The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-30
70 HURRY THE BATTLE
General Shafter May Not Await
,.- His Reinforcements. -:ssasz6
THE NEED FOB SPEEDY ACTION.

MeGZanlIlO Are marching TO tne Ala
of General Linares, and Are Iow
Within Fifty Miles of Santiago.
Washington. June 30.-The opinion
prevails here that within a day or two
at most General Shafter will have be-
gun his attack upon the city of SAM
tiago proper. The important event Of
yesterday was the generals announce
ment that he could take the city in 4S
hours, but at considerable loss. Taken
In connection with the announcement
contained In another dispatch that he
Is going to attack without awaiting
achievements, 1t will be seen that the
officials have ground for their expecta-
tion that the first general engagement
of the war will begin in a very short
time. Numerically. the opposing forces
are not very different the estimate Of
the Spanish force being placed at $4,000
men. thoroughly entrenched and be-
hind barbed wire fences and block.
houses. as against about $4,000 men
under Skaters command, aided by
1900 Cubans.
One of the gravest elements In the
problem, however, is the Spanish war;
ships for unless Shafter is materially
assisted by Sampson, who might en-
gage the full attention Of the Spanish
ships. their fire upon the American adj
vance forces would be very hard to
meet. The military authorities here
say that General Linares has shown
great military tactics in slowly retreat
ing during the last few days. as he
has gradually drawn our troops away
from thy protection of the American
ships in Santiago harbor. For this
reason it was with relief that the an
nouncement was received here that
Shafter succeeded In landing all of
his artillery, including his seige train.
for unless Sampson can be relied upon
to force his way into the harbor and
attack the Spanish ships these seige
guns, planted on heights commanding
the bay, will be the main reliance Of
General Shafter in offsetting the pres
ence of the Spanish ironclads.
Undoubtedly Shafter is animated to
attack as soon as possible by his
knowledge Of the approach of REIN
forcements of Linares from Manzanillo.
for with this additional force Skaters
position would be disagreeable, If not
perilous, at least until he had received
reinforcements. The war department
received the first definite news yester-
day as to the approach of these Span
: ish reinforcements. This was in an
official dispatch stating that 5000 men,
with pack trains and droves of animals,
were advancing from Manzanillo and
were 81 miles from Santiago. 1t has
been known through reports from
Lieutenant Joyce, made to General
Miles, that the Spaniards have 1900
men at Manzanillo and 10000 at Hol-
guin, and every precaution has been
taken to guard against their advance
from either quarter The official re-
port yesterday showed that 5000 Of
those at Manzanillo had covered half
the distance to Santiago, and 1t Is the
belief of militar officials here that
General. Pando making advances
with his 10000 men from Holguin.
These advances. now practically un-
opposed. are regarded as one Of the
most serious phases Of the situation.
There is a further element to which
the military authorities are giving
careful attention, that one man en-
trenched behind earthworks or in
rifle pits is worth three men in the
open. 1t is said that the battles Of
Charlottesville and Spottsylvania af-
forded the most direct proof Of this
point. 3.
1t was announced at the war DEPART
ment that by their reports 5000 soldiers
should be leaving Tampa yesterday to
join Shafter. They will be three or
four days on the voyage. and 1t is prob
able that 1t is this force that General
Shafter refers to as likely to arrive
too late for his action.
The navy department yesterday gave
out message from Admiral Dewey
which was brought to Hong Kong by
the McCulloch, SO that 1t must have
left Cavite on the 23d. The admiral
made no reference to the landing of
German marines, and the officials here
are satisfied that Germany Is acting
In good faith and according to the
rules of neutrality.
The report that the Egyptian gov-
ernment had firmly refused coal to
Camara's fleet at Port Said has not
yet been officially confirmed, but Is
accuracy is not questioned. There is
In itself will operate to prevent the
further movement Of the Spanish
squadron toward the Philippines, as
Madrid advices alleged purpose on
the part of the Spanish government to
send additional colliers with the ex-
pedition to overcome the refusal Of the
various ports along the way to tho
Philippines to supply coal. There is a
strong impression, however. that the
Spanish government will avail itself of
the pretext afforded by this refusal to
turn the fleet back to Spain. True,
Spain's war minister asserted yester-
day that Camara's squadron has al
ready begun the passage of the Sue7
canal, but no credence will be placed
in this report unless 1t Is verified from
other sources.