The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-29
\ 7 | h h !! !!
ODD HESITATION.
Personnel Of the Peace Com
mission Not Yet Deter
mined.
WILL IT Be WHITE Or LODGE?
Admiral schley Detached
From the Fleet, But His !
Flag Still to Fly.
MERRITT NOT ORDERED HOME
Government Considers His
Services Necessary at
Manila.
PLANS FOR TIE NAVAL RESERVE
Spanish Conservatives Matching
Trouble for the Government
Heroes Funerals.
PLANS FOR TIE NAVAL RESERVE
Spanish Conservatives Hatehing
Trouble for the Government
Heroes Funerals.

still a possibility of a change In the per-
sonnel of the American membership OF
the Peace Commission. Up to this mo-
,nert it is not definitely and absolutely
known whether Justice White will accept
the appointment rendered him and efforts
are making by the President to learn his
intentions in the matter. Mr.. Macarthur,
the assistant secretary of the American
commission, is now in New York making
Arrangements for the sailing of the COM
mission on September II, so that very
little time interviews to make a change
/, in the body in the event Justice White de-
clines the place IT is suggested that
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts is being
considered to fill the vacancy that would
so result
The Instructions to the Cuban and Por-
to Rico military commissions We're drawn
-~up and approved by the President be-
caGse- he left Washington and are now
ready 10 be, delivered TO the President of
each before he leaves. The instructions
will not be made public but their general
terms are known to be the same as the
instructions sent to General Shafter re-
garding the government of Santiago and
TO General Merritt regarding the Philip
pines.
This will mean that the military COM
mission will take control of Cuba and
Porto Rico and same as the military gov
ernor now controls that portion of Cuba
surrendered to the United States after
the Santiago campaign. The many minor
details relative to the evacuation of the
islands are.left to the commission, VINO
will report any difficult or disputed
points TO Washington.
There never has been doubt that the
United States would take full control OF
Porto Rico, but the instructions to the
Cuban military commission settles any
questions regarding that island, and
means that for the present at least the
United States will assume the govern
ment and control of the remainder of the
island as has been the case in Santi-
ago
An order was issued at the Navy De-
partrnent today detaching Rear Admiral
w. S. Schley from command of the sec
ond squadron of the North Atlantic fleet
and ordering him to Porto Rico as
member of the Evacuation Commission,
during which time he is authorized to fly
his flag on the cruiser New Orleans,
which will remain in those waters until
the commission is ready to return to the
United States.
admiral Schley will be accompanied to
Porto Rico by the following members of
his staff now attached to the cruiser
Brooklyn at New York: Lieut.. J. B. Sears,
Lieut.. B. w. Wells, Jr., and Ensign Ed
ward McCauley, Jr. The order for Ad-
miral Schley to fly his flag on the New
orleans is made in order to keep him
constructively on sea duty while serving
on the Evacuation Commission, thus en-
titling him to the highest pay of his
rank, viz: $1,000 per annum.
1t was for the same reason that the
Navy Department decided to keep Ad-
miral W. s. Sampson in nominal COM
rnand of the North Atlantic fleet while he
is in Havana as member of the Cuban
evacuation commission. His flag will be
displayed on the auxiliary cruiser Reso-
Lutte which will take the members Of
the commission to Havana
General Butler, one of the members of
the Cuban Commission was at the War
Department today in conference with the
authorities regarding the duties of the
Commission Colonel j. w. Clous, of the
Judge Advocate Generals department,
who will act as one of the legal advisors
of the Commission, was also at the State
Department today. He had a long con-
ference with Acting Secretary Moore re-
garding the legal aspects of the case. He
arrived here today from Porto Rico
where he was serving on the staff Of Cen
eral Miles. The Cuban Commission will
sail from New York next Saturday, on
the cruiser Resolute, which will proceed
direct to HAVANA. General Wade will
act as president of the commission.
The Porto Rican commission will sail
from New York next Wednesday on the
army transport Seneca. General Gordon
arrived here today from Huntsville, Ala,
and received his Instructions from Act
ing Secretary Moore Of the State De-
partment and Secretary Alger Of the War
Department. It was his first visit to
Washington since his appointment It is
expected that he will join the other MEM
bers of the commission in New York to-
morrow or early Wednesday morning.
Up to this moment no orders have
been sent to General Merritt at Manila
Z 10 leave his post there. II is said, how
eeer. that the General being In COM
mand of the military forces in the Philip
pinss is At liberty to leave Manila and 50