The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-08-12
APPROVAL OF PROTOCOL
Belief That the Signatures Will Be
! Affixed Today. ~
NO ORDER TO CEASE HOsTILITIEs.

flying to the administration It /
confidently - expected that the sigma
lures will be affixed to this documen
today. and Immediately both govern
ments will begin carrying out It's pro
Visions 1t Is believed that there viii
be delay In the evacuation of IIa
vana, Matanzas and other Spanisl
= strongholds In Cuba. as some diflicul
ties are anticipated in arranging for
proper form Of government of Cuba
and because there Is no desire to hurr,
American troops into the island at th'
present time. the preference being t.
wait for cooler weather.
The near approach to the signing oil
the protocol has required the discussion
of the personnel of the peace commits
sion. There is good authority for the
statement that Secretary Day will be
at the head of the commission and that
two United States senators will be
members of it. Senator Allison, ofTowa
and Senator German. Of Maryland
have been prominently mentioned fol
places on the commission, and it r.
known that they have been under con-
sideration by the president.
1t Is not believed by members of the
administration that the commission
can complete it's work in time to cause
an extra session of congress TO consider
legislation which the treaty of peace
will necessitate. although there is a
prospect that an extra session of the
senate might be called in November
to consider the treaty of peace.
Acting Secretary Allen. of the war
board. called on Judge Day yesterday. 1t
Is believed their purpose was to impress
upon the secretary the Importance of
making the surrender of important
strategic points at the entrance of har-
bors, such as Moro Castle at Havana
harbor condition for the cessation
of hostilities. 1t Is questionable, how
ever. whether it is not now too late
to amend the protocol in its substance
as proposed by the war board.
A rumor was put Hloat yesterday
afternoon to the effect that Secretary
Al2er, in anticipation of the beginning
of the formal peace negotiations, had
cabled General Miles and General Mer-
ritt, in Porto Rico and the Philippines,
respectively, orders that looked toward
cessation of hostilities. When his
attention was directed to this rumor,
Secretary Alger promptly pronounced
1t to be without foundation, and as
absurd, and his words were practically
repeated with emphasis by Adjutant
General Corbin, through whose hands
any such messages must pass. The
publication of such stories, moreover.
was deprecated as tending to encourage
the Spanish government to further de-
lay and passive resistance.
General Merritt undoubtedly is pur-
suing his campaign in Luzon. 1t is
stated positively that he is under no
order from the war depart
ment, but that 1t is left entirely at his
own discretion when and how to at
tack Manila Inasmuch as it has been
from Cavite that he was
Sill. ply waiting the arrival there of the
double turreted monitor Monadnock, 1t
Is presumed this attack will soon fol-
low II 1t has not been made already.
for according to the calculation of the
navy department the Monadnock is
about due at Cavite. While not quite
clear as to General Merritts purpose
in deferring his attack until the YES
sci arrives 1t Is the opinion Of the mill
tary officials that his plan is to plant
the two monitors-Monterey and Mo-
nadnock-directly within range of the
Manila batteries and if a demand for
is refused to batter down
those defenses. Only fully armored
vessels can be safely employed In such
work, hence the delay on account of
The non-arrival of the Monadnock.
Secretary Alger yesterday cabled to
General Miles to apply Immediately to
he Porto Rcan ports captured by him
he tariff drawn up by the government
'or Santiago and other Cuban ports.
This is in line with the policy of the
var department of extending the
American system of tariffs as rapidly
Is possible over the captured terri
ory.
The settlement of the details of the
evacuation of Cuba and Porto Rico
s already receiving the earnest at
ention of the officials. Some provision
s to be made for the treatment of the
spanish prisoners and for the dispo-
ition of the small arms and the artil-
cry and war stores. There is also some
laval property of value remaining in
'uban and Porto Rican ports and it is
question whether or not this should
,e demanded by us or be allowed to re-
main in Spanish possession. The con-
lusion has been reached by Secretary
Alger to refer these matters to mill
ary commission, and Adjuant General
'orbin IS now looking uD precedents
or the guidance of such a commits
ion. Possibly this commission would
1eet the question raised by the naval J
yar board as to the prOpriety Of hold |
1g Moro Castle as pledge until the |
ormal signature of a treaty of peace.
The ordnance department of the
rmy has succeeded at last in securing
smokeless powder adapted for use In
he Springfield rife, with which nearly
Il the volunteer troops are armed The
owder used with the small bore re-
eating rifles was too powerful and
pecial powder had to be procured.
his is now coming in from the manu-
lcturers and being turned into fixed
mmunitlon in such quantities as to
arrant the belief that even should
lie war continue our soldiers would
OF be again exposed to the danger
1countered at the battle of iEl Caney
trough the betrayal of their presence
Y the binding smoke of the Spring.
sldS