Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-07-28
OFF FOR PORTO RICO.
Gen. Miles Sails from Siboney for
the Spanish Island.

Gen. Miles Sails from Siboney for
the Spanish Island.
HE WILL Be REINFORCED EN- ROUTE.
The strength of the Naval Convoy q Sur
prise-Dewey as . Dipiomat-Has
the Entire Confidence of the
State Department.
WARRINGTON, July 22.-Gen. Miles,
leading the military expedition against
Porto Rico, started at three o'clock
yesterday afternoon from Siboney,
Cuba, for the point on the island of
Porto Rico where 1t is the intention
that the troops shall land. 1t is ex-
pected that Gen. Miles will wait at
some appointed spot on the route for
the expeditions from Tampa, Newport
News and New York to fall into his
column. These expeditions are already
under way, some of them with two or
three days start of Gen. Miles, SO that
the delay should not be very great.
Tho Strength of the Naval Convoy Sur
prising.
After all the difficulty about the
naval convoy, and the first conclusion
of the naval authorities that none
were necessary, the strength of that
now furnished is surprising. There is
a battleship of the first class, the Mas
sachusetts; an effective protected
cruiser, the Cincinnati; a speedy and
well-armed gunboat, the Annapolis,
and three vessels of the auxiliary navy
which have already proved by their
performance in Cuban waters that they
are fully equal to the ordinary gun
boats in offensive power. These are
the Gloucester, which distinguished
herself in the destruction of Cervera's
squadron; the Wasp, which has at
tanned IN enviable notoriety as a dis
turber of Spanish blockhouses, and the
Leyden, which for a time was the sole
representative Of United States power
in Havana harbor.
The Forces Moving on Porto Rico.
Secretary Alger believes that Gen.
Miles, on the Yale, will arrive at his
destination Sunday morning with 5000
men under his command. A day later
will come 1000 men on transports and
the day following that $500 more.
Whether the landing will be deferred
until the arrival of his entire force, or
whether Gen. Miles will take the
initiative and hoist the flag himself ON
Porto Rican soil 10 left TO the discre-
tion of that officer. 1t is the depart
ment's determination that he shall not
lack for troops or equipment and this
first expedition may be followed by
several others as fast as the troops
can be gotten ready until word ONE
from the general that he needs no more.
Sailed to Join Gen. Miles.
Gen. Swans brigade, comprising the
| fifth, eleventh and nineteenth United
| States infantry, a splendid body of
trained soldiers, sailed from Tampa to
join Gen. Miles, and if the Porto
| Ricap expedition is not an immediate
| success, it will not be for Jack of dis
| position in the war department to sup
ply every req uisite.
Dewey's Diplomatic Abilities.
| ton in the Philippines well in hand, is
exhibited by his kilograms, the latest
of which was received yesterday,
which, without boasting, simply re-
| ports like the others that have gone
before that affairs are quiet and salts
factory.
The state department has come to
have fully as great a sense of apprecia-
| ton of Dewey's diplomatic abilities as
the country has for his naval skill and
courage, and the best evidence of this
is that it has not found it necessary,
up to this point, to interfere in any
way either to protect or to amend his
works.
The Monterey Not Yet Arrived.
The navy department has now dis
covered that the big double-turreted
monitor Monterey will not arrive at
Cavite until August 3, that being the
advice received at the department from
the captain of h vessel when she
touched at Honolulu. The admiral's
announcement of the arrival of the Sec
ond detachment of troops at Cavite
has given great comfort to the war de-
partment, which was not altogether at
ease concerning the first small expedi-
ton lying between the S~paniards and
the insurgents, and without being able
to depend very much upon either.
May Demand the Surrender of Manila.
With these added troops it will now
be possible to demand the surrender of
| Manila; but it is gathered here that it
is our purpose todefer such a movement
until all the United States troops now
afioat have arrived in Manila bay, un-
| less the attitude of the insurgent
forces require prompter action on the
| part of the American commanders,
military and naval.
| Preparation for Dispatching the Eastern
Squadron Going On.
Secretary Long said last night that
the preparations for dispatching the
Watson squadron to European waters
were going on uninterruptedly, but
that the departure necessarily would
await the movement of h war ships
at Porto Rico, the Massachusetts and
other ships being required for convoy
ing the troops to Porto Rico.
An Idle Report Disposed OF.
This disposed of a report circulated
during the day that the expedition had
been abandoned. 1t was felt that the
report was the more mischievous at
this time, as it indicated a purpose to
yield to the implied threats from Eu-
ropean sources that a European coali-
ton would result If the American war
ships attacked the coast of Spain.
Neither the state nor navy department
| looks for aay embarrassment from Eu-
ropesn quarters outside of Spain as a
result of the naval movement against
the peninsula. During the day orders
were sent to Norfolk to hurry forward
work On the cosI1sra wnIcn are to &C.