The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-14

Washington, July 13-A special meet
ing of the cabinet was held to-day. A
war conference with Secretaries Day,
Alger and Long and Admiral Sicard
and Captain Mahan participating, was
in continuous session all forenoon.
Later it was definitely learned the
dispatches laid before the war board
and cabinet meeting related to the ap-
pearance of fever. which. it was feared,
might prove to be the dreaded yellow
fever, among our forces before San
tiago The situation among the troops
before Santiago is that there are IA sus-
picious cases of fever among the en-
ployes of the quartermaster' depart
ment. Pending a determination of the
exact character of the fever these
men have been isolated and placed
under the care of immune doctors and
nurses.
1t was nearly o'clock when the war
conference at the white house broke
up. Members of the cabinet, when
questioned as to the purpose of the
meeting, said il was called to discuss
the general situation in Santiago. Sew
eral cablegrams had been received from
General Niles and General Shafter, and
,nt at al oil inc
they showed that the situation is un-
satisfactory. Some suspected cases of
yellow fever have appeared among our
troops, but they have been promptly
isolated, and 1t is thought that there
is no great danger of the disease
spreading. 1t is believed that yellow
fever also prevails to a slight extent in
the city of Santiago.
Under these circumstances, the presi-
dent asked for a conference of the
members of his cabinet and the war
board with a view to reaching a con-
clusion as to what should be done.
General Miles telegraphed the state de-
partment that the Spaniards have sew
eral times sent in flags of truce, asking
for a reconsideration of the terms of
capitulation, but so far have refused
to reconsider unconditional surrender.
which had been demanded by General
Shafter. 1t is known that General
Shafter and his advisers have come to
the conclusion that the enemy has no
idea of coming to our terms. and the
repeated hoisting of the flag of truce is
for the one single purpose of delaying a
decisive engagement.
1t is believed that at to-day's confer
ence it was decided that orders be sent
to General Miles and General Shafter
to make a general assault upon the
enemy's works as soon as the weather
permits. 1t is understood that the as
sault must necessarily cost many lives,
and it seems equally certain that to
keep the men much longer in the
trenches under present weather condi-
tions would be almost as disastrous to
our forces as a general engagement. 1t
is also believed that without very de-
cided changes in climatic conditions the
surrender of the Spanish will close the
campaign against Cuba until the rainy
season shall have passed. Whether this
will involve the return of the army TO
the United States is not known. but
the presumption is that with the fall
of Santiago the army will be re-em-
barked on transports and sent to the
United States. where the troops will
remain until October or even later. be-
fore making a general movement on
Porto Rico or Havana.
Meantime our fleet would maintain
a strong blockade OF all the important
Cuban ports and thus render their oc-