Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-07-25
MILES MEN ARRIVE.
Were Probably at the Landing
Point in Porto Rico Some
Time Yesterday.
NAY HAVE HAD A FIGHT BY NOW.

Depends Largely on the Dons, However,
Shafter Reports the Health Situation at
Santiago - The Garcia Letter and
Memorial to President Mckinley Very
Much Alike-Scovers Alleged Break
Confirmed-He and Other Enterprisinr
Specials Get the Grand Bounce for Their
Enterprise.
London, July 25.-A special from Mad
rid says that General Augusti. captain
general of the Philippines, has tele-
graped to the government as follows:
THE Americans are about TO attack
Manila. Grave events are impending"
Washington. July 25.-It was said at
the war department late yesterday that
no news can be expected from any Of
fetal source as to General Miles move
ments until today Iht the earliest 1t is
calculated that Eesarrived last evening
or last night at tlta point on the coast
of Porto Rico seIeded as the rendezvous
for ali the vessels of the expedition
Whether or not he will undertake to
make a landing in advance of the ar
rival Of the whole expedition probably
will depend entirely upon conditions as
he finds them. Should there be no
Spanish force, or IL least an inconsid-
erahle one, on the ioast the troops will
be landed to relieve them from the dis
astrous effects of being confined closely
on shipboard under a tropical sun The
general has with him sufficient artillery
to hold any position he may choose to
occupy, supplemented as this artillery
will be by the guns of his naval convoy.
Meanwhile the department is making
every effort to hurry along the re-
| mainder OF the expedition.
Was, the Garcia Letter Fake?
General Shafter reported by cable
yesterday that the condition of the
troops at Santiago vas rapidly improv-
ing. and said he Hoped in the course OF
| a day or two to Have them all located
| in comfortable camps where they may
| rest and recuperase, and where the sick
may recover Hel is feeding ll0OO of
the Spanish prisoners of war The gem
eral makes no mfntfon of the alleged
letter from Garciafto himself, nor does
he speak of aRy Fiction between them,
| whence the deDaftment has come to
| doubt the authority of published stories
on these subjects. In fact it is now re-
| ported that the letter was written by
| a newspaper correspondent, who has
| been on General Castillos staff and
| that it is doubtful if Garcia ever saw
| the screed.
ScOvcrs 5seak Is Fact.
From Skaters report it would ap-
pear that animated by an ambition to
take prominent part in the important
| events following each other in rapid
| succession at Santiago after the initia-
| ton of the negotiations for the sur
| render of the city few Of the CORE
| spondents were guilty of grave breaches
of military law. necessitating prompt
| corrective actiOn by General Shafter
| Thus, for INSTANCE. one correspondent
In his efforts to talie part in the flag
raising over the ,eity hall resisted the
| military officers in the execution Of
their duty and over attempted a per-
sonal assault upon the commanding
general This made him subject to
summary and severe punishment. even
death: yet General Shafter contented
himself with expelling that correspon-
dent from Cuba
Other Newspaper Men I'm Trouble.
A more serious offense, from the fact
that it might easily have led to rioting
and loss of life. was that of three other
correspondents who, it appears by Cen
eral Skaters report, by crcu ating In
fammatory posters stirred up the town
They were likewise ceported. No men,
ton is made OF any other cases requir-
ing attention and ii is indicated that
the relations between the newspaper
men and the army officers at Santiago
are generally amicable and satisfactory
In an entirely different manner Cen
eral Shafter takes notice of some of tn :
severely critical newspaper articles
about the condition of the troops be-
fore Santiago while they lay in the
trenches. He admits that there was a
shortage Of tobacco for q time. but
shows conclusively that there was no
lack OF the necessaries of life and that
the troops were adequately sup
Piled with hard bread, bacon. sugar
and coffee. Although this bill of fare
is not as extensive as that afforded
troops in garrison il embodies the main
features Of the army ration while on
field service and removed from a base
of supplies.
| ARMS DRAFTS ANOTHER nnCI-MFNT