The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-08-12
OUR WASHINGTON LETT stE.
WASHINGToN ID. G., August $th

WAsHINGToN, d. G., August %th.
Mr.. EDIroE:-If the Spanish Ministry
had any proper idea Of the public scnu
mcnt in this country it would net have
wasted ten days in deciding whether to
accept the terms of peace offered. Ifthcy
knew a good thing when they saw it. they
would have jumped at those terms In the
statement Of the terms peace, last week,
the administration was given credit to
which it was not entitled. Instead Of pro
viding that claims OF Americans for prop
erty destroyed in Cuba should be paid hy
Spain and disclaiming responsibility for
Spanish bonds issued as Il lien on the rev
enucs of Cuba and Porto Rico. it men
toned neither, leaving those troublesome
matters to be added to the numerous other
troublesome things that will have to he
tackled by the Commission that will nego-
tiatc the treaty of peace. The only GER
tain things in the terms of peace are that
Spain shall evacuatc Cuba and Porto Rico
and that we shall retain Manila and
Manila Bay; everything else is to be set
tied by the commission.
Mr.. Mckinley apparently fully believes
that the Spanish Ministry is honest in in
formally telling him that it intends to ac-
cept his terms of peace, although officially
it still remains silent. His faith is SO
strong that the orders for the reinforce
ment of Gen Miles have been held up, and
that nothing is being done to send Gen.
Merritt the reinforcemcnts that he has
asked for. If Spain accepts the terms,
these hold-ups will do no harm, but should
Spain be foolish enough to reject the
terms, they may be fraught with serious
consequences. General Miles is still hay
ing everything his own way in Porto Rico,
and being royalty welcomed by the Porto
Ricans, but if it becomes necessary for
him to attack the strong Notifications at
San Juan, he has not men enough to take
that town. without a great sacrifice of life
Notwithstanding the harsh criticism
which has come from all sections Of the
country and from the holders of all shades
of political opinion Of the Partially shown
by the Navy Department, in favor of act
ing Admiral Sampson and against Com
modore Schley, that partiality still exists
and, according to current gossip, is about
to be strikingly exhibited by a shifting of
orders for the purpose of giving Sampson
an opportunity to splurge in European
waters The orders for sending strong
fleet to the coast of Spain, issued some
weeks ago, for blutling purposes, have
never been revoked, and the officials say
that the fleet is to go for the purpose of
"impressing Europe" now that the pend
ing cessation Of hostiites and the pros
pect Of permanent peace have made fur
ther fighting apparently unnecessary.
There being no further opportunity for
Sampson to acquire either glory or prize
money in Cuban waters, he is to be given
command of the European fleet, and Com
modOrc Watson, who was first assigned to
that command, is to have command Of all
the ships that remain in Cuban waters.
As Watson ranks Schley there will be no
important command left for the latter.
This Navy Department clique may sue
coed for Il time i'll dcpriying Sch,ey of
honors he has Won, but Congress can be
depended upon to see that justice is done
him.
Secretary Ayers mixing OF politics with
military matters has added nothing to his
popularity nor to his reputation forpoliti
cal sagacity. In his eagerness to injure
''Teddy'' Roosevelt's political fortunes,
Secretary Alger went to the extent of pub
fishing private letter from Roosevelt to
fighting qualities of the volunteer soldiers,
in order that he might accompany it with
an official reprimand from himself to
Roosevelt. Alger was so much afraid that
the "round robin, signed by the Generals
under Shafter, headed by Roosevelt, who
is acting Commander of a brigade, would
be credited with the accelerated move
ments of the War Department in getting
our soldiers away from Santiago, that he
had an official statement made to the press,
saying tlat the soldiers were Dclng moved
in accordance with plans made before the
publication of the "round robin" which,
by the way, Roosevelt is accused of hay
ing furnished to the Associated Press.
This need not fool anybody, as it says that
the Secretary of War had sometime ago
notified Gen. Shafter that his men would
be brought back to the United States "as
soon as the fever subsidized" The fever
has not subsidized but the men are being
brought back as fast as they are able to
get aboard transports There isn't the
slightest doubt that the ground robin
however much it may have been tingcd
with characterization from Il strictly Mill
taly point Of view, caused the men to be
moved sooner than they would otherwise
have been moved and that thereby many
valuable lives were saved Insuborlina-
ton that breaks red tape that is killing
our soldiers is not likely 10 receive popu-
lar condemnation; nor does it deserve it