Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-05-26


bulletin boards failed to yield any
news of the movements of either of the
three feets-Sampson's Schley's and
the Spanish flying squadron, and there
Is reason to believe that the depart
ment itself has received no informa-
ton on that point. The department Of
fcers are beginning to show little
sensativeness to criticism in the mat
ter of delay in bringing the Spanish
feet into action, conscious as they are
that they have made all dispatch COM
patible with due regard for the safety
Of our own ports as vel! as Of the
lives of the crews of our warships.
Every day there is talk Of a change in
the naval plans, brought about by
some movement of the Spanish squad
ron, but what that latest phase Of
campaign is nobody outside of the
members of the war board is compe-
tent to say. The general impression
is that no particular effort is to be
1AIuc just uOW " pulSuC lAC Span
iards so long as they keep within the
confines of the Gulf Of Mexico and the
Caribbean sea, but that Sampson and
Schley will encircle the island Of
Cuba,
Maintained the Blockade
and convoy troops across the Florida
straits is necessary, meanwhile simply
keeping watch on the Spanish flying
squadron to see that it does no mis-
chief either to the American fleet or
by escaping into the Atlantic to the
seaboard cities. By this plan the
military and naval officials might hope
to silence the rather severe criticisms
that are being expressed because of
delays in opening the military cam
paign in Cuba itself. Considerable
pressure has come upon the admins
tration from congressional quarters
to have the campaign fastened, and
there are thought to be signs of a re-
sumption of the plans of the military
leaders for the invasion of Cuba at
the point where they were suddenly
suspended by the announcement of the
arrival of the Spanish flying squadron
at Martinique. One sign of this was
the inclusion in the regular army order
of direction to Capt. Alger to go to
Tampa to Maj. Gen. Miles. At army
headquarters there was no sign of i'm
mediate departure, but. after all, in
view of the fact that three times at
least everything has been prepared
For IL Movement
to Tampa, it may be presumed that
everything is in trim for departure at
short notice without open manifesto
ton Of preparations. The department
processes to feel no apprehension that
Admiral Dewey or his men in any
wise are endangered by their occupa-
ton Of Manila harbor on the present
basis, but this cannot be said of the
unfortunate inhabitants of Manila if
the present situation is protracted I'M
duly. 1t is no small matter to organ-
ize and transport an expedition of 49,
600 or $1,000 soldiers G.OOO miles
across the sea at short notice, and the
indications are that within a week
some Of the soldiers at least will be
on their way from San Francisco. fol-
lowing the Charleston, which is eX-
pected to leave at any moment with
few supplies most urgently needed by
Admiral Dewey. There are indica-
lions that the war department has
been brought to see the wisdom and
fairness of the suggestions thrown out
by Maj. Gen. Merritt that his eXpedi-
ton should consist of
Not Less Than 1900 Men
and at least a third of them should be
seasoned troops from the regular
army, capable of meeting on even
terms the veteran Spanish soldiers
who garrison Manila. 10 endeavor to
overcome the Spanish force with less
than half their number of troops
would seem to be a senseless proceed
ing III view of the fact that there is no
necessity for such course. Gen. Mer-
rift took occasion to deny very en-
phatically the accuracy of certain
newspaper interviews published yes
terday morning which placed him in
the position of refusing to obey an Or
der to proceed to the Philippines be-
cause his force was insufficient. The
officials at the department. upon see
ing those publications, did not hest
tare to express at once their belief
that Gen. Merritt was too good a SOL
der to refuse to obey lawful order.
Although they admitted he might
have, as he did later. through In
spector General Hughes, a member CT
his staff, suggested the propriety of an
incrpoSo in tho numhpr and q hpttpr-