The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-06-16
LANDING The TROOPS
ARMY OFFICERS ARE GLOOMY
OVER THE OUTLOOK
Fear That Confusion in Landing May
Offer Spaniards an Excellent
Chance to Attack

NEW YORK, June ia special from
Washington to the Times says:
A full week has been used UP at Tampa IN
getting the 1900 men in the Santiago ex-
petition afloat and presumably on their
way to their destination. The War De-
partment people now talk with some con-
Germ about handling this force when it shall
reach its Cuban destination. At Tampa
there was a pier, or piers. up to which the
ships were tied. while men and baggage
were put aboard. A railroad brought the
men, baggage and guns, provisions, tents
and ammunition to the side Of the ship,
but with all these advantages 1t has taken
whole week to get the expedition away.
A well-informed army officer says the
southern coast of Cuba is rough and diff
cult of approach at most points and good
deal Of the time the water is too rough for
comfortable landing for the vessels moored
in the open road. The men, horses, bag
gage and provisions now on the transports
must be lightered ashore, unless the gov
eminent expects to take a harbor we'll sup
piled with terminal facilities, which is not
expected. To get the men ashore will be a
simple matter, compared with the difficulty
of landing animals and heavy equipments.
1T will not be a summer afternoons mat
ter" said the officer. 1.-THE troops will tie
landed under cover Of the guns Of the fight
ing ships, If hostile reception is accorded
them. Their business will be to secure
themselves against attack. Then the land
ing Of their equipments will follow and 1t
Is bound to be a tedious matter, as it will
be done by the aid Of lighters. 1t is prob
able that 1t will take not less than three
weeks to land the expedition.
AFTER we have heard about the landing
of this expedition we shall begin to under
stand why General Miles was opposed to
sending out 10000 men at once, before the
War Department was satisfied that they
had been properly drilled, seasoned and
disciplined. With 10000 men to ship at
Tampa the confusion and delay would have
been increased. 1t is inevitable that there
shall be confusion at the Cuban end of
the trip, and that confusion would have
been possibly four times greater with three
times that number of troops.
"If it is definitely known whether Cen
eral Shafter will land his forces in Guam
tanamo bay, the War Department does not
communicate the information. 1t is sug
gested that the landing place may be much
nearer to Santiago. The distance from
Guantanamo to Santiago, which is some
thing like thirty miles, is prodigious one
to be overcome by marching in noun
famous country without roads. The
transports will be at hand, however, If it is
determined to use Guantanamo as base
and a movement Of the troops could be
made in a few days, barring the delays
that have been found to be incidental to
1ao 6iper nd ryn1n limo vVNny MT a
Caimanera to send 10000 or $1,000 men to-
ward Santiago would, 1t is estimated, give
the Spanish at Santiago about a week S
notice to prepare for an accault.
There is no expectation that the land
forces will begin operations at once to at
tempt to carry Santiago by assault, and
then to depend upon using the harbor at
| ter it has been countermined and the en-
trance cleared by blowing up the wreck
of the Merrimac. The undertaking is con-
sidered as one too greatly dangerous to be
accomplished In short order. Instead
there are army men who look for pro-
longed siege of Santiago and many desper-
ate encounters between the troops of the
United States and Spain before a definite
result is reported. Still the capture may
be matter of briefer TING than 1t is i'm
agined by the War Department officials
and much will depend, 1t is admitted, upon
the view obtained by General Shafter af-
ter he has seen the place and consulted with
Admiral Sampson. That first consultation
may destroy all the preconceived notions
of the War Department and the White
House.
''There is a stronger disposition now than
heretofore to order the cooperation Of the
insurgents at Santiago. They have not yet
made a deep impression on the army, but
1t is admitted that they may possess many
qualifications to render them invaluable
allies In occupying the Spanish forces while
the attack Is being made by General Shaft
er and Admiral Sampson"