Morris tribune., 1898-07-13
Were Afraid at Least a Portion
of the Enemy Had Slipped
Out.
General Belief the Spaniards
Will Surrender Rather Than
Risk Battle.
Navy Preparing to Make Demon
StratiOns Against Porto Rico
and Spain.


no new plan of campaign was consid
cred or important orders given, Gen
eral Skaters report that he had thu
city Of Santiago completely invested
, was received with much satisfaction
as there had been some apprehension
I that the Spaniards were contemplating
night evacuation. Secretary Alger
on leaving the cabinet meeting, sale
that although General Skaters line
on the west was thin in places, he had
no doubt that it was sufficiently strong
to repel any attack the enemy was
capable Of making at this time. It was
the secretary's opinion that the Span.
iards were now completely cut off from
outside aid, and it was only a question
of prompt surrender or fight which
would result in their capture. It was
Secretary Alger's opinion, as well as
that Of other members of the cabinet,
that the Spaniards would surrender
rather than take the risks of a general
assault.
A General Expectation.
In official circles the expectation
was general that Santiago would
be ours very soon. The main source of
apprehension was that the Spaniards
may have succeeded to a considerable
degree in evaouating the town before
the American lines were completed, so
that when the Americans entered the
city, it would be found empty, with
perhaps nothing more than desperate
rear guard of Spaniards left to protect
and conceal the retreat of the main
body Of the troops. There were sew
eral indications Of some such move,
which is supposed TO have been in
progress for the past three or four days.
General Shafter himself reported un-
der date of Sunday, that the Spaniards
had evacuated small town on the
west side Of the bay, one of the suburbs
Of Santiago, while the Associated Press
Of Monday referred to the
departure Of body Of Spanish troops
from Santiago towards Holguin.
Of course these facts are not conclu.
sive that the town has been evacuated
by the Spanish army, but the fact can.
not be concealed that there was some ap-
prehension entertained that the main
result of the investment of Santiago,
aside from the important achievement
Of driving the Spanish squadron to its
would be the inheritance by
Shafter of several thousand wounded
Spanish soldiers and many more thou
sand hungry mouths in Santiago.
General Miles, who arrived at 81.
honey on the Yale Monday, made the
following report to Secretary Alger:
ARRIVED at noon. Had consultation
with Admiral Sampson, and with Gen.
,ral Shafter by telephone. Troops
brought from Tampa, Charleston and
New York arrived and leaving for the
'front.'. Line Of investment being ex-
;ended.
[signedl MILES"
Miles Not in Command.
General Miles has not taken, and
will not take, charge Of the operations
low being conducted against Santiago.
Whatever credit is to be derived from
he capture of that CITY, if it results
rom the prosecution Of the present
,lan Of operation by General Shafter,
will rebound to that officers credit, for
General Miles has declared explicitly |
hat he does not assume tbs conduct of |
hese operations. He is simply there |
q his capacity as commanding general |
o look over the field, and ascer-
ain whether the operations are going
long as they should. But with his
ppearance comes very substantial as.
istance for General Shafter. With
i'm on the Yale were more than 1000
nen and considerable artillery, while
be Columbia, which formed part of
is expedition, is expected to report
er arrival at any moment with the
emainder Of the troops. AS General
NATTER has referred to the thinness Of
is lines, it is expected that these rein
will be very gratefully re.
eived.
Naval Part About Finished.
The naval ohcers regard their part
4 the operations at Santiago at an end
and are looking around for
ew worlds to conquer. Their eyes are
armed to the east and they are rushing
reparations for the dispatch Of Com.
lodore Watson's eastern squadron.
his is decidedly more attractive
ruise from naval point Of view than
10 demonstration proposed against
an Juan de Porto Rico, which is IN.
erstood to be the next number on the
rogramme, but which the naval au.
lorities believe will not amount to
luch, because OF the easy reduction OF
le defenses. Every ship in Watson's
luadron has been supplied with the
Dry latest charts, not only of the coasts
! Spain and Of the Mediterranean, but
the track courses that will take them
ear to the Philippines. In addition