The San Francisco call., 1898-08-17
MILITARY TO BE IN CHARGE
WILL BE KEPT IN CONTROL FOR
 A TIME.
Cubans at Santiago Not Disposed to Accept the Conditions Imposed by the
 Armistice.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16.-Gradually | the framework of a government for the | civil administration of affairs in Cuba, Porto Rico and such portions of the | Philippines as this Government controls | is being framed. The development of
 this plan of internal administration oc- cupied much of the attention of the Cabinet to-day, and later Secretary Gage, Attorney General GriggS, Post
 master General Smith and Acting Sec retary of State Moore held two hours l conference at the State Department, going over the infinitv . detail of estab- fishing a civil administration. General Corbin was present part of the time. At the outset the military authorities
 will be in charge of all administrative affairs In Cuba, Porto Rico and other acquired possessions. But the military forces can do little more than direct the orderly execution of affairs. The car
 rying on of postal communication, the collection of customs etc, are civil functions which will be taken in hand by the appropriate bureaus here, the entire work being under the protection of the military authorities. The result of the conferences to-day will be made
 known through the various depart
 ments.
 Already steps have been taken to
 restore mail communication between this country and Cuba, but the plans Tow under consideration are likely to
 take in the question of handling mail inside of Cuba, Porto Rico and other points. A mail steamer will leave New York tomorrow, carrying the first lot
 of mail to Cuba which has left New York since the war began.
 The Spanish Government has been quite solicitous as to the method of ad- ministering affairs in the Antilles on account of the large Spanish interests
 remaining there The French Embas- sador has received a number of in- quiries in this line, and these have been laid before the State Department Af-
 ter the conference held here this after
 noon M. Thiebaut of the French Elm bassy called and was made acquainted with the general plan of this Govern ment in restoring stable adminfStra- tion through the Spanish West Indies. The French Ambassador has also been advised by the State Department of its selection of military commissioners to
 meet at Havana and San Juan. The been awaited at Madrid, as 1t is the purpose there to appoint Spanish com | tmtssioners- of the same rank as those named by the United States
 The announcement of Admirals Sampson and Schley as members of the military commissions Of Havana and San Juan, respectively, will have the effect of taking these officers from their duty on shipboard for time. The Navy Department will relieve them from their commands temporarily, while the commissioners are in session. In the absence of Admiral sampson, Captain Philip, who is the senior offi-
 cer, will probably be in temporary
 command of the fleet.
 The War Department did not make
 public the dispatch from General Law
 ton relative to the Cubans in Santiago.
 but the order which General Corbfn
 sent to General Lawton indicates some
 thing of its. nature. General Lawton
 reports that the Cubans do not seem
 disposed to accept the conditions im-
 posed by the armistice, and some trou-
 bles have occurred. Secretary Alger, in
 speaking of the matter to-day, said that 1t might as we'll be fully understood
 that the United States would control
 the surrendered territory, and 1t would manage the affairs of that territory.
 Those who remained within the juris- diction would have to obey the laws
 and officers of the United States, as General Lawton was informed.
 The War Department began the work of mastering out the volunteers which will not be needed In the service. The
 order was prepared, but was not is- sued, as 1t was deemed best to await
 news from Manila before disbanding any of the troops. It Is expected that
 the cavalry and artillery of the volun-
 teer force now in the United States will
 be mustered out.
 Reports of better conditions in the
 various camps are being received. and
 especially do fiattering reports come
 from Montauk Point, showing that the soldiers are being well cared for there.
 Preparations have being going for
 ward for the movement of the troops from the camps which were originally established in order to scatter them about the country
 The first report. concerning yellow fever among the United States troops
 in this country came from Key West to-day Surgeon General Sternberg be- cor, ha lraIat 11rndef, cont rQl