The Portland daily press., 1898-05-23
No TRUTH IN STORY.
Was No Naval Battle Off 1t. Niche
LIS Mol.
OFFICIALS WILL MOVE SLOWLY
IN SPITE OF CRITICISM.

Expect OoAsling Naval Battle Will Be the
Decisive One OF the War aud Are De-
termined TO Make 1t Sure-Gen. Miles
Says There Is No,ntns New in Bis De
partment.
Washington, May &. Tho rumots Of
great naval battle, current last night,
were disposed of by the navy department.
Sarly today in the following official bulle-
tin:
mo truth in the published statement
concerning an engagement of ST. Nicho-
las Mole. Hayt, in which 1s ships were
sunk
This was rot only posted for general in
formation, but also 70 quiet the general
alarm among relatives and friends Of
those on board the American ships. AS
"a rule the department adopts the cautious
phrase Of stating nothing official
has been received. but to make assurance
doubly sure in this case, the department.
declared there was "no truth in the
reports. This indicates that the official
information is such to warrant the state
ment that the American and Spanish
squadrons have not met.
The bureau of navigation, navy de-
partment, where official dispatches are
received, was open throughout the day,
but the officials were engaged on routine
work and there was no evidence OF that
activity which would attend the receipt
of important information, nor of that
keen expectancy which would indicate
the near approach of the two fleets In
the absence Of exact information as to the
location of the fleets, this serenity in
naval circles was q fair Indication that
the official adyices did not give promise
of an immediate engagement IL Is evil
IDENTIFY the view of the war board that all
engagement, if it can be brought on, will
be decisive of the whole war and there is
no purpose to allow such momentous re-
suit on huke or on a too preciptious
move in difference to the public pressure
for results, but to move firmly yet eau
tiously and insure a victory when there
is fight.
Army headquarters was as busy as on
week days, as the moving of large bodies
of men gives scant time for Sunday rest
An extended dispatch was received from
San Francisco giving the final details of
the embar kation OF troops fer the Philip
pines next Tuesday. 1t is stated that the
City OF Pekin, the Sydney and the Aus
tralia would sail on that day with the
First Regiment OF California volunteers
the First Oregon volunteers, one officer
and 90 men from the heavy artillery Cali
fornla volunteers, making in all 1875 Off
GERS and 2400 men under brigadier Gen.
eral Thomas Anderson. Although Gen.
Anderson takes charge of this command,
it is understood that Gen. Otis, who is in
San Francisco, will accompany the expo
dition. The Pekin was originally secured
I.~-@1 ..A~- L, H.
large and serviceable as a troop ship, the
army is using her in conjunction with
the navy. Besides the troops she will car.
ry supplies and ammunition for the
navy.
Gen. Miles spent the morning In his
Office, but in answer to inquiries said
there was nothing to announce as TO his
own plans or the concentration of troops
in the south.
Secretary Alger called at the White
HOUSE at 1890 O'Clock and was with the
President for Is minutes. Later, the
President, accompanied by Myron r. Her.
rick of Cleveland, Ohio, who, with Mrs.
Herrick, are guests at the White House,
went to church.
Up to this time the White House had
received no war information of impor-
tant.
Secretary Day and Assistant Secretary
Grldler, were at the state department
paIb VI Inc uity, Du6 u was SAID by Gn0Se
in authority that no word Of Importance
had been received from our consular
officers in the West Indies. They would
be about the first to report an engage
ment in that locality.
The report from Madrid that the offic-
iala there threaten to cut ths cable from
Galveston II our ships isolate Blanoo by
cutting the cables at Santiago, were re.
ceived with much amusement by officials
familiar with cable routes. The cable
from Galveston runs to Vera Cruz and
other Mexican points. 1t is so far west
that the Spanish admiral would not reach
it without phenomenal run, and if he
succeeded in cutting it there would be no
strategic advantage against the United
States, as the line is rarely used for gov
eminent business.