The herald., 1898-06-23
MERRITT and STAFF GO
WILL ASSUME THE DUTIES OF
0ovERNoR-oENERAL
MAJ.-GEN. OTIS ALSO GOES
Another Expedition to Be Made Ready
at Once-Shipowners Alarmed
Over the Prospect


. WASHINGTON, June 22.-Quarter- .
. master-General Luddington of the War .
. Department received a telegram today .
from Quartermaster Long at San
Francisco, saying that the third mill .
. tary expedition for the Philippines will
leave San Francisco on Monday next
. on six transports, namely, the Ohio, .
. Indiana, City of Para, Morgan City,
. Valencia and Newport. He added that .
. General Merritt, commanding the new .
. department of the Pacific and pros .
. pective Governor-General of the Phil
. ippine Islands, probably will accom- .
. pany on the Indiana. Major-General .
Otis, the next in command. will ac- .
Q company the fourth expedition to the .
= philippines. Quartermaster Long says .
. also that the City of Pueba probably .
. will be turned over to the government .
. tomorrow morning, but will hardly be .
. ready to sail with the other vessels on .
. Monday. Her departure will not be .
Q delayed more than day or two, and
cit is probable that she will overtake .
. the expedition at Honolulu and ac-
. company 1t to Manila.
Reports From the Bay
? SAN FRANCISCO, June 22.-Maj. -Gen.
Merritt today received orders from the
war department at Washington to organize
the troops of the Philippine expeditionary
force into an army corps, to be known as
the Eighth. Whenever he deems such act
ION advisable, Gen. Merritt is instructed
Ito turn over his command to Ma.
Otis. The new corps will probably consist
of three divisions, two to be made up of
the troops of the first, second and third
Manila expeditions, and the third division
to be composed of all the troops going
with Maj.-Gen. Otis on the fourth and
last expedition. Brighten. King will prob
ably be the commander of this division.
Il Maj. Gen. Merritt, who still expects TO
sail on the Newport next week, will not
likely relinquish the command of the new
army corps for several months, or until
his duties as encouragement of the Phil
ippines interfere with the discharge of his
military duties. The troops to go on the
Newport will probably be the Astor light
battery and the regulars from the Thir-
teenth and Twenty-third infantry.
As stated, it is practically decided that
Gen. Merritt and his staff and headquar-
tiers, including a large force of clerks. will
take passage on the Newport with the
feet that is to sail next Monday. The war
department has been notified that the third
expedition will sail on Monday, June 9th,
but the expeditionary authorities here still
hold to the privilege of two days more 1t
is thought that they may not get off until
Wednesday, although every effort will be
made to follow the date given to the war
department.
The Fourth Fleet
The remaining expeditionary force, con-
shutting a division, will be left in COM
mand Of Maj.-Gen. E. S. Otis, and will
set sail for Manila as soon os the addi-
tional transports necessary can be secured.
No troops have yet been definitely select
ed to go to Manila on the Newport. The
steamer will not hold full regiment but
there are no smaller organizations in camp
except the Utah cavalry, the Astor battery
and one battalion of the Fourteenth regi-
ment. The latter is composed largely of re-
cruits. A battalion each from the Eight
zenith and Twenty-third regiments is to
form part of the expedition, and it is pos
sible that the remainder of either or both
of those regiments will be ordered aboard
the Newport. Gen. Merritt will have a
cabin on that steamer. Tomorrow several
regiments will begin to send baggage to the
vessels, but no troops will embark.
Maj.-Gen. Otis says that troops for the
next expedition will probably embark be-
fore Sunday. He qualities the statement
that the condition precedent Is that the
transports be ready before Sunday to re-
ceive the men.
Afraid Of an Impress
Shipping circles are very much concerned
in the news sent from Washington, that
the government intends to give army off.
GERS here free hand to impress ships for
transport purposes.
There is a scarcity of ocean-going ships
at the present time on the coast, and if
the government takes possession of fifteen
more vessels, which number it is estimated
Is required, business will receive a heavy
blow, but the owners will be unable to do
anything in the matter
They are all willing to help the govern
ment in every possible way, and it is not
q question of terms, but simply that owners
and agents are not willing to charter their
ships when 1t means an absolute tie-up of
their business.
Brig. Gen. II. g. Otis Goes
SAN FRANCISCO, June 22.-Brigadier-
General Otis has received his official orders
to accompany the third expedition to Ma
Mia. He Is removed from command of the
Fourth Brigade, and Col A. S. Frost of the
South Dakota regiment is now in charge of