The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-14
ATTACK
BEGINS
Today on Santiago by the
Army and Navy.
A BAPTISM OF FIRE.
Besieged City Must Surrender or
A BAPTISM OF FIRE.
Besieged City Must Surrender or
Be Destroyed. .
YELLOW FEVER AMONG TROOPS.

YELLOW FEVER AMONG TROOPS.
Its Appearance Has Determined the Au-
thorities Upon an Active Prosecution Of
the Campaign-An Active Cooperation
Of the Naval Forces Will Accelerate the
Reduction Of the City--Toral May Sur
render in the Face Of Terrible Firing.
Washington, July 14.-While the long
expected fall of Santiago did not take
place yesterday. 1t is evident that the
crisis has been reached. Within the
next "a hours Santiago either will sur
render or receive such baptism of
fire as seldom falls to the lot of be-
sieged town.
IF he refuses, will open on him at
II noon with every gun I have. and
have the assistance of the navy. Am
ready to lombard the city with 13 inch
shells"
That is the program laid down by
General Shafter and 1t is to be carried
out to the letter. General Shaf'er Is
still commanding, according to the war
department officials. and although dis
patches have been received from Major
General Miles. signed major general
commanding, 1t Is said that he has not
displaced General Shafter In direct
charge of the operations.
The public. in one Of these telegrams
from General Miles. was given the first
notice that our government in the
course of negotiations with General
Toral. had offered to send the Spanish
forces In Santiago back to Spain. A
few days ago 1t was stated that the
president would insist upon unconGi-
honal surrender, but 1t appears that
conditions had been modified as indi-
Gated by General Miles. This was done
from q desire to avoid useless blood
shed, for General Toral's army removed
to Spain would be harmless to prevent
orr further operations in Cuba and
would serve as good purpose as would
be the destruction of the Spanish army.
TO allow the Spanish general to with
draw to the interior and fall back on
Havana on the other hand, would put
us under the obligation of overcoming
that additional force when 1t comes to
the siege of Havana.
Our government also is moved to
make this proposal to remove the Span
esh forces to Spain through a strong de-
aire to close up the operations at San
tiago at the earliest possible moment.
This desire has been materially
strengthened by the appearance of yell
low fever within the American lines.
It was at first supposed that the men
were falling i'll with malaria and eli
matte fever, so the cases were reported
as simply suspicious. Now, however.
oemes the final admission that they are
genuine yellow fever cases. Their ap-
pearance has determined the author
Ataes upon asnore active prosecution of
ehe aca1npafGn" Orders either have or
ason will go forward to General Shaf-
Ter to discuss no more with the Spanish
commander the terms of surrender but
10 proceed to assault the town with all
the force at his command as soon as
the present truce expires. 1t is expected
BY Shafter that the navy will Cooper
ate and while Secretary Long has re-
ceived no direct advices on that point
from Admiral Sampson. he fully credits
this expectation. Reluctant as the war
department Is to sacrifice the many
Hives that might be lost in an assault
It IS deemed to be better policy to make
It than to allow the men TO rot away
with fevers and other diseases during
the long period that would be required
to perfect the reduction of the city by
steady investment.
The expectation Is still entertained
here, however, that this assault will be
unnecessary through Toral surrender
ing before 1t begins. 1t was perhaps the
spread of this belief, caused by
knowledge of the more energetic steps
In prospect, that tended to remove
largely the feeling of depression mani
Tested at the opening of the day upon
the circulation of rumors of the ap-
pearance of yellow fever in the Ameri-
can camps. Regarding the future of
Santiago, nothing has been officially
stated. but it Is significant that orders
were issued from the department to
prepare the First and Second regiments
of volunteer immunes for immediate
departure for the front. This would
seem to be indicative of q purpose or
the part of the government to garrison
Santiago with these fever proof men
after its captulation, thus permitting
the removal of the regular troops to
more healthy points.
Turning to the far east it was re-
freshing to receive good news again
from Dewey. In fact it is beginning to
be remarked that that officer is usually
able to make felicitous reports, The
administration is very much pleased
with the readiness shown by the ad-
miral in meeting the grave issue pre-
scented to him at Subic Bay, and lust
reported, as he did. Naval officers, too.
were not little gratifed at the speedy
retirement of the German cruiser Irene,
after the appearance of the Raleigh
and Concord. A comparison of the ships
shows that the Irene was much the Sill
perior to either Of the two American
vessels and in tonnage was almost as
large as the Raleigh and Concord to-
gether. From this it is inferred that the
retirement of the Irene was from mo-
tives of general policy, rather than
from any indsposition to try conclus-
IONS with the two American ships.
I In official quarters here there ap-
pears to be no disposition to look upon
the action Of the Irene as a menace
which will require explanation. 1t was
thought at first that this first outward
show of force on the part Of the Ger
man ships might lead to an inquiry by
1his government as to the plrpOSe of