The age-herald., 1898-07-16
COMPLETE REVERSE OF SPANISH ARMY General ToraI Has Agreed to Terms of Surrender. THE VICTORY IS GREATER Than First Appeared All Eastern Cuba Has Surrendered With Thirty Thous-
 and iroops--No More
 Temporizing.
THE VICTORY IS GREATER
Copyright by the Associated Press

Cuba is complete. Santiago has fallen, and with it all the eastern end of the island.
 General Toral, the Spanish commander, agreed to the general terms of the sur render at personal interview with Gener- al Shafter this afternoon, at which Gen. eral Miles was present. The victorious American army, after a campaign of three weeks of almost unprecedented hardship5 for both officers and men accept the news with heartfelt relief.
 The victory is greater than appeared at first. All the Spanish troops in the Fourth corps, the military division of Santiago province, from a line drawn north from Asseraderos, eighteen miles west of San tiago, through Las Palmas, Palmas Sorian, klcantaza, to Sagua de Tanamo, on the north coast, and eastward to Cape Maysl, are surrendered and the territory is aban- doned.
 Between 1S,00O and 10000 Spanish prison CTS are taken, about 10000 of whom are in Santiago. The remainder are at Guantan- amo, and others are garrisoned in the towns of eastern Cuba. All these troops are to be embarked and sent back to Spain under parole.
 .Gen Shafter Entertained
 General Shafter bears his honors mod estly. To a correspondent of the Associated Press he said: "The enemy has surren- dered all the territory and troops east or Santiago. The terms were dictated rom Washington. It has been hard cam paign-one of the hardest I ever saw. The difficulties to contend with were very great Never during our civil war were mora dll- ficult problems solved. The character or the country and the roads made It almost impossible to advance except In the lace of the enemy. The transportation problem was hard, but all difficulties have been successfully surmounted. Our troops be- hayed gallantly. They fought like heroes, and 1 am proud to have commanded them. During all the hardships they have suffer ed they have shown resolution and spirit. They deserve to conquer.
 A Stubborn Tight
 ''The resistance of the enemy has been exceedingly stubborn. General Toral mas proved himself a foeman worthy or any mans steel. The negotiations whlch cui- minated in the surrender of General Torai have been dragging on for ten days with the intermission of Sunday and Monday, when our batteries and fleet bombarded the enemy's position. Throughout these periods of truce General Toral has shrewd- ly played for time, always declining to sur render internationally and falling pack when hard pressed upon the statement that he was simply a subordinate and powerless to agree to the proposals without the sane ton of his superiors, except under penalty of being court-martialed. At the same time he seemed to intimate that, personally, he thought it useless to hold out any longer. But he and his garrison were sol diers, he said and could die, if necessary obeying orders."
 Plain Talk
 It was at the personal interview held by General Shafter with General Toral yester- day that the American general made the Spanish commander understand that tenn porizing must cease and that before noon a categorical affirmation to his offer must be received, or the bombardment Of the city would begin in earnest.
 In the meantime all our plans had been perfected. The delay had been utilized to good advantage. Our lines had been extended until Santiago was nearly sur rounded and our light batteries had been so posted as to be able to do more effective work.
 In addition, arrangements had been made to land troops at Cabanas, west of the entrance of the harbor of Santiago
 The Spanish batteries opposite Morro Castle were to be bombarded and stormed their guns were then to be turned upon the city and General Lawtons division at the same time was to fall on the enemys left flank under the cover of our artillery fire. We could then have enflated their lines and have driven them into the city
 Toral Was Trapped
 General Toral must have realized that he was trapped and to hold out longer must mean useless sacrifice of his men; but he made one last effort to gain more time this morning. While nominally yielding to the terms of General Shafter proposed before 8 o'clock. he sent communication to General Shafter enclosing a copy of a telegram from Captain-General Blanco ex- os,.f,, 41,ot t11 af portant position as Santiago and the aban- donment of eastern Cuba would require the direct sanction of the Madrid govern ment. At the same time General Blanco authorized General Toral if it was agreed ble to the American general, to appo mt commissioners on each side to arrange the terms of the equalization of the forces un- der his command, on the condition of their parole and transportation to Spain.
 He also communicated the names of the commissioners he had selected, namely Mir Robert Mason the British vice consul General Toraps chief of staff officer, Colon- el Fontaine, and General Escarajao.
 The communica ton was so ambiguous that 1t might all be upset by the refusal of Madrid to sanction the terms agreed to by the commissioners and General Shaf- ter resolved to have all the ambiguity re- moved before proceeding further. At Il o'clock he mounted his horse ard together with General Miles and staff he rode to the front. At General Wheeler's headquarters General Shafter General Miles, Colonel Maus and an interpreter left their retinue and passed on over our trenches, with flag of truce to the mango tree under which the interview was held yesterday. They were soon joined by General Toral, his chief of staff and the two other commits siners appointed by him
 Miles Took No Part
 General Miles took no part in the ne- gotta lions. He has been careful since hls arrival here not to assume the direction of affairs or to detract in the least the glory of General Shafter's achievement.
 General Shafter insisted at the outset that commissioners to be appointed should have paramount authority to make and conclude the terms of surrender in accordance with our demands.
 After pareyng, General Toral acceded to these, explaining that since his last com- munication he had received orders from General Blanco to do so. This being the main point, the interview was soon con- ciuded.
 Before parting General Shafter compli- mented General TOyal highly upon the skill