Evening star., 1898-07-14
he War Department it was declared that

the War Department 1t was declared that
no kilograms or cables had been received
from either General Shafter or General
Miles, except one from General Shafter
announcing the appointment of commits
sion to consider terms Of surrender.
1t was net until about II o'clock that
word came from the front that the Span
iards had proposed commission to adjust
the final terms of surrender. General Shat
ter's dispatch making the announcement
was taken to the White House.
While there were many rumors it was
not until II O'Clock that Ad1utant General
Ccrbfn returned from the White House
and gave out brief bulletin stating that
General Toral had asked for commission
to agree on terms Of surrender, and had
himself named his commissioners. The bull
letin did not give the text of General Shat
ter's dispatch. nor did it give what every
one was anxiously waiting to know
whether the Spanish proposition would be
accepted or rejected and what effect our
action would have on the bombardment
The lack of definite information led to
many wild reports. One was to the effect
that the Spanish proposition had been
summarily rejected, and that It took only
a few minutes for the White House con-
ference to determine on the rejection and
SO notify General Shafter. But this re-
port was positively contradicted by off,
cials in authority at the War Department.
They said there had been no rejection, ex-
cept SO far as it related to any delay or
parley over the question of surrender.
Instructions to Shafter.
The orders sent to General Shafter made
commander was seeking to gain time. or
wanted commission to treat on the ques-
ton Of surrender itself, then the PROPOSE
ton was not to be considered. But If the
desired the commission merely to agree
upon the details and formalities of the
surrender, then the plan was accepted, as
all this government has contended for has
that commission would be appropriate to
carry out the formalities of this laying
down of arms. The exact terms of the in
structions to General Shafter were not dis
closed, but the foregoing was given as
showing the general lines on which he was
to proceed.
The Presidents Attitude.
Secretary Alger. speaking for the Pres
ident, declared most emphatically that no
further time would be granted for de-
cision upon the main prorosition-surren-
der-and If by noon today the Spanish gem
eral had not declared his willingness to do
this the attack on Santiago would be re-
sumed. 1t is presumed that If he accepts
the main principle of surrender, with the
expectation Of being transported to Spain
with his army, there will be no objection to
the appointment Of commissioners 10 ad-
Just the details Of the surrender.
Regards 1t n Surrender.
Adjt. Gen. Corbin locked upon the matter
as settled 1ow-in fact. he said as much to
a reporter of The Star Immediately upon
his return from his conference with the
President at the White House. He was
asked If he considered that the surrender
had been agreed upon. and he said most
emphatically that he so understood it. In
his opinion, now that the main question OF
surrender had been settled, the only thing
that remained was to agree upon certain
essential details such as to where the Span
ish troops should surrender, whether in
town or whether they should be marched
out on the plains and there lay down their
arms. 1t is also possible, he said, that the
question of time might enter into the mat
ter as to whether the evacuation of the
town should begin at exactly noon, or
whether the actual surrender should occur
at that hour or shortly thereafter. He said
was apt to be misunderstood to mean a
formal commission sitting in deliberate ses-
sion for days.
But such was rot the case In the present
instance. Commissioners to arrange the
details of surrender after 1t had been
agreed upon are common in military his
tories, and commissioners is the usual
military term given to persons charged
with such duties.
Skaters Authority.
Gen. Corbin said that under the army
regulations Gen. Shafter has full author
ity to arrange with Gen. Toral for the ap-
pointment of one or more commissioners
for the purpose indicated. He stated pcs
it1vely that no instructions had been sen.
to Gen. Shafter on that particular point,
one way or the other, and Shafter was ex-
pected to act entirely in accordance with
his original instructions contemplating the
surrender of the Spanish
forces.
Questions to BE Settled.
The proposed commission is said to be
no novelty in warfare, and especially in
such cases as this, where complex consid-
erations are involved. The proposition to
remove the Spanish army in Santiago. di-
vided as 1t is between several towns re-