The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-12
NILES IO Be THE NAN
Shafter, However, Won't Be
Formally Superseded.
SLIPPING OUT OF SANTIAGO
Portion Of Linares' Army Succeeds
in Escaping.

News Causes Regret But No Surprise
at the War Department-Great
Sigh of Relief Goes Up When
Miles Arrival at Santiago Is An
nOunced-AdVance ON Santiago Be
Iieved to Have Bee PurpOseIy De-
Iayed Until He Gould Get to the
FrOnt-French Ambassador Not
Conducting Peace Negotiations.
Washington, July 1.-THE news of the
arrival of Gen. Miles at the front called
forth a great big sigh of relief from the
war department officials and everybody
else in Washington, though the aforesaid
officials might not acknowledge as much.
Whether Gen. Miles takes active and
personal charge of the operations about
Santiago or not, 1t is certain that every
body in authority breathes easier now that
he Is there
Despite Gen. Skaters strong declara-
tions of the invlncibility of his position,
there is not the confidence in him that
there was some days ago, and even the
men who have been keeping Gen. Miles
in the background join in the feeling of
relief which his presence with the army
brings.
There Is a difference of opinion here as
to whether Gen. Miles is to take charge
over Gen. Skaters head but the best
opinion at the war department is that he
Is to be commander-in-chiefi in factas we'll
as In name. Adjt. Gen. Corbin intmated
as much in a talk this afternoon, and
while Gen. Miles viii probably do nothing
that can be construed as humiliatng to
Gen. Shafter, or as an effort to take from
him the credit that belong 10 him. the
probability is that from now on to the
end, 1T will be Gen. Miles who is the
recognized head of every campaign of our
troops in the field.
AS was predicted in these dispatches
several days ago there has been no real
effort to push forward at Santiago in ad-
vance of Gen. Niles arrival there.
The dispatch sent Gen. Shafter on the
9Th and which was kept from the public
at this end shoKs that it was always the
purpose of the officials to hold up the
bombardment until the commanding gen
eral got on the grounds with reinforce
ments. Now that he is there, a vigorous
campaign can be expected.
From an official source the story comes
that a portion of the Spanish forces has
succeeded In making its escape from San
tiago. The war department officials have
all along feared that the enemy might
succeed in getting away into the noun
tains, and If these reports are true, there
will be no great surprise felt at the de-
partment, however great the regret.
The visit of M. Cambon the French am
bassador, to the President this afternoon
gave Washington a fit of excitement.
Everybody felt sure Il meant peace nego-
tiations, coming as it did right on the
heels of most positive statements from
English correspondents at Madrid that
that such negotiations were already under
way.
1t was a coincidence that this visit
should have come just at this time if
there was nothing of the sort but 1t seems
to have been nothing more than coin
cidence. Spain and peace were not dis
cussed. The talk was of an entirely diff
ferent nature 1t is understood that IL
had to do with the exposition, but the de-
tails are not given 10 the public 1t Is
guessed, however, that it had to do with
some of the exposition exercises, probably
the opening of the big Paris show, and
that it was of personal, rather than Off
cial, nature. The fact that NJ CambOn
left for Bar Harbor shortly after his visit
is of itself good indication that there are
no negotiations in which he figures In any
way.