The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-05
Awaiting Action Of the Spanish Cabinet OF
the Peace Question.
Mr.. M'KINLEY'S MODII ICATION
OF His Demands on Suggestion of the French Ambassador Discussed.-
Divergent Views IS to It's Importance--Our Government Unde.
cided as to Best Course Regarding the Phiippines.-The
Authority of M. Cambon to Act--CabIe Communi.
cation with Miles Camp..Necessty of the
Nicaraguan Canal.
Nicaraguan Canal.

and and Surgeon Smart. who have
been making a tour through Pennsyl-
vania, returned today and reported the
result Of their search for camp sites to
Secretary Alger. Further information
is required, however, before the de-
partment can act.
Surgeon Sternberg, of the army, has
recommended to Secretary Alger that
the troops now at Camp Alger, Vir-
ginia, near this city, be removed at an
early day to some other location more
healthy than that they new occupy.
The increasing number of typhoid fe-
yer cases, which disease has prevailed
there for some time, is the reasOn as
signed by General Sternberg in max
ing the recommendation.
NJ. CAMBON'S AUTHORITY TO ACT.
At the French embassy the following
authorized statement vas made today:
when the French ambassador went
on Saturday to the White house he
went fully nabled to discuss, at the
Spanish governments point of view,
the propositions of the government of
the United States. These views of the
Spanish government were received by
NJ. CambOn subsequent to his first Wis
it Of Tuesday to the president"
The foregoing constitutes all that the
French embassy would say with au-
thority on the subject and it is the
only statement O~btainable from an au-
thOriZed source, other than those of
an anonymous character, which Will
give an understanding of the measure
of the ambassadors authority in rep
r~esenting the views of Spain on the
settlement of peace.
CABLE COMMUNICATION WITH
PONCE.
General Greeley, chief signal officer,
was able to with a great deal
of qualification today that he was now
in direct cable communication with
General Miles headquarters at Ponce,
Porto Rico.
Heretofore, all messages from the
general have come via a dispatch boat
to ST. Thomas and thence by cable,
involving a delay of from tWenlve to
twenty hours. When the Spanish
forces retreated from Ponce they de-
strOyed the cable Instruments. Cen
eral Greeley has succeeded in getting
the officials at st. Thomas to sen ever
new instruments and thus communi-
cation was re~-Opened.
MUST HAVE THE NICARAGUA
CANAL.
Ex-senator Warner Miller, Of New
York, the president of the Nicarguan
Canal Commission, and Senator Nor
gan, of Alabama, the leading advocate
of that project in congress-, a a con-
ference on the Nicaraguan canal ques-
ton with President Mckinley today.
The conference was short. The presi-
dent, it is aid expressed his ~acQuieS-
ence in the belief that the governments
possession of the Nicaraguan canal is
now necessary and that the war and
it's results make the canal indispensable
to the United States. The president,
his colleagues say, intends to make
strong recommendations to congress
for legislation making immediate pro-
vision for the completion of the canal.
Colonel John Jacob Aston, who was
detailed by General Shafter to bear to
the secretary of war the official report
of the surrender of Santiago, reached
Washington tonight. He called at the
var department and with Adjutant
| General Corbin went to the White
house and reported to the president.
| He stayed only a few minutes and then
| hurried back to the war department to
| deliver his official report to Secretary
| Alger, his instructions being to tender
| it to him in person. Colonel AStOr is
bronzed and sunburned, as the result
of his participation in the campaign
before Santiago.
| THE LAST COLONEL IN OUR GU
BAN ARMY.
Santiago de Cuba, July 81. 6 p. M
| Delayed in transmission.-COlOnel JOhr
H. Page, of the Third infantry (regu-
lars) leaves today by the transport Iro-
! quois for New York, dangerously i'll
with malarial fever. Colonel Page is
the last colonel of the regular army
left in Cuba. All of the others who
, came originally have either been killed
| in a battle or have died of sickness.