The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-02
WILL VIGOROUSLY PUSH WAR.
WANT TO SEIZE ISLANDS BEFORE
SPAIN SUES FOR FEACE.

Financial Straits of the Dons he
lieved to FOreshadOw n speedy
Abandonment of the Struggle on
Their PaFt-Invasion of Cuba, POr-
to Rico and Philippines Likely to
BE Simultaneous.
Washington. June 1.-Tor the first time
since the beginning of hostnities there ap
pears to be something in the nature of an
official statement of the plan of campaign
of the United States government
This is contained in a letter of Secretary
Alger to the speaker of the House, trans
mitutng certain recommendations and
statements Of Gen. Ludlow, which disclos-
ed the purpose of the war department TO
send 10000 men TO Cuba, 10000 to start at
once, and the remainder just as soon as
they can be made ready for departure.
Then there was an estimate for establish
ing electrical communications in connec-
ton with the army 'in Cuba, Porto Rico
and the Philippines" showing for the first
time officially an implied intention on the
part of the government to land troops in
Porto Rico. Most of these moves have
been anticipated by the press, but, never
thefess, a strong element of doubt existed
and the statement of the governments
purpose, even made in this indirect fashion,
created a profound sensation.
They are TO go together Cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippines eand pass
into the military occupation of the United
States troops
1nasmuch as the secretary says that the
second contingent of troops is to go for
ward as soon as they can be prepared,
a good deal of interest attaches to an or
der that was made to the war department
providing for the organization of the 75,-
COO additional volunteers called for. The
order officially established the statement
heretofore made in these dispatches that
a large proportion of the new men are to
be used to fill up the existing regiments of
volunteers, which are in most cases de
ficient in numbers. 1t is to be presumed
from to-day's order that the volunteer
regiments contained under the first call
will be detained until they are filled up
in this fashion, so that the order has some
bearing upon the plan Of campaign.
The war department received a dispatch
to-day from Gen. Brooke, in command of
the forces at Chtckamauga, setting at rest
the reports as to inadequate water supply
there. When these reports We're circulat-
ed recently, Secretary Alger telegraphed
an inquiry to Gen. Brooke, whose reply is
as follows: There is no reason whatever
for complaint as to the quality and kind of
food furnished the troops in this camp.
Some regulars arrived here with field ra-
tions only, but defects of this kind are
quickly remedied and the vegetable COM
ponent Immediately provided. The water
question is being solved as to quantity and
il has always been good as to quality"
The naval officials have been considefa-
bly, mystiied throughout the day by re-
ports of an engagement off Santiago. At
the outset there was complete scepticism
and a disposition to treat the reported ac-
ton as a myth. Gradually as the day adj
Vanced the corroboratiVe evidence COM
ing from many quarters including the
official announcements from Havana and
Madrid, led the officials to concede that
some engagement had taken place, al
though they did not regard il as a Sc
rious one. No bulletins were issued by
the department during the day, and at the
close of Office hours 1t was stated that no
dispatches from Commodore Schley had
been received during the day. There is
reason to believe however, that the de-
partment received indirect advices through
the state department, possibly not bear
ing out the detailed press dispatches, but
SuIIlclenl 10 indicate lDdL an engagement
of some kind had occurred al Santiago
The impression obtained during the af-
ternoon that in execution of the general
instructions to all United States naval
commanders on the Cuban coast to pre-
vent the construction or strengthening of
batteries by the Spaniards, Commodore
Schley, observing work of the kind going
on at Moro Castle had drawn his fleet
up close enough to stop it.
1t is not believed for an instant that he
made any real attempt to enter the har-
bor although it is entirely conceivable
that while engaged in the task of shelling
the shore batteries finding the Cristobal
Colon in range, he could not resist the
temptation to try a few shots at her.
Tho statement from Madrid, In what
seemed to be almost sem-ofiicial form of
the acuteness of the financial stringency
there and the plain intimation that the
Bank of Spain, and consequently Spain
were nearing the end of their financial re-
sources was regarded at the state depart
ment as of more real significance than
many of the stories of battles on land and
sea that have been coming over the cables
for the past few weeks. The effect Of this
notice may be to hasten the operations
against Porto Rico. lest the prize slip from
our grasp through a sudden and 1nexpect-
ed termination of the war.
An additional evidence that the forward
movement Of the army and navy has be-
gun was given In the action of the foreign
naval and military observers. They have
been sojourning leisurely in Washington
for some time but within the last week all
of them have started for Florida. The
British naval and military attaches were
the first to leave, and now they have been
followed by the German, Austrian Rus.
sian, Swedish, Norwegian and japanese
observers. Tie government of Norway
and Sweden has no less than six military
and naval experts to observe various
branches Of the warfare.
ALFONSO NOT CAPTURED.