Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-22
MILES ABOUT TO RETURN
It Will Occur as Soon as Gen Brooke
Reaches Ponce.
Advises Embarkation of Spanish
% ia
Troops ut POnce-PrOtest From
,-. Puritan's Officers. ,...

PONCE, August y, afternoon delayed in
transmfssion).-Maj. Gen. Miles has decid-
ed to leave with his staff for Washing ton
in few days. possibly tomorrow. He Will
turn over his command to Gen Brooke,
who is expected to reach here tomorrow for
conference.
Gen Miles has arranged matters sener-
ally with CAPT. Gen Macias, preparatory
to the meeting of the peace commission at
San Juan. Gen. Macias, while maintaining
his outposts, IS steadily retiring his forces
to the capital, preparatory TO their en-
barkation. Mail communication between
Ponce and San Juan has been established.
and the overland telegraph wires will be
connected Immediately.
All that Will remain for the commission
to do General Miles says, will be to secure
an inventory of government property trans
ferred to the Americans and to give re-
ceipts to the Spanish authorities.
Captain General Macias in his various
communications with General Miles has
shown the best spirit. He Is anxious to CO.
operate IN bringing about an evacuation
at the earliest moment possible and is plac-
ing no obstacles in the way OF the volun-
teers' return home.
Starving Spanish Troops.
Lieut.. Colonel Ramery. the highest Span
ish volunteer officer in the island, reached
here last night from Atbonito Other off,
GERS have been coming through our lines
all day. Lieut.. Colonel Ramery says that
the Spanish forces at Aibonito were short
Of ammunition and water and entirely de-
pendent for food upon cayey They must
have succumbed, he declares, as soon as
General Brooke struck Cayey.
According to letter from San Juan the
Spanish residents who had fled from the
city have returned and there is great rs-
thnrfo hat
a feeling shared by the soidiery.
Col. San Martin, former Spanish COM
n!ander at Ponce, who abandoned the city
on thu approach of the Americans. and
who, it was reported, had been shot for
forsaking the city, is sick in the hospital
He has been stripped of his rank.
The Ponce merchants express their graft
tude at his course, because thu flight Of his
command prevented the destruction of
their property, and they are raising a sub
scription for him.
Admiral ScbIey Expected
Gen. Miles will advise Gen. Brooke to en-
bark the Spanish prisoners here and send
them Immediately to San Juan. 1t Is ex-
pected that Rear Admiral Schisy will be
there in few days.
Most of the American troops in the island
will remain stationary until the final de-
tails have been settled, and they will then
march to San Juan, where they will en-
paih. Ieil. Miies VIII consult With the au-
thorities at Washington as to the force
that is to remain. The volunteers are anx-
ious to go home.
Today Sunday the liquor saloons were
closed. and for the first time in the history
of the island there was a public PROTESTANT
religious service. The officers and men on
the monitors at Guanica think it unneces-
sary to keep the ships there any longer.
The ships are absolutely untitled to a trop-
zeal climate, and the Puritan's officers have
sent an official protest to Secretary Long.
At Guiada. north OF Mayagues the Span-
ish troops killed two natives last Friday