The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-08
GEN, MILES BOLD
Continued from First Page.


the conditions of your telegram asking an
immediate answer and enabling you also to
show this to the general of the American
army, to see II he Will agree to await the
answer of the government which cannot be
as soon the time whichthe has decided as
communication by way of Bermuda Ia more
slow than by Key West. In the meanwhile
your honor and the general of the American
army may agree upon eaDitulation on the
basis of repatriation, returning to SPAIN"
. I have the honor to transmit this to YOU
that II your minister consider the foregoing
satisfactory that he may designate persons in
representation cf himself, who with those in
my name may agree to clauses OF the capitu-
lation upon the basis of returning to Spain.
accepted already in the beginning by the
general in chief OF the army. Awaiting a
reply, am very respectfully your servant,
-" Jose Toral Ets'
Eat the meeting on the following day,
Gen. Toral stated that he was pre-
pared to surrender, with the approval
of the captain general of Cuba, but 1t
would require little time to have his
acts confirmed by the home govern
ment; that in the meantime he was
prepared to appoint commissioners to
arrange the clauses of capitulation.
Not only this, he offered to surrender
the balance of his command, which
had not been under fire during the
campaign. The remarkable offer was
on his motion, and was in the nature
of a surprise to the American generals
present. However, at the conference Of
the day previous, Gen. Miles had re-
minded him that he had been rendered
the most liberal terms ever offered
to an enemy; that his feet was de-
stroyed, and that they were 5000 miles
from home. ToraIs offer could be ac-
counted for in one Of two ways
nif hot f11
home to meet a threatened revolution.
or that they wanted to get home and
regarded this as the only means of do
ing so at the expense of the United
States. Whether Blanco and the rest
Of the Spanish forces IN Cuba would
have surrendered on the same terms
is not now, and perhaps may never
be known.
PORTO RICAN EXPEDITION.
1.-The place of landing the Porto Ri
can expedition had tbeen so thoroughly
advertised in communications sent over
the cable, and in the newspapers of
our own country. and telegraphed to
Madrid, and from there to San Juan,
that, not having received the neces-
sary appliances with which to disem-
bark, Gen. Miles decided after leaving
the WindWard passage to change his
course, and land on the south side Of
Porto Rico, where the Spaniards were
the least prepared and the least ex-
pecting TO receive themi and where he
knew that the Decentralization of the
troops and supplies could be most cas-
lily effected. From the time Of that en-
barkation, during the following nine
teen days Of the campaign, he kept the
Spaniards guessing what the next
move would be. When they withdrew
along the line Of the great military
road between Ponce and San Juan,
| they destroyed the bridges, INSTRUCTED
the roads and fortified strong positions
in the mountain passages, then were
surprised that one column Of his army
was sweeping around the west end of
the island, capturing the principal
cities and towns, while another had
passed over the trail Which the Span
iards had supposed impossible and,
therefore, had not fortified to guard
it, and the first they knew Of the
march Of the American army was the
appearance Of q strong brigade with
| in twenty miles Of the northern coast,
at the terminus Of the railroad con-
Meeting San Juan with Areceibo. The
island Of Porto Rico was fairly won
by the right Of conquest, and has be-
come a part Of the United States. The
sentiment Of the people was in no
sense outraged by the invaders, but,
on the contrary, was successfully pro-
pitiated. A people who had endured
| the severity of Spanish rule for four
! centuries, hail with JOY the protection
Of the great republic One Of the rich
| est sections Of the country over which
our flag now floats has been added
and will be Of great value to our ma
ton, politically, commercially. and
from a military or strategic point Of
view. Possession Of that island has
also rendered any further resistance
Of the Spanish forces in Cuba hope
less, and Gen. Miles firmly believes
that, by fair and just treatment the
people Of Cuba can be easily controlled,
either as a friendly ally and neighbor,
! or to become part Of our own coun-
try, as the people Of Porto Rico.
Gen. Miles remained in Porto Rico
| as long as he deemed his presence nee
| essary for carrying out the wishes Of
| the president, and now returns to the
United States. bringing with him near
! ly 5000 men who are no longer re-
! quired, there being some 1900 still
remaining, amply sufficient for all pur-
poses. He returns at once to Wash
! ington, where he believes he can be
most useful, as he considers the most
! important need Of the hour now to be
| the immediate reduction Of war ex-
! penses, and the return Of as large a
| portion Of those in the military serv-
! ice as possible to their former occupa-
| lions, where they are most needed.
SAYS HE SAID IT.
! Gen. Miles admitted to the Associat-
! ed Press reporter who interviewed him
while the OLDHAM was lying off Liberty
Island, the substantial accuracy Of the
! statement attributed to him by the
Kansas City Stars correspondent at
! Ponce, Porto Rico
There are" Gen. Miles said to the
| newspaper men, "a few minor inaccur-
acies in the published reports, such as
I don't care to point out the inaccuracies
! referred to at this time; they are I'M
! important.
| 1T is true that I requested that my
troops in Porto Rico on their return
! home should be allowed to camp some
! where near New York, preferably
! Brooklyn Heights, Fort WadsWorth or
! Governors Island. I also required of
| the war department that the troops
| be allowed to march through New York
! city.
II never intended to parade myself,
! as [ shall go to Washington in a few
! days, and would not be here at the
! time of the contemplated parade.
I asked that the Wisconsin men
| aboard the OLDHAM be permitted TO
! stay in this vicinity for day or two
! to give them chance to see the city
It would do no harm to let these West
| ern boys get glimpse Of New York
! Surely they merit 1t,
Many of them, I think, have never
seen the city. andsperhaps will never
| have an opportunity to see it.
TO my first re&uestie namely that