The record-union., 1898-07-22
He Has a Powerful Convoy Of Our
WaTships.
He viii Not Lack for Troops TO Assist Him
as Far as the War Depart
ment'S Intentions Will
Aid Him.

" HAoI114Nd1ON, July -l.-GelltIdi
Miles, leading the military expedition
against Porto Rico, started al ) o'clock
this afternoon from Siboney, Cuba, for
the point on the Island Of Porto Rico
where it is the intention that the troops
shall land. 1t is expected that General
Miles Will await at some appointed spot
on the route for the expeditions from
Tampa, Newport News and New York
to fall into his column These expedi-
tions are already under way, some of
them with two or three days start of
General Miles, so that the delay should
not be very great.
After all the difficulty about the ma
val convoy and the first conclusion of
the naval authorities that none was
necessary, the strength of that now fur
nished is surprising. There is battle
ship of the first class, the Massachu-
setts; an effective protected cruiser, the
Cincinnati: speedy and well manned
gunboat, the Annapolis, and four ves-
sells Of the auxiliary navy, which have
already proved by their performances
in Cuban waters that they are equal
10 the ordinary gunboat in offensive
power. These are the Gloucester, which
distinguished itself in the destruction
OF Cervera's squadron: the wasp,
which has attained an enviable motor
iety as a disturber OF Spanish block
houses; the Leyden, which for time
was the sole representative of the
United States power in Havana harbor.
and the Dixie. Secretary Alger believes
that General Miles, on the Yale, will
arrive at his destination Sunday morn
ing with 5000 men under his command.
\ day later will come 1000 men on
transports, and the day following that
5000 more. Whether the landing will
be deferred until the arrival of this
entire force, or whether General Miles
Will take the initiative and hoist the
flag himself on Porto Rican soil is left
to the discretion of that officer 1t is
the departments intention that he shall
not lack for troops or for food, and this
expedition may be followed by several
others as fast as the troops can be
gotten ready until word from the Cen
eral says that he needs no more Cen
eral Schwans brigade, comprising the
Fifth, the Eleventh and Nineteenth
United States Infantry, a splendid body
of trained soldiers, sailed from Tampa
to-day to join General Miles. and if the
Porto Rican expedition is not an i'm
mediate success it will not be for lack
of disposition in the War Department
to supply every requisite.
That Admiral Dewey has the situa-
tion in the Philippines well in hand is
exhibited by his kilograms. the last of
which was received to-day, which,
without boasting, simply reports, like
the others that have gone before that
affairs are quiet and satisfactory
The State Department has come to
have fully as great a sense Of appre-
ciating Admiral Dewey's diplomatic
ability as the country has for his naval
skill and courage, and the best evidence
OF this is that it has not found it neces-
sary up to this point to intervene in any
way. either to protect or to amend his
works. The Navy Department has now
discovered that the big double turret-
ed monitor Monterey Will not arrive at
Cavite until August 10Th. that being
the advice received at the department
from the Captain of the vessel when
she touched at Honolulu. The Admiral's
announcement of the arrival of the sec
ond detachment of United States troops
at Cavite has given great comfort to
the war Department. which was not al
together at ease concerning the first
small expedition lying between Span
iards and the insurgents, and without
being able TO depend very largely upon
either. With these added troops il will
now be possible to demand the surren-
der of Manila. but it is gathered here
that our purpose is to defer such
movement until all the United States
troops now afloat have arrived in Ma
Mia Bay. unless the attitude Of the in
surgents forces prompt earlier action
on the part of the American command
ers. military and naval.
Secretary Long said tonight that the
preparations for dispatching the Wat
son squadron TO European waters were
gong on uninterruptedly. but that the
departure necessarily would await tfe
movement of the warships at Porto
Rico. the Massachusetts and other ships
being required for conveying the troops
to Porto Rico. This disposed OF re-
port circulated during the day that the
expedition had been abandoned. 1t was
felt that the report was more mischleV-
Gus at this time. as it indicated pur-
from European sources that q Euro
pean coalition would result If the
American warships attacked the coast
of Spain Neither the State nor Navy
Departments look for any embarrass-
nens from European quarters outside