davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-06
THE CIVIL-sERNlCE.
Two Opinions Now in the Hands OF
the President.
washington Evening Star. 5th)

Washington Evening Star. othD
President Mckinley has received the
written opinions of Attorney-General
Gr.ggs as TO whether the employees OF the
District government and OF the Govern
ment Printing-Ofice should be ciassined
urder the civil service. These are separate
opinions, of course. The President has de-
cided not TO make them public at THIS
time.
The opinion as 10 the Government
the general ciyil-service order, TO be is
sued by the President. This order OF the
President will exempt the Government
Printing Office from the operations OF the
ciyiI-service law. II he follows the opin-
ion of the Attorney General.
irha President will give the question OF
the District government considerable at
tention.
Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-06
WAR TAXATION.

There was a wild rumor TINS eVol.,. -
,bat The tax on tobacco, in the war-reYe-
n nue. bill. would be increased in the senate .I
70 1s cents per pound, but when thor
oysbIv investigated it was found tha'
tbere was no real foundation In fact lot
state senator T. n. Willis is still mere
looking after the tax on mineral wi.e'S
and hopes TO have the proposed rates o. %.
/ cent on each bottle selling Tor over :,
cents. and half cent Tor each oo ,.I|
selling for less than that price, e'ii'''''''
ted from the bill.
Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-06
po.,m..tcr sloan Confirmed.

WASHINGTON, d. c., May 5.-The
Senate to-day confirmed the following
postmaster: virginia-John N. sloan
Chase City.
Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-06

The above is only one Of hun
dreds of similar letters received
constantly by us.
Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-06
GENERAL NALLE.

Both the Senator and the Richmohu
raoresentative advocated the appoint
ment of Adjutant- Generai Male as pris-
adier-general, and from the ln.lIld'ions
given them, he stands soou SLaiie0
i'm the additional number yet 10 "p
pointed. Twenty-siN nave aireauy an -,
peDroirted and confirmed. There VIII De
tbirtv.fve brigadlers in the VOLUNTEER
ar,ov which will call for the appoint
,,lant n nine more brigadier-generals.
In this contingency. Adjutant-Generiaii
Nsue with his splendid military quall,
fications, will stand more than gooo
chance.
Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-06
ARMY HOSPITALS.
PROPOSED USE OF OLD
HOTELS FOR THIS PURPOSE.
RICHMOND As A MOBILIZATION POINT
r,o,ce Of This city Seem" to nc
Highly ProbabIe-Cosonei
Chances for Brigadiership "oo"
war-Tnx situation.
war-Tnx situation.

ry,ct.rNcToN ID. c., May o.-tSpe-
=. q stated authoritatively TO-
TIT that surgeon-G General Sternoers' %
~ rrn,,sd states army, in casting aDou'
for hospital accommodations III INC
., actual war with Spain. IN which 'a
bodies Of troops will come IN cohi'ie'
Ct, has selected the ChamDerim anu
t,vooia hotels at old Point for that pu'
go Surgeon General Sternoerg mas
,o,,eod rho war Department 10 TINS
erAc, and Secretary Alger has approx"
the selection. 1t is not oeheFe"
those grand hotels will ever De u'ni1eN
as hospitals, but if the exisehcleS u
coming war should require it, OF course
they would be admirably aoap'eu 40
hospital purposes. They were pui'' -"
tho MN Greek reservation, with the us
tinct understanding that in the even. VI
hostilities with any foreign Power NY
should be RACED 10 the ground mn
tarv necessities should require H. ~ u
NOT I,elv. however, that those l"o
sniendid summer and wintef-fesort no
,als Ay,u ever be used as hospitals. AT
last II Is hoped that no such occasion
will arise in the present impending crlS's'
MOBILIZATION AT RICHMOND
Senator Daniel called on Secretary "a,
GER This morning. and had a conference
with him in regard TO the moplllzd.io u,
~ rroons at Richmond. The secretary
assured the Senator that nothing Den
mite had been determined upon, but thst
he had the claims and eHceptionals az. aa-
vsntapes of Richmond under consloerd-
- md would give them due weight
when the mobilization Of large bodies OF
troops should become necessary. Senator
Daniel was followed by Represen'Scs co.,
Lamb who also called on AdJutant,uen-
eraI Corbin and had an extended inter
view with him in regard to the mopill-
zation of troops at Richmond. when was
! most satisfactory. ~ IT,,
Captain Lamb feels assured that wheh
tho nobilization of large bodies of troops
comes 10 be seriously considered II Us
| onIv a question Of the number that Will
be concentrated at Richmond
a n
Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-06

1he Committee on Grounds and Build
ings met last night in the City Han. with
the following members present: Messrs.
Gunst (cnairman) Briggs j. M. klng.
Noble, and Lawder. The opinion OF the
city Attorney relative TO purchasing
books and stationery for the city jail was
referred TO the Committee on Claims and
Salaries. In this opinion Mr. Meredith
calls attention 10 the fact that the Com
mittee on Accounts and Printing has the
matter under consideration. A consider
able amount OF routine business was
transacted.
The National tribune., 1898-06-02
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY

insurgents hB been so well established
that the Cuban forces are working in per-
feet harmony with those of this country.
Messengers pass between the insurgents
and United States vessels every day.
In spite of al that has been said in dis
paragement of the usefulness of the in
surgents as allies, the Army considers it
highly essential that for every move
ment on the outside there shall be a cor
responding movement in the interior.
When the American troops land it will be
with Cuban gaides: when they move in
land they will be met by the veterans of
Gomez and Garcia. The War Department
is establishing complete understanding
with the insurgents, and conveying arms
to them.
There is no real difficulty in the way of
landing small bodies of men on the Gu
ban coast at night. The shore, except at
few points, is not so well guarded as it
was a year ago. 1t is well known that
the steamer Dauntless landed a large car
go in Matanzas harbor last year, the
lights of the city aiding them in finding
the landing place. There is no reason to
doubt that present expeditions and those
to go later will have no trouble whatever.
SUNDAY, MAY 80.
All doubts as to the Spanish fleet seem
to be set at rest by bulletin from the
Bureau of Navigation announcing that a
dispatch had been received from Commo-
dore Schley stating that he had located
and recognized the enemy.
1t Is believed that Commodore Schley
has received no other instructions than
to capture or destroy the enemy" and
consequently he is left as free to deal
with the present situation as Commodore
Dewey was IN his work. AS he has q
high reputation for bOldneSS and enter
prise, there is belief that if he sees a
hope OF success he will run into the harbor
and end the business Dewey fashion.
This belief is strengthened by the report
that he had brought from Jamaica very
skIlllul Cuban pilot, who is thoroughly
familiar with the haTbOr of Santiago. This
has keyed his men up to the highest
pitch, and they are expecting a fight
every minute.
AS far as can be learned he has with
him the flagship Brooklyn, the battle
ships Iowa, Massachusetts and Texas,
the cruisers Nashville and Marblehead,
the gunboats castine and Eagle, and
some torpedo and scout boats.
The cruiser Cincinnati was left to
guard the Yucatan Channel, together with
the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius. The
New Orleans was sent to guard the Bahia
ma Channel on the east, so that the
Spanish fleet could not slip around either
end OF the island without due warning
beng gwen. These may now be brought
up to him if he needs them.
A dispatch from Port au Prince, Haiti,
says that two Italians, who set out from
Santiago de Cuba II a small boat on
Thursday, May 19, and landed near Mole
st. Nicolas on the 23d brought informa-
ton as to the situation at Santiago.
The state of affairs there is critical,
particularly so because of the lack of
food. great many of the unfortunate
people, especially the reconcentrados, are
dying of starvation. The whole popula-
ton IS terribly discouraged and keenly
desirous OF peace.
The arrival of the squadron under Ger
The National tribune., 1898-06-02
INVASION OF CUBA.
Continued from first page.

In fact, the information in the possession
of the Navy Department indicated that
this second squadron is in a practically
helpless condition. 1t was acknowledged
that the information might be erroneous.
At the same time it was realized that with
Admiral Cervera cooped up within Santiago
harbor there was no reason why the United
States, with its large force of fighting
vessels In Cuban waters, could not undeF-
take the invasion of Cuba and the oc-
cupation of Porto Rico, and still have
naval strength left TO cope with any fleet
which Spain might send in this direction.
TAKING PORTO RICO.
The number of troops necessary to hold
Porto Rico was varlouSly estimated by the
members of the war cOunc l. the number
running from 10, 900 to 25 900. There are,
according to the best sources of informa-
ton, about 1890 Spanish soldiers on the
island, but they are said to be very poorly
equipped, and not to equal in discipline
and general military knowledge our own
volunteers. 1t is also probable that when
Porto Rico has fallen the Spanish will be
disposed TO yield Cuba, perhaps without
struggle.
AT the conclusion of the conference at
the White House Secretaries Long and
Alger returned to their Departments to in
augurate the necessary details for the COM
bined expedition to Porto Rico and Cuba.
A force sufficient to seize and occupy the
former island is already equipped, and can
be moved at once, but it will not be moved
until a sufficient number of men are IN
readiness to invade Cuba.
APPoRFIoNMENT AMONG STATES.
While the Adjutant-General's Office has
The National tribune., 1898-06-02

the attack must come. The Spaniards
abandoned the proposed move.
The blockade of Manila is complete and
starvation is only a question of time. The
Spanish soldiers are mutinous and un-
easy. A million dollars in gold given the
Governor by the priests from the Church
treasury has-been distributed to the
troops as part payment of their arrears.
This has quieted them for the time, but
the disorder is only checked, not aveEted.
IN MADRID.
The Spaniards were amused by dis
patches which stated that Admiral Ger
vera left Santiago Thursday at midnight,
and on Friday came up with Admiral
SIMPSONS squadron, which he immedi-
atcly attacked, and after two hours of
furious fighting, killed Admiral Sampson,
sank two battleships, captured third,
and so disabled the rest that they took
refuge in Haitian waters.
THE PHILIPPINES.
dispatch from Hong Kong says that
Spain is trying in the Philippines the
same game of Offering home rule that
failed in Cuba. The Spanish Governor
at Manila IS making desperate attempts
to brIbe or coax the rebels to drop their
quarrel with Spain and make common
cause against the Yankees.
He is offering to grant every concession
The National tribune., 1898-06-02

! Hernandez, OF Gen. Garcia's staff, regard
| ing the strength and condition of the in
Surgent army in Cuba. 1t was reported
| that there were between 1000 and %, ,00O
soldiers in the field.
FRIDAY. MAY 2z.
Gen BIanco cables from Havana to Mad
rid that the tOrpedo-bOat destroyer Terror,
from Martinique, has arrived at Fajardoa on
the east coast of Porto Rico She In
American warships cruising in front OF
the harbor and changed her direction for
Faiardo.
EUROPEAN OPINION.
The London Spectator voices the gen.
eral opinion of Europe when it says;
ut is clear that Spain intends to delay
the war as long as possible, hoping that
either America will grow tired OF spending,
or that Europe, disturbed by the Interrupt
ton of commerce and the rise in the price
of wheat, will intervene and insist upon
peace.
Probably the real aim of Admiral Ger
vera s operations is less naval than pollti-
cal, and is meant less for use in America
than in Europe. 1t is all desirable for the
Spanish Ministry to gain time. The rev.
olutionists cannot move until a disaster
comes Meanwhile Spain can point to
the intensified agonies of the reconcen-
trados and bid Europe behold the results
of American humanitarianism. There is
also the possibility of European war that
would give Spain unexpected allies. Every
moment of delay, therefore, is a gain for
the safety of SPAIN
SPANISH DEsPONDENCY.
The nonsensical rodomontade prevail
ing in Madrid at the beginning OF the
war seems to be rapidly giving way to
dependency. Tho best-informed Span
iards believe that Cuba is gone, but there
The National tribune., 1898-06-02

ments of immunes authorized by special
act of Congress were, on May 20, formally
agreed upon by Gen. Miles and Adj't-Gen.
Corbin. The men composing the inn
munes are expected to be recruited largely
from the South. They are to be organized
into 10 regiments, five of which will be
composed of white and the other regi-
ments of colored men. They will be made
up as far as practicable of officers and
men who, owing 10 their origin, the places
OF their residences and other circum-
stances affecting their physical character
istics, possess immunity, or are likely TO
be exempt from diseases incident to tropi-
cal climates.
The enlisted strength of each company
Of the regiment will not exceed 50, while
the minimum strength is fixed at IS.
The officers will be selected for their
skill as military, civil, electrical, mechani
cal or typographical engineers. An effort
will be made TO recruit the enlisted men
from every branch of the engineering pro-
fession and of mechanical skill. Machin-
lists, steam engineers, blacksmiths, car
penters, plumbers, teIegraphers topog-
raphers, draughtsmen, photographers,
railroad men, riggers, boatmen, and those
skilled in the use OF explosives are eS-
pecially desired.
Mr.. Acheson, of Pennsylvania, has in
troduced a bill increasing the pay of the
enlisted men who in time of war serve out
side the territorial limits of the United
States 100 per cent. ever the rates as
fixed by law during the period of such
service.
Col. J. E. Bloom, who organized the
Blues and Grays, First Regiment, Lafay-
ette Post Brigade, of New York, was
sworn in at the War Department as Cap
tain and Assistant Adjutant-General of
Volunteers. He is graduate of West
Point. Col. Bloom telegraphed Gov.
Black, of New York, again offering the
regiment of Blues and Greys for service.
The National tribune., 1898-06-02
THE HARBOR OF SANTIAGO.

The chief interest now centers in the
harbor of Santiago de Cuba, whittier the
feet of Admiral Cervera took refuge from
the pursuit of our ships. AS a harbor of
refuge it is not surpassed in the world.
In the hands of any civilized power it
could be made absolutely impregnable
1t has narrow entrancoc about one
quarter of mile wide, between high
rocky cliffs, which were strongly fortified
in the old days when Santiago was the
capital of Cuba. Other fortifications are
placed along at advantageous points. The
narrow, tortuouS passage leads into the
The National tribune., 1898-06-02

vera, without food supplies for the CITY.
deepened the general despondency.
The squadron has disembarlxed 500 men.
artilleryInen and engineers, and landed
10000 Mauser rifles, a large quantity of
ammunition and four big guns, destined
for the fortifications.
In spite of thesstriet silence maintained
by the officers and Grews, the general i'm
preston was, whenAhe Italians left, that
the squadron wauIdgset out for San Juan,
Porto Rico, obtain supplies and land am
munition there.E
Aguinaldo refuscds to see them, and or
dered their imprss orirnent.
"For the saLF of our old friendship l
would spare yolr lHes," he sent word to
them, "but youf crisne is not against me,
ana as my o1Hg-fSidecIde so must your
fate be-"
A second delegation, come on the same
errand, shared Sheaimprisonment of the
two merchants.f Itsis not believed they
will be executed, as Aguinaldo wants to
impress on the Amenicans that the rebels
are civilized mdn, fit to be trusted with
the government of the Philippines.
Nearly all theE Spanish Provincial Gov
ernOrS have been removed and natives
appointed to their places, in consonance
with the Governors policy of reconcilia-
ton. The Spanards are constantly ca
bling that Aguinaldo has Joined them. As
Aguinaldo surprised Spanish supply
train and captured 1000 rifles and two
bullock cart-loads of ammunition last
Wednesday, these reports deceive no one.
The Spaniards were using the telegraph
from Manila TO Iloilo, with a swift steamer
to cover the gap to Labuan. Dewey
figured this out and cut the wires.
The insurgents are drilling and prepar-
ing to act with the American troops, the
first of which are expected about June Ia.
The Philippines are now we'll armed with
rifles furnished by the Americans, and
have plenty of ammunition. They demon
strated their value Friday evening by ad-
vising Dewey thatthe Spaniards intended
to attack Cavite. Dewey stationed the
Petrol, McCulloch and the captured gun
boat Callao where their machine guns
could sweep the neck of land over which
The National tribune., 1898-06-02

is yet chance of saving the Philippines
and possibly Porto Rico. The press be-
gins to talk OF IAN honorable peace" and
the Madrid correspondent of the London
Standard says:
The Spanish press bitterly laments the
selfish motive underlying the reluctance
of the powers TO intervene 1t is now
seen that Spain is isolated; and the idea
is growing that better terms may be OBJ
tanned by a direct understanding with
President Mckinley"
\ dispatch from Hong Kong reported
the arrival there of Capt. Gridley, of the
flagship Olympia who had been irlyafided
and ordered home. Two other officers
were sent to the hospital at Hong Kong
for treatment.
The situation at Manila is unchanged.
Beef costs 81. so per pound there
The insurgents have agreed to support
Aguinaido for annexation to the United
States. They have refused to entertain
any proposition looking toward independ-
ence. An lnsurgent force has defeated
the Spaniards at Lantete
J SATURDAY. MAY as.
The conviction strengthens toward ab-
Solute certainty that the Spanish fleet is
imprisoned at Santiago. Late dispatches
seem to leave no doubt as 10 it. Yester-
days reports about its having been seen
of the coast OF Nicaragua and elsewhere
What course Commodore SchIey may take
is matter of speculation. There is
actually no need of his doing ANYTHING
farther than keeping portion of his
squadron off the harbor on blockade duty.
With this the Spanish vessels are as
securely held as if beeched on dry land.
They cannot help Blanco i'm any wav.
and when the island is reduced to our
possession they become our prizes. Com
modore Schiey may, however, inaupurate
vigorous campaign against them. The
entrance to the harbor is very difficuIt
but 1T is not impossible. New Orleans
and Mobile taught great lessons to orr
sailors. One OF the most likely things
that suggests itself is that a landing force
be immediately sent thither, with whose
assistance he will take the forts at the
mouth of the harbOr, and thus do away
with the necessity OF a sea blockade dur
ing the Summer when the Spaniards hope
Tor cyclone TO help them escape.
THE PHILIPPINES.
kilograms from Hong Kong saw that
there is absolutely no truth in the Span-
ish report that the Baltimore was injured
by an internal explosion Admiral Dewey
is short OF provisions and ammunition
The entire fleet is at Cavite. Commander
Lamberton has been appointed Captain
OF the Olympia, vice Gridley inValided, The
blockade OF Manila is reported perfect.
A report that Spain was about to offer
the Philippines to France as the price of
her assistance brought forth from Ger
many a semi-of1icial communication set
ting forth that she would most vigorously
protest against the ceSSion of the Philip
pine Islands to France any other single
power, adding that a cession to the com
bined powers of Europe would be much
more acceptable.
1t is understood that this declaration
had an effect in Spain and that the whole
project has been dropped, al least, for the
present.
THE CUBAN INSURGENTS
The system of communication between
the United States Government and the
The National tribune., 1898-06-02

Tampa. These include II regiments OF
volunteer infantry II battalions of artillery
and five regiments of Regular cavalry.
The infantry force, Regular and Volun-
teer, is about 2S, 900 men, the cavalry about
1000, the artillery about 200. Back of
this force are other available regiments at
Mobile, New Orleans, and other points
easily accessible to Tampa. Still further
back is the large volunteer camp at
Chickamauga, comprising about 10000
infantry volunteers, 900 cavalry volun-
teers, and three regiments of artillery
volunteers.
Aside from the troops already specified,
there are the $4,000 men at Camp Alger,
near Washington, and lesser bodies of
troops on Long Island and in various
States. The 5000 volunteers under the
recently issued second call constitute still
another reserve, which, however, is yet
to be organized and equipped.
MAJ.-GEN NELSON A. MILES,
commanding the United States Army, left
Washington at IL p. m. accompanied by
his staff, and presumably for Tampa, Fla.
THE NAVY
The battleship Oregon arrived of Key
West, Fla, last week. The ship sailed from
Mare Island, Cal, 13, 900 miles from Jupiter,
March 19. Representative Hilborn of Cali
fornia, called at the Navy Department to
verify the news of the ships arrival. He
Sdld tndt Dy ner performance the snip mas
Silenced forever the Congressional critics
of battleships, who had declared that no
battleship ever would cross the Atlantic,
for the Oregon's run was fraught with
more peril and involved straightaway
ocean stretches of greater length than the
Atlantic passage in any season
In Kansas City on May q the day was
set apart for the celebration of the victory
of Manila Bay. Crowds from all the sur
rounding Missouri and Kansas towns lent
their aid. The street parade was the
feature of the day. II contained no less
than 80, 900 people OF this number 10, 600
were school children, who marched eight
abreast and formed division mile long.
each child carrying flag. A fOat bear
ing a model of the battleship Olym pia,
manned and complete, was enthusiastical-
ly greeted by the thousands who lined the
streets.
Inventor Holland has submitted propo-
sitiOn to the Government to have the
Government transport the Holland sub
marine boat to Santiago and launch it
outside OF that harbOr. He says he would
first remove all the mines and tOrpedoes
from the channel, and then destroy each
Spanish ship in detail.
The National tribune., 1898-06-02

magnificent, deep bay on the eastern
shore OF which the city of Santiago is
sl.uated. Inc bay is eight miles long,
and wide enough to shelter an cnOrmo,Is
fleet. There is channel from five to so
fathoms deep from the entrance to Punta
la Cruz, but from there is a succession of
shoals and deep channels.
Ihere are probably few good Krupp
guns in the forts at the mouth. but the
majority are obsolete smooth bores. The
channel offers fine facilities for mining.
but the probabilities are that the Spanish
mines there are as ineffective as they
were at Manila
The National tribune., 1898-06-02

President Mckinley reviewed 1900
men of the Second Corps of the Volunteer
Army at Camp AlgeT on May IS. There
were three full brigades, constituting the
First Division of the corps, and three un-
attached regiments from Pennsylvania,
Indiana and Missouri. The 1st II. i. was
also in camp, and the 22d Kan. arrived
late in the evening, but both were too late
to take part in the parade.
Gen. Graham's Headquarters guard Of
New York cavalry, under command OF
Capt. Clayton, of Troop c, met the Presi-
Dental party at Dunn Loring. In the
party were President and Mrs. Mckinley,
Fice-President and Mrs. Hobart, Senator
Secretary Porter, Representatives Fowler,
Swanson. and others.