to the exact conditions at Santiago, it was not until 12 o'clock that Adjutant- General Corbin returned from the white house. He then gave out a brief bulletin stating that General Toral had asked for a commission to agree on terms of surrender, and had himself named his commissioners.
 The bulletin did not give the text of General Shafter's dispatch, nor did it give what everyone was anxiously awaiting to know-whether the Spanish proposition would be accepted or rejected, and what effect our action would have on the bom- bardment which was to begin at noon to- day.
 The lack of definite information led to many wild reports. One was to the effect that the Spanish proposition had been summarily rejected and that 1t took only a few minutes for the white house confer- ence to determine on the rejection and so notify Shafter.
 This report was contradicted by officials at the war department. They said there had been no rejection except in so far as it related to any delay barley over the question of surrender.
 Orders to General Shafter
 The orders sent to General Shafter made it perfectly clear to him that the Spanish commander was seeking to gain time or wanted a commission to treat on the ques- tion of surrender itself, to the proposition was not to be considered, but if the Span- ish general conceded ,-urrender and desired the commission merely to agree upon the details and formalities of the surrender then the plan was accepted as all this govern ment has contended for has been surren- dered and it was recognized that com mission would be appropriate to carry out the formalities of the Spanish>laying down of arms. The exact terms of instructions to General Shafter were not disclosed but the foregoing was given as showing the general lines which he was to proceed.
 Adjutant General Corbin looked upon the matter as settled and said as much 1mme- diately upon his return from his confer ence with the president at the white house. In his opinion the only thing that remained was to agree upon certain essential details such as to where the Spanish troops should surrender, whether in town or whether they should be marched out on the plains and there lay down their arms.
 To Arrange Details of Surrender
 It was also possible, he said, that the question of time might enter into the mat ter as to whether the evacuation of the town should begin exactly at noon or wether the actual surrender should occur at that hour or short time thereafter. He said the use of the term Commission ers'' was apt to be misunderstood to mean a formal commission sitting in deliberation for days. Such was not the case in the present instance. Commissions to arrange the details of surrender after it had been agreed upon are common to military hfs- tory. And Commissioners" Is the usual military term given to persons charged with such duties. General Corbin said that under the army regulations General Shafter has full authority to arrange with General Toral for the appointment of one or more commissioners for the purpose indicated. He stated positively that no instructions on that particular point had been sent to Gen. eral Shafter way or the other, and Shafter was expected to, act entirely in &C., cordance with his original instructions con- templating the unconditional surrender of the Spanish forces.