The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-08-18
TO BE REPAIRED.
Pending Establishment of Peace Our
War Ships Will Be Overhauled.
They viii BE Put In the Pink of Perfee-
tion-Authorlties Acting on the Prin.
cipie That the Armistice Might
End In Rene wed Hostilitles.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15.-With peace
proclaimed all the energies of the mil.
itary and naval establishments Satur.
day were directed into peaceful chan.
nels. The sudden change from war to
peace was manifest at the war and
navy departments. There was no fur.
ther expectancy of dramatic develop
ments of battles or Of new campaigns
The orders given Friday night for
immediate cessation of hostilities
brought all military and naval move
ments to halt and it now remains
to bring affairs back to peace basis.
In this, however, the authorities
were acting on the theory that the
protocol of Friday was but the first
step towards peace, and that not un.
til final and lasting peace was se-
cured could there be an entire return
to peace basis
This was particularly true as to the
navy depar tment. In that branch it
was accepted that permanent peace
undoubtedly would be made, but yet
instead of stripping our war ships, re-
distributing them into squadrons on .
peace basis and returning them to
their old channels, the naval authori.
ties acted on the principle that the
present armistice might end in re-
sumption of hostilities For that rea-
son the four battle ships and two ar
mored cruisers ordered north from
West Indian waters are to undergo
complete overhauling, with view to
putting them in the pink of condition.
For many months they have been in
tropical waters; their bottoms are foul
and their engines and machinery need
careful overhauling. AS soon as they
reach New York all work at the navy
yard will be subordinated to pushing
the complete overhaulinG Of the battle
ships and cruisers. Meanwhile the
smaller warships IN West Indian waters
have been ordered to safe harbors, as
the West Indian hurricane season is
near at hand, while sufficient ships for
police patrol are left along the Cuban
and Porto Rico coasts The big, un-
wieldy monitors will remain in Porto
Rico, and most of the blockading feet
will center at Key West under Commo-
dore Watson. The peace protocol will
give breathing spell and time for
bringing every ship back to the high.
est state of perfection. The complete
return to a peace basis, the establish.
ment Of peace squadrons, ETC., is .
matter for the future.
1t is expected that the American oc-
cupation of Manila will occur immedi-
ately after the receipt by Adm. Dewey
and Ger. Merritt of the orders sent
them Friday night This may not be
deferred by the lack of ca BILE facilities,
us the American occupation of Manila
robably will result in the opening
of direct cable communication
between that city and the out
side world. The only difficulty thus
far has been that the cable company
would not recognize American control
of the cable so long as our forces were
not in possession of the city. Tho or
ders sent Adm. Dewey are much more
specific than those sent other naval
commanders, as the occupation of
Manila and the holding of the bay and
harbor involved more important con.
sideration than the mere cessation Of
hostilites. During the early hours Of
Saturday the war and navy depart
ments received no acknowledgement
from the various naval and military
commanders, but it was presumed
that the orders suspending hostilities
were being carried out in all dirsc-
tons