The record-union., 1898-07-23
SIGNIFICANT STATEMENT.
Plans of the Administration for
the Future.

WASHINGTON, July IA Signifi-
cant statement was made to the AS
sociated Press to-day by a gentleman
| in a position to speak with knowledge
and authority as to the plans of the
Administration with reference TO future
war operations. In substance the
statement was as follows:
commodore Watson. in proceeding
TO the Spanish peninsula as soon as the
Porto Rican expedition is gotten under
way, is not to lombard the cities on
the Spanish coast No such idea Of
bombardment of the coast is enter
tained. While there may be other in
cidental purposes, the main mission Of
! Watson is to take care of Camara's =
fleet. The movement of this fleet and
the fears and apprehensions caused by
reports concerning it are to be stopped
for all time. The ships /1der Camara
will be located by Watson, finally met
and engaged. The talk occasionally
INDUCED in as to the Ca>ary Islands
is utterly without foundation This
Government has no plan. TO take the ISL
ands and does not want them
Despite popular expectation that
Porto Rico operations will be followed
Immediately by action against Havana.
be attacked while yellow fever condi-
tions exist. This is certain.
1T would be the hight Of national FOL :
ly to engage our troops in and about
the fever pesthole- Consequently. it
will be left until the climate lends its
aid in the autumn. Shafter will hold
his own in the eastern strip now sur
| rendered and may gradually push his
7 nfh G
there should be any particular need
Of immediate aggressive action at any
point will move against it, but Hava-
| ma will be left until yellow fever dan
gers are past
Meantime. in the next two months
| there will be enough to keep this Gov
ernment busy. We viii have to cope
with the most serious problem yet. Of
providing for the government and the
future Of the lands involved in this war.
The hauling down of the Spanish flag
and the hosting Of that Of the United
States means more than on its face it
indicates to the popular mind No
more important matter is to engage the
attention Of the Government than the
details 10 be arranged for the DISPOSE
ton. control or temporary possession
pending final transfer OF possession Of
these additions to our domain. There
are questions of the most intricate and
far-reaching character 10 be decided
Porto Rico, whose fall is likely TO be
| recorded within a week or ten days.
will have TO have a military govern
ment. Porto Rico, OF course is to be
kept permanently by this Government,
but this must be a military govern
ment first and many preliminary de-
tails will have to be worked out There
must be a reha bilitation of existin q
systems of government where we have
| carried our arms. and while local
| schemes and conditions will form the
basis Of the general system for the con-
| troll of the land, there MIST be numer-
| Gus changes, abolishing such laws as
may be oppressive.
| Laws will have to be very thoroughly
! gone over, and the tariff system re-
vised in some way. but in general, and
| as far as possible, the system of gov
| ernment which now exists is to be fol-
/ lowed. All this means work of the
most serious character, and in the ab-
sence of existing laws to govern such
| matters the President has to go ahead
on his own responsibility. Next winter.
| however. when Congress convenes the
necessity for laws covering such mat
ters will be recognized by recommenda-
| tions to Congress to that end. to be
submitted by the President. and it is
very probable the shaping of the des-
TIMES of Porto Rico and similarly cir
| cumstanced accessions will be left to
a commission or commissions to be ap-
pointed to draft the laws for adoption
| by Congress. The Government is like
| ly to be busy from now on consider
ing all these matters of governmental
| detail
1T is certainty. as far as now can
| be foreseen, that Guam, the island in