Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-20
AUTHORITY IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Extent of Our Jurisdiction There
sdII a Matter of Doubt-OficiaIs
Decline 10 Discuss It-Spmen's Gu
han Commission.
ban Commission.

WASHINGTON, August l9-One OF the
r-ast fleets OF warships ever assembled in
e., American port will be brought to-
-.tber IN the next few days at Fort Mon
roe Already tifty-seven warships are un-
5s- orders 10 rendezvous there, and the
oteers stlll 10 be issued will raise the total
81, the neiehborhood of seventy. Naval
oe5cials say il is difficult TO realize the ex-
t-rt u such a marine aggregation in one
harsor. Those included in to-day's orders
,-e the Newport Rodgers, Lebanon
Wamputuck. Morriss. Gwynn, Lancaster
,f--rias. Oscela- Peoria Massasoit, Sioux,
Ch,ycnne. Waban. Chickasaw, Helena
Detroit. and Yankton. These and the
e.'ns previously ordered there are MAIN
IS small craft. although there are a num-
be- Of large cruisers and gunboats, in
Guiding the san Francisco. Helena, De-
t-5it. topeka. Marietta. and Castine
OUT OF FEVER RANGE.
The movement Of these ships northward
is due 20 the close Of hostilities, and more
particularly 70 the desire 10 get the ships
away from points Of possible fever infec-
tion They will now be put in thorough
rsDsir. and their crews gradually will be
changed from naval militiamen TO sailors
O. the regular navy
The Navy Department has not yet de-
termined what ships shall go TO Habana'
San Juan. and other points in Cuba and
Porto Rico. There is felt TO be no hurry
about this until the authority Of the
United States is fully established through
out the islands In the mean time the
matter of policing the shore points Is be-
ing considered. and in due course a num-
her Of the light draught auxiliary craft
and some Of the single turreted monitors
will be used for this coast patrol. 1t Is
found. however, that only four Of the old
monitors Of the civil war are fit for this
service I'm southern waters.
FOR PENSACOLA.
As many naval vessels will be centered
about the West Indies from this time for
ward The Navy Department viii send the
now floating dock recently bought in New
York down the coast TO Pensacola, Fla.
where il will be kept for docking the war
ships. At that point. also, there are good
naval workshops TO be used IN conjunc-
lion with the floating dock. The dock IS
now being coppered. and will be towed e
Pensacola as soon as the September gales
are over.
There we're few developments Of impor'
tarce in the postwar situation to-day
The authorities are still waiting fol-
General Merritrs report Of the list Of
casualties. and the Sta,e, War, anC
Navy departments are interested IL
knowing the exact terms on which Manila
was Observation-Disclosures the city alone
or II all the Philippines were included.
MANILA CABLE.
II was stated by officials that nothing
additional on this point had been received
up 10 the close Of office hours to-day The
efforts 10 restore the Manila cable con-
tnue. but they have not proved success
ful thus far. The claims made in Madrid
that the protocol, and not the capitula-
ton. controls the status Of affairs in the
Philippines, will not be discussed by the
state Department officials The Madrid
discussion is looked upon as rather aca-
demic. as it is taken for granted thai
claims Will be made on both sides and
that the Paris tribunal will be the final
arbiter in the case.
CUBAN COMMISSION.
Neither the state Department nor the
French embassy has received word that
spain has chosen her military commits
si1ns for Cuba and Porto Rico, and some
ooubt is expressed as 10 the accuracy of
The names given In London press advices
The names given in these reports are
those Of Spanish generals and admirals
now stationed in Cuba and Porto Rico, Sc
that II the names are correct no tim'
viii be lost In bringing the commissioners
together The understanding here is that
the session will begin at Habana and Sar
Juan about the first week in Septemoer.'
THE CAnI<IcV TO ATTEND.