Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-07-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON, July IS, 1898

On to Porto Rico and on to
Spain. are now the twin watch
words of President Mckinley and
his administration. Commodore
Watson's fleet will probably be on
the way to Spain before this is
printed. and the expedition against
Porto Rico will be started at the
earliestpossible moment. Havana
is to be left alone for the. time
being, as the delay is daily
weakening the effectiveness of
Blanco's troops.
Gen. Shafter's : great victory in
the capture of Santiago and %, 900
Spanish troops with their arms and
ammunition, would have caused
much more rejoicing had it not
been accompanied by the news that
the yellow fever had broken out in
our army at Santiago. Everything
that money and science and medi
cal skill can do to stamp out the
disease is being done, and the re-
ports indicate that the fever is 50
far of a mild type, but there will
be much uneasiness until the full
extent of the infection becomes
known.
The War Department is perfect
ing arrangements to send the
Spaniards, who surrendered at
Santiago, back to Spain, under
parole, in accordance with the
terms of surrender, and they will
be hurried off as soon as possible.
Sending them to Spain is the best
possible thing to do with them. 1t
will be cheaper than feeding them
and keeping them as prisoners,
either in Cuba or in the United
States, and even if it wasn't, it
would still be the best way to get
rid of them.
Secretary Alger is very proud of
a letter he has received from a
gentlemen who held high command
in the Union army during the civil
war and who has a world wide
reputation as an authority on
military ma tiers. The tenor of
the letter may be judged from this
extract "You have shown the
world what American staff de-
partments under a head of great
executive ability can create in an
emergency. 1t is difficult to create
an army, equip it and move it,
and it requires peculiar kind of
ability"
The total amount of subscrip-
tions to the war bonds was 81. .36j, :
600, 900, and would doubtless have
been twice as large had not the
certainty that they would not get
any prevented many large financial
concerns from Offering to take big
| blocks of the bonds. The meaning
Of this offer of our own citizens to
loan the government one billion,
three hundred and siXty-iive mill
lion dollars, at three per cent. in
terest, will be more fully apprc-
ciated in Europe than among
ourselves-we required no such
proof of the patriotism of our
people. President Mckinley is
much pleased to know that the
entire issue of bonds will go toindi-
viduals, not one of whom will get
more than $1,000, and that almost
half Of the 100000, 900 will go
out in lots of $500 or less. 1t is q
popular loan sure enough.
As an additional proof that Am
ericans always keep near the head
of the procession, whether they are
engaged in fighting with deadly
weapons or in the struggle for the
almighty dollar, it may be men
toned that applications for author
ity to establish National banks at
the following places have been
filed at the Treasury Department:
Honolulu, Havana, San Juan,
Porto Rico, and Manila.
A Washington delegation OF the
Red Cross Society made a thorough
personal investigation of the ar
rangement for the comfort OF the
sick and wounded in the hospital
at Fortress Monroe and report all
patients comfortably provided for
in the way of accommodations. To
meet a need, the Red Cross has
issued an appeal for contributions
of delicacies for the patients.
Gen. Miles added much to his
popularity by giving Gen. Shafter
entire credit for the victorious
campaign against Santiago, in his
official dispatches to Secretary
Algcr, and proved that he meant
exactly what he said when he went
to Cuba, that he was going to make
observations, and not to supercede
Gen. Shafter.
1t might be supposed from the
tenor of the European cable news,