The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-07-16
TINE FOR TALKING PAST.
The Bombardment of Santiago to
Proceed Until Tora1 Sees Fit
to Capitulate.
The TERMS, UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.
Every Effort to Save Life by Peaceful
Means Having Failed, the Same Object
Will Now be Attempted by the Hottest
Battle Our Forces Can Put Up-Quick
Work Imperative.

Battle Our Forces Can Put Up-Quick
Work Imperative.
WASHINGTON, July 14.-While the
long-eXpected fall of Santiago did not
take place yesterday, it was evident
that the crisis had been reached, and
that within the next "a hours it would
either surrender or receive such a bap-
tism of fire as seldom falls to the lot of
a besieged town. If he refuses, l
will open ON him at IL noon tomorrow
with every gun L have and have the
aSsistance.of the navy. Are ready t.
lombard the city with J3-inch shells.n
| This is the programme laid down by
Gen. Shafter, and is to be carried out
to the letter.
Gen. Shafter is Still Commanding,
according to the war department Off
Gals, and, although dispatches have
been received from Maj-Gen. Miles,
signed major-general commanding, it
is said that he has not displaced Gen.
Shafter in direct charge of the opera
lions. The public in one of these tel
grams from Gen. Miles was given the
first notice that our. government had
offered, IN the course of negotiations
with Gen. Toral, to send the Spanish
forces in Santiago back to Spain,
Conditions Have Been Modified.
A few days g it was stated that
the president would insist upon uncon.
ditional surrender, but it appears that
the condition had been modified, as in
nioa+nl h. O., NT,1,- MI .-o, lo--
from a desire to avoid useless blood
shed, for Gen. Toral's army removed to
Spain would be harmless to prevent
our further operations in Cuba and
would serve as good a purpose as
would be the destruction of the Span
lsh army. To allow the Spanish gen
eral to withdraw to the interior and
fall back on Havana, on the other
hand, would put us under the obliga-
ton of overcoming that additional
force when it comes to the siege of
Havana.
Another Incentive.
Our government, also. is moved to
make this proposal to remove the Span
ish forces to Spain through a strong
desire to close up the operations at
Santiago at the earliest possible mo-
ment. This desire has been materially
strengthened by the appearance of
yellow fever within the American
lines. 1t was at first supposed that
the men were falling i'll with malaria
and climatic fever, SO the cases were
reported as simply suspicious. Now,
. however, comes the final admission
that they are genuine yellow fever
cases. Their appearance. has deter
mined the authorities upon a more
active prosecution of the campaign.
No More Talk, but Shot and Shell.
Orders either have or at once will go
forward to Gen. Shafter to discuss no
more with the Spanish commander the
terms of surrender, but to proceed to
assault the town with all the force at
his command as soon as the present
truce expires.
1t is expected by Shafter that the
navy will cooperate, and, while Sec
rotary Long has received no direct ad-
vices on that point from Amiral Samp-
son, he fully credits this expectation.
The Better Policy.
Reluctant as the war department is
to sacrifice the many lives that might
be lost in an assault, it is deemed to be
the better policy to make it than to
allow the men to rot away with fevers
and other diseases during the long
period that would be required to per-
feet the reduction of the city by steady
investment.
Think Gen. ToraI VIII Surrender.
An expectation is still entertained
here, however, that this assault will
be unnecessary through Toral surren-
dering before it begins. 1t was, per-
haps, the spread of this belief, caused
by a knowledge of the more ener-
getic steps, in prospect, that tended to
remove largely the feeling of depres.
sion manifested at the opening of the
day upon the circulation of rumors of
the appearance of yellow fever in the
American camp.
Regarding the Future of Santiago,
Nothing has been officially stated, but
it is significant that orders were issued
from the department yesterday after
noon to prepare the First and Second
of volunteer immunes for
immediate departure for the front.
This would seem to be indicative of a
on the part of the government
to garrison Santiago with its fever
proof men after it's capitalization, thus
permitting the removal of the regular
troops to more healthful points.
Spain's Hard Alternative.