The record-union., 1898-05-28
Until Location Of CerVera'S Squad
ron is Definitely Known.
The Details of Organizing the New Force
Of SeTenty-FiVe Thousand Volunteers
Not TO be Taken Up by the War
Department for Some Days.


tary situation as at present determined
upon by those in authority is to make
no forward movement of troops, either
upon Porto Rico or Cuba, until full and
definite information is received as to
the location Of the Spanish squadron
and its possibilities as a factor in the
aggressive movements of Spain. That
being the positive determination, there
is no present purpose to hurry forward
the troops now at the several points of
concentration, but the interval prior to
an aggressive forward movement will
be employed in seasoning the men.
Steps have been taken to secure early
information as to whether Admiral Ger
vera's squadron is inside Santiago har-
Dor, and whether the American squad
ron has such advantage Of position out
side the harbor as to make the escape
of the Spaniards practically impossible.
In the absence Of positive information
that the Spanish Admiral has been shut
in at Santiago, together with the GER
tainty that he can be held inside the
harbor. there is no purpose whatever
on the part of the War Department TO
make an aggressive forward movement
on Cuba and Porto Rico. This was
stated tonight in the most positive
manner, and from an authoritative
source.
Unless the Navy Department succeeds
in securing some direct and official in
formation respecting the Spanish and
American fleets within the next twen-
ty-four hours through the aid of the
West Indian cables. it will resort to the
use Of dispatch boats.
1t can again be affirmed on the high
est authority that at the close of the
day the Navy Department had had
nothing more than a belief, founded
upon unofficial advices, that the Span
ish squadron was lying in Santiago har-
Dor and no news as to Commodore
Schley's whereabouts. However, the
majority of the officials of the Navy
Department entertain no doubt that
Cervera is within Santiago harbor, and
they have succeeded in impressing this
belief upon the President and the
members of the Cabinet.
The reports from the newspaper dis
patch boats as to the movements of
SIMPSONS and Schley's squadrons dur
ing the past week are very mystifying,
even to the naval officers here, and one
of them called attention to a statement
coming from the West Indies TO the
effect that twelve war vessels were
seen for a short time off Cienfuegos on
Wednesday This, he thought, was
Schley's squadron, and in that case he
could scarcely have covered the dis
tance between Cienfuegos and Santiago
with a slow moving fleet of ironclads in
less than two days, in which case
Schley would not be due off Santiago
until some time to-day. OF course all
this is speculative, but it shows there
is still an element of doubt in the de-
partment's calculations as to the
whereabouts of the fleets.
1t was announced to-day that Hol-
land. the inventor of the submarine
boat of that name, was expected here
tomorrow to discuss with Captain
O'Nen. Chief of Ordnance, the feast
bility of using the novel craft in an at
tack upon the Spanish squadron at San
tiago if the vessels are still there. The
officials are disposed 10 receive in a
kindly spirit any suggestion that might
prove to be valuable in this line, and
they Will talk with Mr.. Holland over
the details of his scheme.
An important phase to the military
programme is a decision not to take
up the details of organizing the new
force of $4,000 volunteers for at least
a week or ten days. At the Cabinet
meeting to-day inquiry was made Of
Secretary Alger as to what steps he
proposed taking on the organizing of
this large additional force of volunteers
his reply was that he had not even
considered the details of this question,
and that his plan was not to take up
the matter for a week or ten days. In
the meantime no conclusion has been
reached as to whether a portion of the
fo,OO0 volunteers Will be used to re-
under the first call for 125,O90 volun-
teers, which would take about 10000
men from the second call This would
leave $1,000 men to be organized in dis