The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-15
PORTO RICO INVASION.
War Department Preparing tho
, Force For That Expedition.
THE SOLDIERS LACK EQUIPMENT.
This VIII Doubtless Cause Delay in
the Movement of the Second Expe-
dItiOn Southward = -ReInforcements
May Reach Dewey Within a Week.

the Movement of the Second Expe-
dltiUn Southward - Reinforcements
May Reach Dewey within Week.
Washington, June 15.-It may be
safely said that before the end of the
week General Shaftar will have landed
with his $4,000 United States troops on
Cuban soil and that the investment of
Santiago by land will have begun.
There was some confusion in the Of
fetal mind here yesterday on the time
OF departure of the Transports though
assurance was given that they had all
gotten away. The confusion on this
point is easily accounted for by per-
sons who know anything of the diff
ficulties of moving simultaneously
numerous fleet composed of vessels of
all sizes and classes No less than three
times, beginning Sunday, was a def
mite hour selected for the start and
the war department notified. Yet in
each case some untold obstacle was
encountered that required notification
to the department that postpone
ment had been forced.
The delay of day or two in the start
Is not calculated to make any material
difference in the plans. and the only
persons who will suffer from 1t will be
SIMPSONS marines, camped on the
tropical Bay of Guantanamo. and
obliged to maintain the >strictest vigil
lance In repelling the bushwhacking
Spanish irregulars who swarm in the
thickets. This foe gives no trouble
during the daylight hours owing to the
presence of the Marblehead within easy
range, but at night, when the warship
is unable to distinguish their own men
from the enemy, the lot of the marines
is a very exciting one.
Having started the Santiago expedi-
tion, the war department has now con-
centrated all its energies on the prep
araton of the force to be sent to Porto
Rico. Active movements in that line
have been made on a scale so extern
sve as to lead to the supposition in
some quarters that the attack is to be
directed upon Havana, but If this Is so
there is no open indication of it. The
volunteers collected at Chattanooga.
$4,000 in number, are reaching a degree
of excellence that would warrant the
government in ordering them immedi-
ately into active service, but unfortu-
rately there is still a considerable lack
of equipment that will not permit of
this.
General Merritt has brought the sec
ond instalment Of his force into readi-
ness, and sails for Manila today. 1t Is
believed the advance guard, the three
transports which followed the Charles
ton to Honolulu, met the cruiser there
and sailed in her company for the Phil
ippines about the 18th of this month.
In this case it is reasonable to expect
them to arrive at Manila within week.
The only Bulletin posted at the navy
department yesterday from Admiral
Sampson contained the satisfactory
news that an American naval officer,
Lieutenant Victor Blue. of South Car
olna. at the risk of his life, had sue
ceeded in encircling the Bay of San
tiago and counting the Spanish ves-
sells therein, with the result of estab-
fishing the fact that all of Cervera's
fleet were bottled up.
An unexpected complication has
arisen as to the right of Admiral Samp-
son, at Santiago, and Admiral Dewey,
at Manila, to use the cables which each
has secured with a view to bringing
them into direct telegraphic communi-
cation with the authorities here. 1t Is
understood by the officials here that
Admiral Dewey secured the shore end
of the cable leading from Manila to
Hong Kong some time ago and buoyed
1t with view of sending dispatches.
The same condition is understood to
exist at Santiago, where Admiral Samp-
son has buOyed the shore end of the ca
Bile with view to repairing and using
1t. But no messages have been sent,
and the question has arisen as to
whether it Is allowable, under the rules
of neutrality, for the French and Brit
ish companies owning these lines to
permit them to be used for strictly mil
itary purposes. The companies con-
troll the points Of exit, and are able to
refuse to pass dispatches along, so that
the holding of the shore ends by Ad-
mirals Dewey and Sampson does not
permit them to carry on cOmmunica-
tion except through the assent of the
companies. 1t was stated today that
negotiations were now progressing
which gave promise of a satisfactory
understanding with the companies and
the forwarding Of such messages as the
American admirals send