The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-16
LONG, ANXIOUS WAIT.
Officials without Advices from San
tiagO Until Late in the Day.

surrender of the Spanish army at Santiago.
For eighteen hours no word came from
either General Shafter or General Miles, al
though there was the keenest desire on the
part of the President and Cabinet advisers
to learn what had been done, and partic-
ularly to know whether the actual surren-
der of Santiago and the Spanish troops had
been carried out. When the Cabinet met at
IL o'clock there was positively nothing from
the front which would serve as a guide for
the deliberations. 1t was thought that the
cable had been interrupted, but on inquiry
of General Greedy, chief signal officer, he
gave assurances that the cable was intact.
Thereupon Secretary Alger sent a dispatch
asking for the situation up to the latest mo-
ment, and particularly inquiring TO how
far the surrender had proceeded. No answer
came while the Cabinet was in session. In
the meantime. General Greely had cabled
and he was the first official to hear from
the 'front.' A dispatch from Lieutenant
Jones. military censor at Playa del Este,
reported that the message from the secre-
tary of war to General Shafter was only six
minutes in passage from Washington to
Playa. The message received by General
Greely came at 1928 p M, and indicated
that negotiations were yet in progress, but
as the dispatch was submitted to the Presi-
dent no details were given out.
Toward the middle of the afternoon dis
patches from General Miles and General
Shafter began to arrive in response to Sec
retary Alger's imperative request. They
were not given out in full, but such portions
| as were made public showed that the nego-
tiations were still in progress, and that the
Spaniards had raised some rather unex-
pected questions. Most important of these
was an insistence that the Spanish troops
should retain their arms when they returned
to Spain. There was entire willingness on
the part Of General Toral to turn over the
arms to General Shafter at the time of the
surrender, but with this was to be the un-
derstanding that the arms were to be re-
| turned to the Spanish troops when Spanish
soil was reached. This was a condition
which had not been anticipated. The au-
| thorities here did not regard it as serious,
or as likely to overcome final settlement.
| as it was attributed to the Spanish sensi-
! tiveness against the humiliation involved in
the laying down of their arms. At the same
time it was a point which neither side
| appeared to be ready to yield. One of these
| dispatches from the 'front.' after specifying
that this difference had arisen, added that
| it was believed a settlement would be
reached before to-day closed. General
| Shafter himself summed up the situation by
| saying: 'It cannot be possible that there
| will be failure in completing arrangements"
! No question whatever has been raised as
| to the surrender itself. Not only has Gen.
| Toral agreed to it, but this agreement has
| been ratified by General Blanco at Havana
and by the Spanish authorities at Madrid.
| General Greedy received another dispatch
| at D. m. containing the information that
| Colonel Allen had landed the shore end of
| the Signal Corps cable at Playa del Este
from the cable steamer Adria- Colonel AL
len was rot allowed to land at Playa on
account of the Adria coming from an in
fected district. All were well on board,
but no one was allowed ashore. Colonel AL
len returned this evening to Baiquiri to re-
pair the French cable at that point and
tablish regular communication between
Playa and Santiago de Cuba, so that the
army will be in telegraphic communication
with Washington as soon as the city is sur
rendered
The pcrplexing problem now to be solved
is how to carry out the pledge made by
General Shafter to remove the Spanish SOL
diers who surrender to Spain. 1t would
have been no easy undertaking to remove
the 10000 men across the Atlantic under the
best conditions. but the reports that indi-
Gated the existence of yellow fever among
the Spaniards threatened all kinds of diff
fculties. After all, it was decided to be
only matter of money and if the price
offered is large enough steamship lines can
doubtless be found to undertake the trans
portation At the best several weeks will
be required to remove the Spaniards, so
| that it will be necessary to maintain a
considerable proportion of the American
army in the neighborhood for some time to
come. Still, being under no care to protect
| themselves against the foe the American
| troops can be so disposed to make them
selves very comfortable in comparison with
what they have undergone, and by remov-
ing them into the hills just in the rear of
Santiago it is believed that the danger of an
extension of the yellow fever will be re-
duced so far that it will 10 longer be cause
for grave apprehension. The surgeons re-
ports describe the disease as of a mild type,
and it is said that this will readily yield to
a change of location into higher and cooler
ground
Many inquiries are coming to the War
Department to the condition of the sick
and wounded soldiers near Santiago. The
appearance of yellow fever among the
troops was an additional cause of apprehen-
sion ana doubled the NUMBER Oh queries. The
War Department does not deem it prudent
Just now to make any detailed statement
relative to the conditions in the camp, but
Adjutant General Corbin stated that he
could say that so far as the yellow fever
was concerned the conditions at last report
were certainly better than they were two
days ago.
The Cabinet was in session almost two
hours. There were several dispatches laid
before the members, but it is said none was
of any particular Importance save one from
General Miles, who wired his details as to
what was wanted in the way of movement of
troops from here and the shipment of some
horses and supplies. The royal decree of
suspension of individual rights in Spain
gave rise TO some discussion as to the out
look for peace. Secretary Day, however
reported there were no overtures of any
kind so far made to him. Secretary Long
was the only absentee. Nothing concern
ing the progress Of events at Santiago had
been received UP to l o'clock. when the
Cabinet meeting closed.
----o
CHANCE FOR CUBANS.
They May BE Given n Chance to Gov