The record-union., 1898-05-28
FLEETS IN WEST INDIES.
Secretary Long Without Informa-
ton as to Their Whereabouts.

WASHINGTON, May 27.-When Sec
retary Long started for the Cabinet
meeting to-day he was without infor-
nation in addition to that possessed yes
terday morning as to the movement of
of the fleets in the West Indies. Not
Withstanding the repeated statements
that the Navy Department had been
in communication with Commodore
Schley off Santiago the Secretary
stated that he had not received any
message from Commodore Schley since
his brief report made several days ago
j from another point in Cuba There
/ fore the department is in exactly the
position it has occupied for the last
! few days. so far as its knowledge of
the fleets goes; it is has heard through
unofficial Gt is hoped reliable) sources
that the fleet is in Santiago harbor,
and that Schley is lying in wait out
side.
The department, having waited as
/ long as dignity seemed to require for
news directly from the squadron, it is
believed, has now taken steps to Sc
cure it through its own inquFies. and
consequently ii may be expected at
any moment that some Of the dispatch
/ boats or scouting vessels will bring
news of the squadron to one of the ca
| BILE stations, probably in Hayti, for
/ transmission to the Navy Department.
! There was a revival this morning of
the almost daily rumor that General
Miles was about to depart on his trip
! to Tampa, which is, of course, con-
|strued to mean the direct beginning of
the invasion of Cuba. As a matter of
fact, there is just as much foundation
/ for this statement to-day as during any
/ day in the past week The command
/ ing General has had a special car
ready for himself and staff lying in
i the Pennsylvania Railway station in
! this city ready to start at moments
notice for Tampa. He himself has been
anxious to depart for many days past,
and has been restrained only because
conditions were not ripe for the move
ment When that time arrives start
will be made, but whether it will be
tonight is absolutely not known at
this moment even to General Miles
/ himself.
The calling of the conference at the
/ White House yesterday led to the re-
vival of the rumor of an immediate
movement upon Cuban and Porto Rico
/ 1t may be stated. however, upon the
! best authority that it has not yet been
finally decided when to begin the Gu
ban invasion, and, as far as Porto Rico
/ is concerned, whether to attempt an oc-
cupation of that island at all or not.
/ In other words, the plans are in
! tentative state, subject to alterations
Iat any moment, as conditions develop.
Another rumor, which was revived
to-day with some degree of plausibility,
Irelated to certain attempts on the part
/ of representatives of European Powers
/ to secure peace through direct repre-
Isentations to the United States Gov
ernment. AS was the case with like
lrumors, this was absolutely denied by
! the State Department, and so far as
/ is known neither in Europe to the
/ United States representatives nor in
/ Washington has our Government been
/ approached on the subject The fire.
Iquent repetition of this story is believed
] by the officials to be perhaps in the
IeXecution Of a policy of inquiry. with
! view to sounding public sentiment in
/ this country as to the terms of peace
/ that probably will be acceptable. The
conditions mentioned in these stories
the retention by Spain of the Philip
pines and Porto Rico in return for the
release Of Cuba-represent the very
minimum offer that might be expected
/ of the Spanish side, but as most
peace treaties are in the nature of COM
promise bargains, it cannot be sup
posed, of course, that that is the max
imum price Spain expects to pay for
/ her indulgence in a losing war
The Navy Department is making
ready for the purchase of a number
tof small steam craft to supplant the
mosquito fleets on the coast. The chief
! Of the mosquito fleet. Admiral Erben.
at New York, has submitted to the Ma
IVY Department a list of over 100 such
craft which have been examined and
found suitable. The department was
prevented from making any purchases
on this core. because it lacked the nee
lessary authorization, but now that Con
gress has passed and the President ap-
proved an Act appropriating S3.000,0o0
t for the purchase of such vessels, it will
begin at once to acquire them.