Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-08-01
WAR ALMOST OYER
Army and Navy Officers Consider
Hostilities Practically Ended
Armistice Expected Shortly.
REDUCTION OF NAVY BEGUN
Large Armies of Occupation Required for
Cuba, Puerto Rico and Perhaps the
Philippines -Warships Ordered
North for Repairs.

New York. Aug. IA special to the
Tribune from Washington says: The
army and navy officers consider the wal
practically ended so far AS actual hos
tiities are concerned and even If peace
negotiations are conducted in a dilatory
manner, which has come to be INSOFAR
able from Spaniards, an armiStice can
hardly be delayed beyond a week or 10
days, or by that time the Spanish gar
risons of San Juan and Manila will have
laid down their arms as they did at San
tiago.
The necessity for the maintenance of
a large army of occupation for Cuba
and Puerto Rico will initiate to prevent
any reduction in the military establish
ment for some time to come. although
most of the volunteers who have not up
to this time left American soil, will
probably be mustered out of service
within a month after the treaty of peace
is concluded A regular army of $4,000
men will probably remain upon its war
footing for several years, the country
having been awakened to the eXpediency
of maintaining greater standing army
ties in Alaska, Hawaii, Cuba and Puerto
Rico and perhaps the Philippines i'm
peratively demand a considerable force
for duty.
For some time at least Cuba cannot
be trusted to work out the problem of
self-government without the guardian
ship of at least $4,000 trained American
soldiers. Puerto Rico will undoubtedly
require another 10000. II the Philip
pines are to be held tremendous in
crease of the regular army will be i'm
perative so soon as congress provides
the requisite authority. General Lees 7th
corps at Jacksonville has always been
intended for duty in Cuba late in the
fall. and will certainly go there at that
time for offensive operations in case Ha-
vana is not surrendered or as an army
of occupation after peace has been con-
cluded.
The reduction in the naval force will
be more sweeping and immediate, it be-
ing the intention to dispose of nearly all
the vessels which were pressed into
service and improvised for various hos
tile operations since the Maine was
blown up.
The first step has already been taken
by the orders issued yesterday, return
ing the st. Paul and st. Louis to New
York so soon as they could leave the
West Indies. Their guns will be taken
off at once. their naval officers de-
tached, including Captain Sigsbee and
Captain Goodrich, and as speedily as
the vessels can be restored to the condi-
tion they were in when the navy ac-
quired them, they will be delivered to
their former owners, the American line.
The Harvard and Yale will be given up
a week or so later and the navy will
cease paying 5000 per day for these
four vessels, which for the last few
weeks have been used exclusively by the
army as transports. Perhaps the army
will charter the vessels until the owners
consider it advisable to undertake the
restoration of their transatlantic voy-
ages.
The naval authorities have also shown
confidence in the result of the peace
negotiations by ordering at least three
of the heavier warships to New York
for repairs. The Texas is expected to
go into dock Tuesday, the Brooklyn
week later, and the Iowa will be put
into the new dock Just repaired, so soon
as it is ready to receive her, about Aug
ust 20. The Indiana will also come
north so soon as possible and even Ad
miral Simpsons flagship, the New York,
is expected to go in dry dock about the
middle of August.