The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-06-08
SIMPSONS AUTHORITY.
he Has Supreme Power to Act as
He Sees Fit.
OUR TROOPS PROBABLY EN- ROUTE

with a strong belief that there has been
nothing in the nature of a serious en-
gagement between SIMPSONS forces
and the Spanish defenses at Santiago,
the navy department officials, as the
day wore on and the full detailed press
reports began to flow in, were compell-
ed to modify their Views. At 7:15 last
evening a report from Admiral Samp-
son confirmed the press dispatches as
to the bombaTdment of the fortifica-
tions, but as no reference Is made to
the landing of troops it is taken for
granted that no troops have been land
ed, though possibly some marines have
been landed temporarily.
But that army forces had been put
ashore they would not admit, for the
reason that no information had reach
ed the department of the actual de-
parture of the troops from the gulf
ports of Cuba. 1t Is not denied, however,
that every effort is making to put the
soldiers into Cuba at the earliest pos
sible moment and 1t is believed al
though no official advices to that ef-
feet were at hand, that troops actually
embarked at Tampa yesterday and may
have got away last night. The reason
for delaying thus far was the absence
of actual necessary supplies, which in
most cases We're stored away in some
of the thousands of freight cars which
blocked the railroad tracks many miles
out of Tampa. 1t is now believed that
the troops have their supplies
BY the reports of the breach Sampson
has made in the coast defenses at San
tiago there is every reason to believe
little difficulty will be found in the
actual debarkation of the troops, par
ticularly if marines are already ashore
to guard the landing. A suspicion is
entertained in some quarters that
Sampson has hastened his movements
at Santiago by the news of the intended
departure of the troops from Tampa,
and made this attack in order that the
navy alone might have the honor of eff
fecting the first occupation of Cuban
soil.
1t is likely that the first troops of
the regular army to take up a posi-
tion ashore will be the engineer battal-
ion, although they are so badly ham
pered by the heavy siege trains they
carry that they must be greatly delay
ed in making a landing. These guns,
by the way, have given infinite trouble,
for the transports that were hastily
chartered were SO lightly constructed
as to require a great deal of strength
ening before the great masses of steel
could be safely placed in them.
The extent of SIMPSONS attack on
the Santiago defenses has brought out
one fact very clearly, namely, that he
has practically unlimited power as to
the time and character of an attack
and is unhampered by restrictions from
Washington. The exact nature of his
orders has never been made public, but
a naval officer in a position to know
what they are said that Admiral
Sampson had greater power conferred
upon him than had ever been given to
any commander-in-ch chief 1t was for
him to decide on the time for an at
tack, and the place and manner of its
execution.
The death of Captain Gridley has re-
moved one of the officers set down for
advancement over their seniors on ac-
count of the victory at Manila. The pro-
motions recommended by the president
are the subject of much talk between
naval officers. Those who did not par
ticipate In the battle are naturally dis
pleased at being Jumped" and they
are pointing out the evils Of the prac-
tice, among them being the probable
are likely to be in turn jumped and so
practically set back by some of the Of
ficers now on duty with Sampson 5
fleet, who may distinguish themselves
in battle. These officers are urging
that it would only be prudent and fair
to go slowly in the matter of making
promotions of this character and wait
until the war is ended, when all the
mefitorious officers may y. awarded
in strict accordance to their merit.
1t will be good news for the many
persons interested directly or indi-
rectly in claims against the Spanish
government growing out of i'll treat
ment in Cuba, or loss to property sus-
tained there, to know that the state de-
partment has not lost sight of them !
and that their interests are to be fully
conserved when IL comes to a final set
tlement between the United States and
Spain. These claims on file in the state
department now amount to an aggre-
gate cf $16,000000, and it is the purpose,
when a treaty of peace is drawn, to
provide therein for their settlement.