Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-07-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, July 25, 1898.


If the recently officially announced
intention to send Commodore Watson's
feet to Spain was not a bluff, why in the
name of common sense is the official
announcement now made that the sending
of the feet to Spain has been indefinitely
postponed Only a small portion of the
powerful feet we now have in Cuban
waters will be needed in the campaign
against Porto Rico, which was opened by
the landing of Gen. Miles and the troops
with him on Porto Rican soil, news of
which has just reached Washington. AT
no time since the war started, could so
many of our strongest fighting ships be
spared to go to Spain as right now This
was acknowledged by Secretary Long in
conversation with friend who was trying
to find out why the fleet had not gone to
Spain. A Senator who is very friendly
with Mr.. Mckinley said on the subject ::
THE official announcement of the orders
to Commodore Watson, several weeks ago
was unuuestionably made to bluff Spain
into begging for peace, and now that Mr..
Mckinley has information that the buff
had served its purpose, he has caused it to
be publicly announced that the sailing of
tuc ncCt Hou DCcH pOotpOucO1 IL OtNS1 eNe%o
Spain may aetn But" said another
Senator, suppose that Spain doesn't
ask for peace, what then ?" Then said
the first Senator laughing" suppose the
bluff will be repeated. =" Well,n answered
Senator No. 2 " that sort of thing is little
too Spanish to suit me !; believe that 1t is
the duty of the Administration to fight
this war to close at the earliest possible
moment. In trickery, we can never hope
to equal the Spaniards, and / should be
to be an American, if we could
We can lick them every day in the week,
when it comes to fighting, and the sooner
we send the fleet over there to fight them
at home, the sooner we shall have peace"
The Administration is showing dispo-
sition to make Gen. Shafter bear all the
blame for the break with Gen. Garcia and
bis army of Cuban insurgents, although it
is not denied that, as whole, what Garcia
of was the result of Skaters
carrying out orders given in Washington.
1t IS claimed that he should have joliied
Garcia sufficiently to have made him be-
lieve that he was at least being consulted
about what was being DONE The plain
truth is, that the Administration doesyrffT'
want to quarrel with the insurgents,
although it has been fully determined that
the government of Cnba shall not be
turneQSser to them at the close of the
Var, unless they can get majority of the
of Cuba, to declare by their votes
in their favor. 1t is willing to feed and
clothe the insurgents and keep them sup
piled with arms and ammunition without
being too exacting as to the military duties
they shall perform, but to go no further.
That the Cubans should not be models,
either as soldiers or statesmen, is natural
enough when one considers their persecu-
ton by Spain for hundreds of years; that
sort of treatment never produces model
men, butt has become plain that powerful
Influences are at work to make the people
of this country think them worse than
they are. This question will bear close
watching.
There is no other officer in our army who
has prOfited to so great an extent personally
as Gen. Leonard Wood, now military Gov
ernor of Santiago. When the Maine was
blown up he was Surgeon in the regular
army, with the rank of Captain, stationed
IN Washington, performing among other
duties those of family physician to Mr..
Mckinley. When Teddy" Roosevelt con-
ceived the idea of enlisting the regiment of
Rough Riders, and had it approved by Mr..
Mckinley, he asked that Dr. Wood be made
Col. of the regiment. 1t was done. He
was made Brigadier General for gallantry
in the field, being strongly recommended
for the promotion by his immediate Super.
ior, Gen. Wheeler, Fighting Joe." Just
why he succeeded McKibbin. who was first
named as military Governor ofSantiago, by
Sbafter, is not so clear, but it was probably
because he was the Presidents friend and
doctor. and wanted the place. Jump
from Captain to Brigadier General is GER
tainly extraordinary, even when one is as
brave as Gen. Wood has proved himself to
be and is the Presidents doctor and friend.
No visitor since the war opened has re-
ceived more cordial welcome from every
body than 1t. Hobson, the Merrimac hero,
who came to hurry up the work at this end
of the line of saving some OF the wrecked
ships of Ccvera's feet. He thinks three of
them can be saved if no time is lost unless
there comes severe storm before the ships
can be got afoat.
Nearly week ago it was officially an
nouDced that Gen. Shafter had been or
dered to forward to Washington a complete
list of the soldiers who had yellow fever
and of those who had died with it, but as
yet, he has only partially complied with
the order. Adjutant General Corbin says
there is yellow fever in every regiment of
Skaters army, and that's why none of them
were allowed to go with Miles to Porto
Rico.