The Portland daily press., 1898-07-08
NO FRICTION.
Secretary Long Says Navy and Army Agree
Perfectly.

8 Washington, July 1.-THE meeting OF
the war board at the White House again
t day is taken to mean that the campaign
t. be necessary to sum up the existing
conditions and decide whether or not
they demand change in the original
plans.
Capt. Crowninshield, chief of the navi
cation bureau, and one of the strongest
minds on the board, has been absent for
u day or two on departmental business,
so that the board has teen unable to hold
its full meetings. When the opportunity
arrived today the President was so inter-
ested in the subject matter for oonsulta-
ton that he decided to participate in it
himself There was another purpose in
view also, namely to get the army and
n avy more closely together aud refute the
statements that have been published to
the effect that serious friction exists be-
tween the two arms of the service. In this
point Secretary Long today expressed
himself as follows:
"There is not the slightest foundation
for the suggestion of anything but the
best feeling between the army and the
navy. Each rejoices in the splendid hero
ism and success of the other. They are
ready to cooperate for the honor of the
flag at any time and anywhere. AS to the
two departments, the war department is
always ready to help the navy department
If it should need anything and the navy
department has been very glad to aid the
war department by the loan of its best
scouting vessels for transports and in
every other way"
There was still another reason for the
gathering of the board at the White
House.
Gen. Miles has ARRANGED to leave Wash
1C onti and ir
felt to be expedient that he consult the
board before doing so. No statement can
be secured from any reliable source as
to his plans. 1t may be stated, however,
that if he goes to Santiago at this stage
he does not do so with the intention of
taking command of the army, unless
Gen, Shafter shall lind himself phySical-
ly unable to continue in command.
1t is likely that Gen. Miles will sail
with the Harvard or one of the other lin
ers when they take the next instalment of
troops to Cuba.
The officials of the war department
thought they ssaw encouraging signs of
Santiago's surrender in Gen. Skaters
report yesterday that Spanish army off,
GERS were deserving to the American side.
It is believed that this is the immediate
result of the sending back to the Spanish
lines in safety OF wounded Spanish
officers and men who had fallen on the
uaCUl6uolu, tuuS us pellIHg Uu0 IID PRESTON
the high Spanish officials have sought
to create among their ignorant troops
that the American we're babarians.
Il is earnestly hoped that the conclu-
sions drawn from Skaters despatch are
sound for private advices received here
speak of the appearance of contagious
disease within the Spanish lines.
Three of the torpedo boat destroyers
that started with Admiral Camara for
the Philippines have returned. Our secret
agents in Europe have discovered them
lying at an obscure little port called
Pharo, in Southern Portugal, in a good
place to run into the Mediterranean or up
to CadiZ upon the appearance of an enc
my, while in the meantime serving we'll
as scouting boats. Nothing further has
been heard from Camara's squadron since
yesterday report and there it is officially
through the Red Sea to the Philippines.
1t is said here that SO far as officially
known, Valdez, the reported agent of
Aguinaldo in London made his pub.
lished statement as to the future of the
Philippines absolutely without authori-
cation. Consequently all that be says
as to independence based on Cuban
models and other things relating to the
future government of the islands have
no basis in the shape of official agree
ments. Admiral Dewey has expressly
stated to the navy department. that he has
had no official intercourse with Aguia-
naldo. SO that our Cover nment cannot be
said to have been bound by the admiral S
action.