The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-07-15
THE coNDITIoNAL srRHENDER
Motives which Induced the Authorities 10
Agrcy 10 Send the Spanish
Troops Home


Ncw York July a. A Tribune special
from Washington says:
The nnal extension Df the armsi.ct AL
Santiago until noon today IN order 90
give Madrid an opportunity to authorize
General Toral 10 accept the modified de-
mana of the United States forces Tor the
surrender Of the city. under a guarantee
that all the Spanish forces In the be-
s.cgcd city should be safely transferred
20 Spain. became known In Washington
after protracted and extraordinary ses-
sion of the cabinet at which the desperate
condition of the bosleged and alarming
sanitary situation Of the bcslegers were
were carefully weighed.
The ringing emphasis with which the
cabinet on Saturday last approved Gen.
Skaters demand for immediate and un-
CONDITIONAL surrender had been founded
upon enthusiastic reports from the gem
rral that he had recovered from his tedi-
Gus illeness: that his siege guns and ave
days ratlons, with large supplies OF am
muni,Ion and effective reinforcement,
had bc'u brought TO the front and that
his position was not only lmpregnable.
but that he could carry the city by as
sauli In few hours whenever he chose
to begin.
His conference with Admiral Sampson
had given him confidence that the feet
should shell the city over the hills and
the marked checrfulness OF his dispatches.
In strong contrast to the deiirlous tone
of the present weeA, gave Washington
every reason TO believe that unqualified
victory was at hand.
With (he arrival OF General Miles the
hopes of the authorities received another
buoyant tendency. but after two DAYS OF
continuous rain on the battlefield the
spirits OF the commanding generals began
20 droop again, and the climax came In
the reports that yellow fever had al last
appeared, and while IL had so FAR exhibit
cd itself only In a mild form, the sup
posed condition OF the men In the tren-
ches, knee deep in water and fairly
steamlng In the Intense heat. the condl-
uons were most favorable for the rapid
propagation OF the disease and for its
development into malignant type OF the
dread scourge,
Under these circumstances the authors
ties while utterly repudiating the Span
ish proposition to surrender the entire
province OF Santiago, provided Torals
force was permitted to withdraw unmo-
Tested to the westward. took into consd-
Grafton u suggestion which was broached
nearly a week ago in Washington. and
not suggested by any OF the forces oper-
ating against the enemy at the front.
This provided for an agreement to tho
conditional surrender Of all the Spanish
military forces In and around Santiago
harbor with the guarantee NJ their
prompt and safe return to Spain
The suggestion grew out OF the antlci- !
pated embarrassment that would be |
forced upon the authorities by the ac- !
QUESTION OF such an excessively large |
number Of military prisoners, who would |
necessarily have to be brought to the
northern part of the United States ana
cared for until the close of the war
1t also became evident at the outset |
that IN case the Santiago garrison capit- |
ulated it would be impossible to control
SO large number of prisoners on Cuban
soil, necessltatng the maintenance
around 1t of more American soldiers
than could be spared. while Cuban troops
could not be trusted to perform this SER
vice, The suggestion that the prisoners
might better be sent in neutral vessels
to Portugal for speedy delivery to their
own country, found greater favor as the
best way out Of the predicament, and
tentative arrangements were at once ac-
tualy made to put the plan into effect.
After learning Of the continued determi-
nation of the Spanlards to stubbornly re-
sist the demand for unconditional surren-
der, together with the knowledge Of the
horrors that the American army was be-
ing forced to confront by the exasperat-
ing weather, the authorities consented TO
the revival of the scheme as an alterna-
tive proposition to the terms offered by
Madrid through Toral for the evacuation
of Santiago, and It was adopted. As theI
matter now stands Spain has agreed 10
surrender Santiago, the objective point
of the American expedition, and the sole
point of difference is whether the Spanish
force there shall be permitted to march
to the reinforcement of Blanco at Hav-
ana, or shall be returned to Spain,
1t Is claimed that the United States has