Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-17
PRESENT WAR PLANS
Operations to Be Brought Closer
Home to Spain.
NOT NECESSARY TO HOLD CUBA
Preparing for the Next Expedi-
ton.
NEWS OF THE TROOPS

The return of General Miles to Washing
| ton and the ordering of additional troops to
| join the Santiago expedition are in line
| with the policy already announced in The
Star of delaying the attack upon Havana
until the fall and meanwhile bringing the
| war operations closer homs to Spain. The
| determination to delay the general invasion
Of Cuba makes 1t possible to spare addition
al troops for Santiago, and some Of those
| already sent to that point may be avail
able later for Porto Rico. The Porto Rican
| expedition fits in well with that aimed at
| Santiago, and when the two have been
brought to a successful termination, Santi-
| ago being captured and the Cervera fleet
either taken or destroyed, and Porto Rico
being gathered under the fold of the Amer
lean flag, the further operations will be d.
| rected toward the Spanish coast.
According to the present intention the Ca
| naries will be attacked, Spanish commerce
| near at home menaced and demonstration
| be made against the ports of Spain. Plans
| are maturing in that direction. The first
| reinforcements for the Philippines are ex-
pected to arrive at Manila within the nsxt
| forty-eight hours. The expedition to San
! t.ago is expected to arrive at that point
| about Sunday, and the expedition against
| Porto Rico will be started is soon as its
| fitting out can be completed and the YES
| sells can be spared from Santiago to partici-
pate in it. The first Information from the
| transports to Santiago is expected to come
| from Jamaica, and from this it would ap-
pear that the fleet had sailed by the lower
| course.
To Threaten Spain Herself.
AS soon as formal possession has been
| taken of the Philippine Islands, Santiago
reduced and Porto Rico captured this gov
ernment will be ready for speedy termi-
raticn of the war, and the war policy to
| be pursued is intended to be such to
| compel Spain to sue for peace. 1t is realiz-
ed that Spain IS in a mood to continue the
war indefinitely, as long as it is not brought
| tc her very doors and SO threaten her in
tegrity at home. 1t is not believed that
even the fall of Havana would bring peace
| at once, nor is it considered essential that
Havana should be invested before peace
obtained.
Not Necessary to Hold Cuba.
The independence Of the Island of cuba
is the issue OF the war, and this govern
| ment will not have to be actually in pos
session of the island to insure its freedom
| being included in the terms of peace Porto
| intention to hold, however, must be in our
possession at the close of the war; in order
| to establish our right in international law
| to retain them. At the same time Cuba
may be held by the insurgents, under our
protection.
The purpose of the attack on Santiago is
not the invasion of Cuba. The one definite
object Of removing the Cervera fleet a
factor in the war is aimed at, and an in
cident to this is the organizing of the Gu
| bans and supplying them with arms and
munitions of war. When this is accom-
plished no extensive operations against Gu
ba contemplated for some time. The
| front of battle will be turned with menac-
ing determination toward Spain herself un-
til she is forced to submission. The Span
ish people are to be made to feel our power
in a way which they could not realize if
our operations, always victorious though
they might be, were confined to remote
quarters.
Preparing the Army.
Gen. Miles returns to Washington to look
after the general construction of our army
and not only to prepare for the Porto
| Rican expedition, but to look after the
thorough equipment and organization of
| large army for the operations to be under
taken this fall. 1t is the intention to have
the efforts of the department directed to-
ward perfecting the army and putting it
upon such a basis that by the time frost
comes We will have in addition to the men
Who are now participating in the expedi-
| ton, hundred thousand men, perfectly
drilled and equipped and well seasoned,
available for the invasion of Cuba and for
such reinforcements as may be necessary
in the occupation of Porto Rico ana the
Philippines. Meanwhile, the military oper-
atfons will be confined to the Philippines.
Porto Rico and Santiago.
Awaiting Arrival of Troops.
No news is expected from the fleet at
Santiago before Sunday. That was the
statement made at the Navy Department
today. and it was based upon an accurate
knowledge of the course adopted by the
troop transports and the rate of speed at
which the vessels are travelling The naval
officials are still confident that the vessels
have taken the easterly course by way of
Cape Maysi, in which case they should
have rounded that point by this time The
hiking upon Sunday as the day upon which
news may be expected is supposed to have
been brought about from the consideration
that 1t will take some time, probably as
much as two days, to land the troops and
their heavy equipments. Seeing that sew
eral days were required to effect the en-
barkation of troops at Tampa it is not TO
be expected that much better time can he
made in getting them ashore on q hostile
coast without any of the facilities for the
work afforded by Tampa
Re-Establfshing Cable Communtca-
ton.
The War Department has been working
strenuously to establish cable communlca-
ton over the French cable between Haiti
ard the point on Guantanamo bay. where
the marines are now camped. Gen. Greedy.
chief signal officer. is directly in charge
of this work, and is acting through Lieut..
Gel. Allen of the signal corps, who is
aboard the cable steamer Mancel, which
has been chartered by the War Department
for the purpose of making and breaking
cable connections to suit naval and mill
tsry necessities. The navy is not concern
ed in this work. and all the operations
looking to the. renewal Of broken circuits
are in charge of the army. The Man.el
was yesterday at Cape Hatien with every.
thing prepared for the start when trouble
was found with her clearance papers
A. soon as the fact was reported here