The Yale expositor., 1898-06-24
NOTES ON THE WAR SITUATION

Secretary Alger says an ample sup
ply of good water has been secured at
Camp Alger by new wells.
Santiago is on the verge of starva-
ton. All the food has been seized for
the army and navy and the troops and
sailors are on half rations.
During the recent bombardment of
Santiago's forts one of the 13-inch guns
on the battleship Massachusetts was
disabled by shell from the forts.
1t is reported from Cuban sources
that 5000 Spanish volunteers have de-
serted in the province of Puero Prin-
cipe and have joined the Cuban army
Maj. Gen. Brooke, in command at
Chickamauga, has received orders from
the war department that IS of the best
equipped regiments be designated for
movement to Porto Rico.
Senor Du Bose, the former Spanish
charge d'affaires at Washington, and
Lieut.. Carranza, the former Spanish
naval attache at Washington, have
been invited to leave Canada.
Certain Washington correspondents
continue TO assert, on alleged high
authority, that President Mckinley in
tends soon to dispatch a fleet across
the Atlantic to attack coast cities of
Spain.
Mrs j. Addison Porter, wife of Pres
ident McKinley's private secretary, has
joined the Red Cross society and gone
20 ITagf I,n nd ,l
wiser of Miss Clara Barton, the presi-
dent of the society.
A dispatch from Cadiz, via Gibraltar,
says: There is great excitement here
owing to fears of the American fleet
coming to Spain. 1t has been decided
to send further reinforcements to the
Balearic islands, the Canaries and
Ceuta.
Several Spaniards, among them a
lieutenant, have walked into Camp Nc
Gala on Guantanamo bay and surren-
dered in order to get something TO eat.
They say the Spanish soldiers about
there are half-starved and would gladly
surrender if they thought their lives
would be spared.
After the defeat of the Spanish at
their base of operations near Camp Nc
Gala by the marines and Cubans, the
Oregon, Marblehead and Suwanee care
fully picked their way through the
channel several miles above Camp Nc
Gala and fired upon "a large Spanish
force at Hicacal point. A Cuban scout
ing party soon after found ls dead
Spaniards.
According to estimates made by
Adit. Gen. Corbin, the total number of
troops left at Tampa is about 5000.
At jacksonville it is estimated that
there are about 5000 men. This would
make the entire strength of the forces
most eligibly located for embarkation
to Porto Rico $1,000 men. Out of this
it would be possible to organize by the
time the other preparations for the ex-
pedition are completed an army of 25,-
900 men thoroughly equipped.
1t is said to be the plan of the Wash
ington administration regarding Porto
Rico to take complete control of the
island and place it under American SOW
ereignty. A military form of govern
ment will be inaugurated in all of the
towns. This course is expected to prove
beneficial and make friends of the
most influential residents of the island.
With a just and reasonable system of
taxation and the enforcement of strict
Justice, the adherence of the residents
of the island to this government is con-
fidently expected. Maj. Gen. Cop
pinger will be the military governor.
A London cable says that the entire
German East Asia squadron seems to
be concentrating at Manila. There
arc now there the Kaiser, Kaiserin,
Augusta, Irene, Cormoran, with a total
of COS men. IL is said also that the
steamer Petrarch is to leave for Shang-
hal for Manila with secret orders.
Prince Henry of Prussia, who is with
the squadron at Haiu Chou, is kept
constantly informed about the PROCESS
of the war. Conferences between the
German consul and Capt. Gen. Au-
gust leads to the belief that Ger
many has designs on the Sulu archi-
nelago.