The record-union., 1898-07-02
ISLAND OF PORTO RICO.
THE NEXT NUMBER ON THE
PROGRAM.
Invading Expedition Under Gen.
Brooke to Sail as Soon as
Santiago Falls.

NEW YORK, July 4. - A Times
special from Washington says:
The Porto Rican expedition which
is the next number on the war pro-
gram after the surrender of Santiago,
is to be led by Major General John
r. Brooke, now commanding the First
Army Corps at Chickamauga, who will
be made Military Governor of the ISL
and after its capture. Having provided
for the forwarding of sufficient rein
forcements to General Shafter to insure
his being able to take Santiago when
he gets ready to move his full army
against it, the Administration again is
turning its attention to the details of
the invasion Of Spains other valuable
island possessions in the West Indies
with view to being prepared to fall
upon it the moment Linares and Ger
vera have capitulated.
The plans have so far progressed that
General Brooke has been selected to
command the army of invasion, and has
been ordered to get his corps, composed
of twenty-seven regiments of volun-
teers, ready to move to Tampa within
a week or ten days From there they
will be sent to Santiago preparatory to
the movement on San JUAN which will
base.
The designation of General Brooke for
| the Porto Rican enterprise is in ac-
cordance with his own wishes. While
General Brooke's corps, including 80
600, is destined for Porto Rico, it will
be sent first to Santiago. AS revealed
in part, from official sources of the
highest authority, the plan is to make
the Porto Rico campaign a continua-
tion, SO to speak, of the Santiago en-
terprse instead of an Independent and
separate undertaking. The troops from
! Chickamauga will be sent aboard
transports at Tampa and shipped to the
| base of operations in the vicinity of
Santiago. There, under the supervis-
ion of General Miles, commanding the
army, and of Generals Brooke and
Shafter, it is purposed to organize the
! force for the attack on Porto Rico.
If by the time General Brooke's force
arrives at Santiago, General Shafter
has ont succeeded in taking the town,
as many men as are needed will be
| landed to reinforce him. In case the
undertaking promises to consume some
time the entire expedition may be dis
| embarked and Linares and Cervera
crushed with overwhelming force of
numbers. If, however, as is thought
more likely, General Shafter has prac-
tically, if not actually, completed his
task when General Brooke arrives the
plan is to land a portion only of the
volunteers to help form the army of
occupation for the province of Santiago,
take on board the bulk of the regulars
now in Skaters command and pro-
ceed to Porto Rico
| With the American army in posses
sion of Santiago it will be made sort
of base for the movement on Porto
Rico Being but a little out of the way
of the direct route from Florida to
Porto Rico, it is admirably situated.
army authorities say, for a halfway
station between Tampa and San Juan.
With General Merritt in the Philippines
and General Brooke in Porto Rico, it
will remain for the other ranking Major
General of the regular army, General
! Miles, to lead the main expedition
against Havana when the time comes
| for the final movement to drive the
Spaniards out of Cuba.
Unless Spain surrenders sooner, it is
believed that General Miles will be in
| trusted with this notable service in
difference to his place as commanding
General of the Army, and in recogni-
| tion as we'll of his fine record as an
Indian fighter in days gone by.