Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-07-15
ENEMIES HOLD A CONFERENCE
MILES. SHAFTER AND WHEELER
MEET THE SPANISH GENERAL.
He Pointed Out That He Was a SUBJ
ordinate and Could Not Accept
the Compromise Proposed
by Shafter Without Ex-
press Authority.

proceeding. Botn SlueS nave Sleiueu SoHie-
| what. General Toral. the Spanish COM
mander realizes the hopelessness of further
resistance. and the American commander.
General Shafter is inclined TO reduce the
harshness of the terms which he at first
proposed 10 impose upon the enemy.
1t appears that on Monday General Shaf-
ter did not again demand the unconditional
surrender which General Toral had refused
on Sunday. but offered, as an alternative
| proposition, to accept the capitulation of
the enemy and to transport the Spanish Of
ficers and troops to Spain. they to leave all
all their arms behind and he TO accept their
parole 1t was this proposition which Cen
eral Toral declined yesterday.
This morning it was decided to hold a
personal interview with General Toral.
General Miles and his staff. who got no fur
ther than General Skaters headquarters
last night. accompanied by General Shafter
and his staff, rode out to the front shortly
before o'clock. under a flag of truce. A
request for a personal interview with the
Spanish commander-in-chief was made and
acceded to, and at about o'clock General
Miles, General Shafter. General Wheeler,
General Gilmour Colonel Morse Captain
Wiley and Colonel Maus rode up, passed
over our intrenchments and went down in
TO the valley beyond. They were met by
General Toral and his chief of staff, under
spreading mango tree, at the bottom Of
the valley, about half way between the
lines. The interview that followed lasted
an hour.
The situation was placed frankly before
General Toral. and he was offered the al
tentative of being sent home with his gar
rison. or leaving Santiago province. The
only condition imposed being that he should
not destroy the existing Notifications and
Sh habip5 This Ia
condition the Spanish general, who does
not speak English, explained through his
interpreter was impossible He said the
laws of Spain gave a general discretion. He
might abandon place when he found it
untenable. but he could not leave his arms
behind without subjecting himself to the
penalty of being court-martialed and shot.
His government he said. had granted him
permission to evacuate Santiago. That was
all. Further than that he was powerless
to go.
said the tenor of General Torals remarks
all betrayed his realization that he could
not hold out long. When General Shafter
explained that our reinforcementS were
coming up. that he was completely sur
rounded. and that new batterie9 were being
posted General Toral simply shrugged his
shoulders.
"I am but a subordinate said he: "and
I obey my government. If it is necessary,
We can die at our poses.
General Toral is man of 60 years Of
age. with a strong, rugged face and fine.
soldierly bearing His brave words in
sp:red a feeling of respect and admiration
in the hearts of his adversaries. Neverthe-
less. the Spanish generals anxiety to avoid
further sacrifice of life in his command
was manifest. and he did not hesitate to
ask for time to communicate the situation
to Madrid, although he obviously shook
his head when he spoke of the probable
response.
In the course of an interview General
Toral said the bombardment of Sunday and
Monday had done little damage. He admit
ted that shells from the guns of the fleet
had destroyed four houses, but he asserted
that only half dozen soldiers of the garri-
son had been injured. He also volunteered
the information, when General Miles gal
lantly inquired after General Linares' con-
dition. that the latter would probably have
to undergo the amputation of his left arm
at the shoulder.
General Miles, at the interview, did not
attempt TO assume the direction of the
negotiations, but as general of the United
States army he vouched for the conditions
General Shafter offered
Upon the return of our commanders to
the American lines a consultation was held
at General Wheeler's headquarters.
Generals Garcia and Castillo, with their
staffs. had ridden around from the extreme
right to see Miles. 1t was notable group
gathered under the protecting awning Of
General Wheeler's tent.
General Miles, in blue fatigue uniform
with the double star on his shoulder and
his campaign hat encircled by a single
strand of gold braid. looking the ideal SOL
dier. sat on an empty ammunition box and
formed the center of the party.
On the right of General Miles sat General
Shafter and on his left was General Gar
cia. in mud-spotted white uniform, with
heavy riding boots and iingling spurs. The
Cuban general wore a large weather-worn
Panama hat. and at his side was a silver
mounted machete. General Garcia has a
strong. swarthy face, with a deep bullet
scar in his forehead. In a general way he
is not unlike a Cuban edition of General
Miles.
General Wheeler, with grizzled beard
small of stature and in brown campaign
uniform, faced the three officers mentioned
while about them sat the aides-de-camp Of
the four generals.
Assistant Naval Contractor Hobson. the
nero OIL tlle AleTFlIndC, VINO n3d come to
headquarters with messages from Rear Ad-
| miral Sampson, was also present. The sit
uation was discussed with the aid of a
profuson of maps, and at the conclusion
of the conference, luncheon was served 1t
consisted of beans, hardtack and coffee
After this meal, General Miles General
Shafter and General Garcia with their
STATS. rode off to inspect the position on
the right flank. They all agreed that Cen
eral Toral was securely wedged in and that
escape was impossible. but owing to de-
lays and the possibly incident loss of life
which was certain to result from an at
tempt to carry the town by assault the
danger to our troops from fever and dis
ease. and, above all, the fact that the Span
| ish fleet was destroyed. which has been the
real object of the campaign, it seemed to
| be the general disposition to allow General
Torai to evacuate Santiago. This would
| give us military and naval base. permit
the starving refugees to return to their
| homes. and would allow the immediate en-
barkation of the bulk of our army for the
| Porto Rico campaign
| The rain now falls in sheets every day
| drenching the soldiers, washing out the
roads and swelling the streams into tor
| rents. In fact, our base of supplies is ac-
tually threatened by the mountain streams.
| TWO bridges have been carried away this
| afternoon after downfall in which an
inch and half of rain fell.
The Aguadores river is impossible. The
water, shoulder deep, is running like a
small Niagara. A mule ambulance which
| attempted to cross the river was carried
200 yards down the stream, filed with refu-