Middletown transcript., 1898-07-30
Washington
Letter

Uioiy Oh TuTtO hlcO. anu, Whatever
may be done with other captured ter
ritory. it is certain that Porto Rico is
going to be ours to keep. In addition
to the troops with Gen. Miles, two
other armies are to be landed at differ.
ent points in Porto Rico at once. Then
the three armies will capture all of the
smaller places before moving in con-
cert on the heavily fortified town of
San Juan. Three weeks is the outside
estimate of the length of the cam
paign, although President McKinley's
desire that San Juan shall be taken
without infantry assaults upon the
breast works, il possible, may lengthen
the campaign.
For reasons satisfactory to himself,
President Mckinley has deferred sail
ing of Commodore Watson's i!eet for
the coast of Spain. The presumption
is that he is giving Spain an oppor-
tunity to sue for peace, although
neither he nor any member Of his
cabinet has said anything upon which
to base that presumption. Secretary
Long, when asked the direct question,
when Commodore Watson's feet would
start for Spain, said: "Whenever
the President issues the order"
The encouraging news from Gen.
Skaters army has destroyed the last
vestige of the yellow fever scare. A
considerable number of our men over
there have the fever, but there have
been very few deaths from it.
The trouble about the yellow journal
story of how the War Department got
euchred when it contracted with
Spanish Steamship Company for the
transportation Of the surrendered Span
ish soldiers from Santiago to Spain was
the usual one-it wasn't true. The
Spanish Steamship Company will get
no advantage whatever out of the con-
tract beyond the cash paid for the
transportation. while the War Depart
ment made sure by placing this con-
tract that no complaint could be made
against US in connection with the treat
ment OF the prisoners on the voyage,
and that there would be no trouble
about their being landed in Spain. The
contract specifically stated that no
vessels belonging to the company would
be allowed to leave blcckaded ports to
perform the service provided for.
1t is the opinion Of President Nc
Kinley and members of his cabinet
that the friction between Gen. Shafter
and Gen. Garcia, who commands the
Cuban insurgents in the Santiago dis
trict, which led to Garcia's withdraw
ing his troops and announcing that he
had rendered his resignation to Gen.
Gomez, thu Chief of
the insurgents, is more the result Of
misunderstanding than anything else.
Gen Shafter's instructions are to treat
the insurgents courteously and kindly
and not to expect too much from them
In a military way. 1t is nonsense for
Garcia to pretend to be disgruntled be-
cause Santiago was not turned over to
the insurgents. 1t has BEEN made
plain to him and all of the other in
surgent leaders that the U. S. intends
to assume military control Of Cuba as
fast as it comes into our possession and
to retain that control until such time
as all the residents of Cuba can be
given an opportunity to express them
selves as to how and by whom they
will be governed. It was because of
doubt that the insurgents represented
majority Of the residents of Cuba
that President Mckinley strove so
hard and uooessfully to prevent Con-
gress providing for the recognition of
the insurgent government.
The U. S. sells more wheat and
-four to Japan than do all other
countries combined, and the official |
figures in report from u. S. Consul |
Harris, at Nagasaki, shows a steady |
and healthy growth in this trade. OF
wheat we sent in 1895, 4S4, $40 lbs.
but in 1895, it had grown to 2,451, $3.50 |
lbs., and in 1897 to IL, ,467. .466 lbs. OF
-four we sent in 1896, 1886, $40 lbs.
in 1895 81, ,40S, ,511 lbs., and In 1897 |
81, ,094, $40.
That protective tariff doesn't pre-
vent the growth OF our export trade,
ought to he too well known to need |
proof, but in case yon have still a few
free traders in your vicinity who need |
proof, the following facts concerning
out exports to Canada for the first
eleven months Of the fiscal year, 1897,
when the Wilson tariff law was In
effect, and for the first eleven months
of the fiscal year 1898, under the Ding
ley tariff law, are given. During the
former period, we sold Canada, $37,-
a70. 1926 worth Of goods, and during
the latter period, $40, ,251 ,22s, q differ
ence in favor OF protection OF nearly
million dollars month.
Lieut.. Hobson, who Is In Washing
ton in connection with the work of
trying to save some of the ships Of
Cervera's fleet, was most warmly re-
ceived BY the President, members OF
the Cabinet, his own personal friends,
and the public at large.