Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-10-07
WILL BROOK NO DELAY.
Commissioners in Porto Rico and
Cuba as to When Spaniards
Must EVacuate.
POSITIVE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN.

Government to Be Assumedi i'm tho Islands
TO BE Annexed by Oct. 1 II the Dons Are
| Not Out BY That Date-Blanco Given
| Until Dec. L to Get Out But No Longer
Time VIII BE ToIerated-Dewey Alert As
to the Movement of Troops in the East.
| Washington, Oct THE presi-
dent cabled the United States military
commission at Porto Rico that the
island must be evacuated on or before
Oct. IS, and that the Spanish COM
missioners be so informed. In case of
failure of the Spaniards to complete
the evacuation by that date the United
States commissioners are directed TO
take possession of and exercise all the
functions of government. The presi-
dent notified the commission at Ha-
vana that the Spaniards would be eN-
pected to evacuate Cuba by Dec. 1,
and that he would brook no further
delay.
Dewey is Alert.
Washington, Oct. dewey cabled
the navy department that he was adj
vised that number of Spanish troops
had arrived at Singapore bound for
the Philippines to reinforce the Span
ish garrison at Iloilo.
Lee to Move Toward Havana.
Washington, Oct. Gen. Lee re-
ceived an order from the war depart
ment today directing him to move his
command from Jacksonville to Sa-
vannah, Ga, and get in readiness to
embark for Havana the last of this
month.
Gen. Lee Before the Commission.
tigating commission held two sessions
yesterday. In the forenoon General H.
V. Boynton concluded his testimony and
General Fitzhugh Lee was heard in the
afternoon. General BoyntoR dwe1t up
on the causes of disease at Camp
Thomas, charging the increase toward
the close of the camp to the lack of suf
ficient care on the part of the regimen
tai and brigade commanders in cover
ing the sinks. He admitted much de-
feet in the way of proper sanitary rules
vigorously enforced, but the tenor of
his testimony was unat such things
We're inevitable in q raw army, where
time was necessary to bring the men
under proper discipline. and it was cas-
Ter to find fault than to correct the
evils instantaneoUsly.
General Beaver asked General Boyn- |
ton who was at fault if the Chicka- |
mauga camp was crowded. IF such |
was the case" was the reply. the fault |
was that of the reSimental and brigade |
commanders. as the details were left to |
them" General Dodge read complaint |
purporting to be from a soldier of |
New York regiment, saying that coffee |
was issued green to the troops, and I
I1-fAF ,eaf hat he
meat was tainted and inferior, and that |
no vegetables but onions and potatoes |
were supplied. and that none of the |
food was palateable. General Boynton |
said that so far as he knew the coffee |
was not issued green. There is no |
foundation for any reasonable COM |
pIaint in regard to the food" said he. |
General Dodge also read a letter pur |
porting to come from the chaplain of |
the Eighth New York, Father James |
Dooley. saying the camp was hell on
earth, and that war would be a paradise /
compared to this place. AS for the food,
it is rotten"
Takes Issue with Two Priests.
General Boynton stated that he did |
not wish to take issue with a chaplain,
but after explaining that Father Dooley
and Father Ryan had occupied tents in
the headquarters yac1. said: IF they
saw such things as they said they did
they were the only ones who did. Their |
stories were of a sensational character |
that would do credit to a dime novel"
He also made reply to charges for
mulated by Surgeon Milo B. Ward.
of Kansas City, who said in a let
ter to the commission that one
camp was without drainage, that the
water was unfit to drink. that there
was no proper food, and that all of the
45, 900 men in the camp were sufferi1 9
from intestinal disorders. Nothing
could be more exaggerated than such
representation, said the general. OF
course, in so large camp some painful
things must necessarily happen. For
instance when measles broke out the
hospitals were quite crowded. Bat to
say that there was any purposely in
fiicted neglect is.' he declared. 'as false
as it is possible to be-
General Lee detailed the conditions
prevailing at the camp at Jacksonville-
He said the site was a good one, the