The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-30

| communication Secretary Day had been
charged to prepare overnight and to give
to it the seal of formal approval.
| Secretary Day had had two conferences
with the President since the adjournment
of the Cabinet yesterday one last night
and another early this morning with the
result that he had completed his share OF
| the work before the hour Of half-past tell
appointed for the re-assembling of the Cab
met
| 1t was impossible to gather details as to
the nature of that part of the communi-
cation relating to the Philippines which,
after ALL was the only point that had
given rise to prolonged discussion or had
revealed any substantial differences
among the members of the Cabinet. How
ever, it was learned that an arrangement
had been proposed which had met the ap-
proval of the Cabinet providing for the
refernce of so much of the Philippine
question as touched their future govern
ment to a commission, probably limited
to American and Spanish Representatives.
The scope and power of this commission
could not be learned in advance of the
Cabinet meeting and the method devised
for enforcing any verdict it might reach
was left to surmise Still, the general
principle underlying the arrangements is
understood to be the development of the
sober second thought of the American
people as to the disposition of the Phil
ippines, unclouded by the clash of war
and unaffected by momentary lust for ter
ritorial acquisition.
OF course, it is understood that no mat
ter what form the Philippine arrange
ment takes, the United States is to ac-
quire naval station there, for 1t is un-
derstood that the original plan to acquire
coaling station has been broadened into
demand for a naval station. The ar
gument that brought about this change
was the representation of the Naval War
Board that one of the most pressing needs
of United States naval vessels in Asiatic
waters was a good dry dock and some
machine shops where the repairs that
were always required by the complex war
ships of today can be effected.
1t was also pointed out that under
strict application of the neutrality laws,
as urged by some writer's. the United
States might be prevented in time of war
from taking its own coal from its own
coaling station, though the same rule
cannot be applied to a naval station,
which would be held under an entirely
different tenure. The maintenance of
tory than coaling station and the ex-
istence of a dock yard at Cavite has fixed
the eyes of the Naval War Board upon
that place as one ready made for our
occupancy.
naval station involves some resident
population to supply the necessary labor
and some agricultural land is required to
maintain this population, the extent of
the territory depending entirely upon the
Some of the naval officers are urging, and
their representations have been given
weight, that the whole of the island of
Luzon ds not too great an expanse to sup
port properly such a station as the United
States will require
They point also to the difficulty that
would be encountered in defending a sta
tion which does not occupy the whole
of the island upon which it is located.
On the other hand, it is pointed out that
there are several hundred thousand semi
barbarous inha abitants of Luzon whose
States to keep a considerable military and
naval force always on and about the
islnd, without proper recompense
The statement of General Merritt con-
tanned in his cablegram today that he
probably would need all the troops that
had been assigned to him, was regarded
as a little ominous of trouble to come,
though whether this is to be with the
natives or is incident to the siege of
Manila is not evident
The generals dispatch, lit is supposed,
was Brought to Hong Kong on the Brit
ish gunboat Plover and as he makes no
mention of the. reported surrender of
Manila, although his despatch undoubt-
edly is the latest from the Philippines,
that report is now looked upon as at least
premature 1t is noticeable too, that Ad-
mira1 Dewey, in his cablegram, made no
reference to the reported surrender.