The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-17
suit of the conferences to-day will be made

suit of the conferences to-day will be made
known through the various departments.
Already steps have been taken to restore
mail communication between this country
and Cuba, but the plans now under consid-
GRAFTON are likely to take in the question of
handling mail inside of Cuba, Porto Rico
and other points mail steamer will leave
New York tomorrow, carrying the first lot
of mail to Cuba which has left New York
since the war began. The Spanish govern
ment has been quite solicitous as to the
method of administering affairs in the An
titles, owing to the large Spanish interests
remaining there. The French ambassador
has received a number of inquiries in this
line, and these have been laid before the
State Department After the conference
held here this afternoon, M. Thiebaut, of
the French embassy, called and was made
acquainted with the general plans of this
government III restoring a stable admins
tration throughout the Spanish West In
dies. The French ambassador has also been
advised by the State Department of it's Sc
lection of military commissioners to meet
at Havana and San Juan The names of
these commissioners has been awaited at
Madrid, as it is the purpose there to appoint
Spanish commissioners of the same rank as
those named by the United States. The
American commissioners who will arrange
for the evacuation of Cuba and Porto Rico,
were named by the President to-day. They
are:
For Cuba--Maj. Gen. James F. Wade
Rear Admiral William T. Sampson, Maj
Gen. Matthew C. Butler.
For Porto Rico-Maj. Gen. John r.
Brooke. Rear Admiral Winfield S. Schley.
Brig Gen. William w. Gordon.
A.
commissioners for Porto Rico, and the only
one of the six appointees to the two COM
missions who is not widely known, is a we'll
known citizen of Savannah, Ga. He is the
senior colonel of the Georgia state militia
and served in the ranks of the Confederate
army. He is sixty-one years old. He be-
longs to one of the wealthiest families of
the State and is conspicuous socially there.
He was largely indorsed in the State for
brigadier general.
The announcement Of Admirals Sampson
and Schley as members of the commissions
will have the effect of taking these officers
from their duty on shipboard for time
The Navy Department will relieve them
from their mands temporarily while the
commissions are in session. In the absence
of Admiral Sampson Captain Philip, who is
the senior officer, will probably be in tenn
porary command of the fleet.
Arrangements are being made at the War
Department for the establishment of new
military department on the Island of Porto
Rico similar to those recently established
in the province of Santiago de Cuba and the
Philippines. The new department will be
known as the Department Of Porto Rico
and will be commanded by Maj. Gen. John
r. Brooke, now with the army of occupa-
ton in that territory.
Gen. Fftzhugh Lee had a brief conference
with the President to-day and later ar
ranged to leave for his command at jack
sonville. He vouchsafed no further explana-
ton of his conferences here other than the
desire Of the President to consult with him
over the conditions in Cuba.
General Wheeler has been ordered to
Washington the secretary of war desiring
to consult with him the situation at
Santiago. General Wheeler, 1t is stated,
has left the camp at Montauk and is ex-
pected to reach here to-day.