The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-05

crecy as TO the proceedings until fur
ther progress had been made. Thus.
it is practically assured in advance
that any attempt 10 state what oc-
White house will be nothing more than
pure guess work
NOT TO DELAY ACTIVE WAR
MEASURES.
Meanwhile. in consonance with the
declared purpose OF the president IT
the beginning of overtures, this confer
ence is not operating TO restrain mill
tary operations in any degree. Orders
went out today for conference OF
leaders of the regiments To accom-
pany General Wade 10 Porto Rico, and
within twenty-four hours some OF the
troops Of this expedition will be board
ing the transports at Newport News.
1t is felt that even should an armis-
tice be declared before these troops
see active service at the front. il will
be beneficial for them TO have made
the trip. Profiting by its last expert
ence, General Wade's expedition is
going to be the most complete in de-
tails of any that have left our shores
and the soldiers will be protected in
their health and comfort TO the utmost
degree.
Secretary Alger has himself con-
Quoted an inquiry into the conditions
that led up to the fearful experience
of the wounded soldiers who returned
to the United States on the Concho.
and he has taken the necessary steps
to prevent a repetition OF the bad
management exhibited in that case.
Thus, there may be some delay in get-
ting the troops away with General
Wade, in view of the determination to
have everything shipshape before the
men are on board, and the transporta-
tion department was taken somewhat
by surprise by this suddenly announc-
ed decision of the secretary Of war. To
start this expedition, some days must
elapSe before the necessary transports
can be gathered at the ports of en-
barkation.
Skaters daily health report failed
to show any Improvement in health
conditions of the Fifth army corps, so
! that it is a matter of congratulation
that the war department was able to
announce today that ii had ordered
five of the cavalry regiments OF tha-
{, corps TO be embarked at once for the
new camp at Montauk Point, Long Is
land.
SKATERS SANITARY REPORT.
General Shafter has sent the follow
ing sanitary report for August 1st:
Total sick, 4,239; total fever cases.
3,179: new cases of fever, $50; cases Of
fever returned 10 DUTY, biS, deaths on
August 1St, Is.
General Shafter reports the fever
situation as follows for August 3-To-
tai sick, 1920; total fever cases, 3,03S;
!; new cases Of fever. 594; cases Of fever
returned to duty, 705; deaths, H.
, TROOPS AT SANTIAGO ORDERED
TO MONTAUK.
| All the troops of cavalry with Shaf-
{nv~'c hn aierhf iQC of
| Roosevelt's Rough Riders have been
| ordered to proceed to Montauk Point
! l.. l., for encampment. General Shaf-
ter has been directed to use all the
transport facilities he can command to
send the troops north as rapidly as
possible. The regular cavalry with
Shafter comprises eight companies
each Of the First, Third Sixth. Ninth
and Tenth cavalry, all dismounted and
four mounted troops of the Second
| cavalry.
! THE DIFFICULT QUESTION OF
THE PHILIPPINES.
An interesting question and one of
! vital Importance to the administration
| is the attitude to be assumed by the
/; United States towards the Philippine
; insurgents in the event that we reach
an agreement with the suspension
| of hostilities with Spain. 1t is
| stipulated in our peace terms
I, that the United States military forces
| shall occupy and establish a mill
! tary form of government over the
! city of Manila and the bay with the
| surrounding territory. This involves
! an immediate surrender of the Spanish
! forces, not to Aguinaldo, but to Cen
eral Merritt and also there is some ap-
prehension that the insurgents will re-
| sent this very bitterly and that il
ho 70 fnr
chilly from the territory described. Be-
yond this, it is said in some quarters
| that pending the decision Of the peace
commissioners as to the future Of the
| Philippines the United States will be
| morally bound to maintain the status
! quo in the islands at large. In other
words, having deprived Spain of the
| means Of resisting the onslaughts of
, the insurgents, it has been urged that
| the United States would be bound to
prevent the latter from continuing
| their warfare. There is a lack OF in
| formation in Washington on many i'm
| pOrtant points as to the conditions in
| the Philippines. For instance, it is not
| known, even approximately, how ex-
| tensive the revolutionary movement
| has been throughout the vast group Of
| 1,2OO islands and among the large pop
| ulation, estimated to aggregate be-
| tween 5000, 900 and Is. 000, ,00O If the rev.
| olutionary movement is general and
| extends to very many Of the islands
| the task presented to the United States
| military and naval authorities will be
| one of great magnitude, in the event
that ii is decided to be incumbent upon
F.! US, not to restore Spanish sovereignty
| where it has been lost, but to prevent
| Its overthrow in sections where il is
! still supreme, and to prevent excesses
| and outrages at the hands of the in
| surgents.
SICK SOLDIERS ARRIVING.
The war department received by tel
e~raph from General Coppinger at
] lmpa list of the convalscent SOL
| ofers on board the transport Yucatan
! ard Santiago, which are now in quar-
| antine at Egmont Key. Fla The tele-
, gram states that one man. a packer Of
| the Thirteenth infantry. whose name
could not be ascertained, died on the
voyage. list OF the sick on the
steamships Comal, Clinton and San
Marcos could not be obtained on ac-
count of the storm and consaouept in