The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-09
THE poRTo RICO c

The war is not going TO end without
a big political scandal Already there
are some fine scandals developing at
a rapid rate, but the General Wade
expedition to Porto Rico is the great
est of them all, for the motive behind
it is political, and nothing else. The
Washington correspondent of the Chi
cage Record gives this account Of it:
The expedition which is being sent to
Porto Rico under the command of
General Wade is more for political
than for military purposes. The men
are not expected to do any fighting,
but to enjoy the experience of a
campaign.
1t is to crafty the pride and demon
strate the prowess of a lot of volun-
teers who are eager for active service
and do not wan to disband until they
have left their footprints in the soil
of the enemy'S country. Their friends
in congress declare that it will not do
to SEND them home without seeing
something of active service, hence is
regiments from as many states that
have had no representation in the
army before Santiago are to be sent on
an excursion of 1900 miles, ostensibly
to reinforce General Miles, but in re-
atty to give them an excuse to assure
posterity that they were real soldiers.
Miles already has 5000 men in Porto
Rico. 400 more should have arrived
there yesterday, and between 5000 and
5000 are on the way, which, with Cen
eral Wade's command, will give him
an army of 40,000 men to q an
island where the Spaniards have never
had a larger garrison than 5000, and
where there has not been, and is not
likely to be, any resistance. Nor does
n " yvnVn IN h. n. s~% -
authority in Washington doubt thai
Spain will accept the treaty Of peace
before General Wade's troops have
embarked. But that will make no diff
ference; they are bound to go any
how.
1t is estimated that it will cost not
less a SIS, 000. coo to send these IS
regiments to Porto Rico, support them
there six months n bring them back
again, which makes it rather an ex-
pensfve picnic; but the president and
the secretary of war think it will pay
from a military as well as a political
standpoint. They have been besieged
in a most persistent manner by sena-
tors, representatives, state officials. Do
htical and personal friends, and every
n else who has a pull" begging
them not to send these soldiers home
until they have had a chance to smell
powde and see a Spanish flag. New
York, Massachusetts,, Michigan, Ohio.
Illinois and the District of Columbia
were the only states which were rep
resented in the battle before Santiago,
and these same states. with Indiana
and Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. fur
nished the force that invaded Porto
Rico. Other states of the north and
west are largely represented in the
expedition, but New England.
with the exception of Massachusetts.
n the southern states have had little
show.
The president feels hat the patriot
ism of the volunteers should be recoe-
nized by giving them an opportunity
to 10 a little campaign work, and his
advisers regard an active
service in the field as not only impor-
tant. but essential. for the future well
fare of the militia. They think that
the expedition will be worth ali it will
cost.
The presidents feelings about the
pa triotism of the volunteers and how
should be recognized, smacks entire
ly too much of politics and the WAYS
the politicians. But if the patriotism
OF some of the volunteers is to be rec
ognlzed Why not recognize that of all
the volunteers? Those now encamped
the Preside might be sent to Ma
Mia (to send them to Honolulu would
not be to send them to a foreign coun-
try). At least 1O0,0 900 volunteers will be
Disseminated against if they are not
sent abroad as a recognition of their
patriotism.
What active service in the field can
there be in Porto Rico, where there
is to be no fighting, that there cannot
be at Camp Thomas? It is all for the
purpose of having active workers in
political field in November.