Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-07-22
$ ling of His Squadron to
Spain Postponed.
PROJECT NOT ABANDONED
General Niles Expected to Arrive at san
'"""' Fort" Rico, Tomorrow. Dewey
Regarded as an Able Diplomat as
ss Great Fighter
(By Telegraph.)

inns afternoon from Siboney. Cuba for
the point on the island of Porto RfcnN
where it Is the intention that the
troops snail land. 1t is expected that
Ieheral Miles will walt at some an
pointed spot on the route for the az
petitions from Tampa Newport News
ana New York to fall Into his column
hese expeditions are already under
WY. some OF them with two or three
days start on General Miles, so that
lhe delay should not be very erear.
Alter the difficulty about the naval
oonNoy ana first conclusion Of the ma
Eal authorities that none was neces-#
sary the strength Of that now fur
nlshed Is surprising. There is q bat-i5
tleship of the fl1st-class. the Massachu-Fi
sets an effective protected cruiser. the
cincinnati, a speedy and well armed
sunooat the Annapolis, and four yes
sells OF the auxiliary navy. which have
already proved by their performances
IN cuban waters that they are fully
equal to the ordinary gunboat In ofYen-;:
siNe power. These are the Gloucester.
which distinguished herself In the deg
tructon of Cervera's squadron: the
Wasp. which has attained an enxSs,;s S,,;
biockhouses: the Leydeper|hichAes rnr
time, was the sole Representative ~
United States ReWer in Havana harhor
and the Dixie. 80 80. &C. ~
secretary Alger believes that GeneraI
Eiiies, on the Yale, will arrive at his
destination Sunday morning with 3. 600
men under his immediate command. a
DAY later VIII come 1000 men on trans
ports and the day following that 3.6O1
more Whether the landing viii be de-
TERED until the arrival Of this entire
force or whether General Miles will
take the Initiative and hoist the flag
himself on Porto Rican soil is Left to (!
the direction of that officer. It is the
departments determination that he
shall not lack for troops or equipment
and the first expedition may be follow
ed by several others. as fast as the
troops can be gntten ready, until word
comes from the general that he needs
no more. General Schwan's brigade.
comprising the Fifth. Eleventh and
Nineteenth United States infantry, a
splendid body of trained soldiers, SAIL
ed from Tampa today to Join General
Miles and II the Porto Rican expedi-#
ton Is not an Immediate success 1t will
not be for lack OF disposition in the
war department to supply every re-
quiste.
That Admiral Dewey has the stu
alton in the Philippines we'll in hand
is exhibited by his kilograms. the latest
of which was received today. which.
without boastinE. simply reports like
others that have gone before that af-
fairs are quiet and satisfactory. The
State Department has come to have
fully as great a sense OF appreciation
of Dewey's diplomatic abilities as the
country has for his naval skill and
courage. and the best evidence OF this
is that 1t has not found it necessary UP
to this point to Interfere in any way
either to protect or to amend his
works
The Navy Department has now dis
~ hnf no I~jrr a ~ .
monitor Monterey will not arrive at
Cavite until August 5th. that being the
advice received at the department
from the captain OF the vessel when
she touched at Honolulu The admir-
dis announcement of the arrival Of the
second detachment Of United States
troops at Cavite has given great COM
fort to the War Department, which
was not altogether at ease concerning
the first small expedition lying between
Spaniards and insurgents and with
out being able to depend very largely
upon either. With these added troops
1t will now be possible to demand the
surrender Of Manila, but 1t is gathered f
here that our purpose is to defer such
4 movement until all the United States
troops now afloat- have arrived in Ma
Mia Bay, unless the attitude of the in
surgents forces prompter action on the
part of the American commanders,
military and naval.
Secretary Long said tonight that the
preparations for dispatching the Wat
son squadron to European waters were
going on uninterrnptedly. but that the
departure necessarily would await the
movement of the Warships at Porto
Rico. the Massachusetts and other
ships being required for conveying the
troops to Porto Rico. This disposed OF
a report circulated during the day that
he ho1 nt> A. a r.
was felt that the report was the more
mischievous at this time, as it indi-
Gated purpose to yield to the implied
threats from European sources that
European coalition would result il the
American warships attacked the coast
of Spain. Neither the State nor Navy
Department looks for any embarrass- IN
ment from European quarters outsideof
Spain as result Of the naval move
ment against the peninsula. During
the day orders We're sent to Norfolk to
hurry forward work on the golfers
which are to accompany the Watson
Had the army troopships been able
to go to Porto Rico without a naval
convoy, the Watson squadron could
have got away within the next few
days. as the war board had wished to
close all preliminarieS by next Satur-
day. But as the batteshlp Massachu-
sets, cruisers Columbia, Cincinnati.
Dixie and Yale, together with several
lesser craft, We're considered necessary
as q patrol for the Miles expedition
this changes the plans slightly. The
Dixie is almost certain to be In the
Watson squadron and the Massachu-
sets is likely to be. Secretary Long
expressly says. however. that the delay
Of the Watson squadron Is incident to
conveying Of the troops to Porto Rico
and does not mean that the start will
be postponed until the Porto Rico OPP
erations are concluded.
The report from Barcelona that tha
people were SO fearful of the approach
of the Watson squadron that they were
urging France to establish a protecto-
rate over all the Catalonia district, In
Guiding Barcelona. was dismissed by Y
officials and by members OF the dipao-
matte corps best informed on the at
fairs of France as fantastic apecula-
ton. quite unwarranted by an actual
now on foot It is said to
be thoroughly well established that n
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