The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-07-28
WAR OPERATIONS.
The President's FIXTURE Pans ~ Given by .
Close Friend of the Admin.
istratiOn.


knowledge and authority as to the
plans of the administration with ref.
erence to future war operations. In
substance the statement was as fol.
lows:
Commodore Watson, in proceeding
to the Spanish peninsula as soon as
the Porto Rican expedition is gotten
under way, is not to lombard the cities
on the Spanish coast. No such idea of
ombardment of the coast is enter
tanned. While there may be other
incidental purposes, the main
mission of Watson is to take
care of Adm. Camara's fleet The
movement of this fleet and the
fears and apprehensions caused by re-
ports concerning it are to be stopped
for all time. The shi ps under Camara
will be located by Watson and finally
met and engaged.
Despite popular expectation that
Porto Rico operations will be followed
Immediately by action against Havana,
it can be said that Havana will not be
attacked while yellow fever conditions
exist. This is certain.
'It would be the height of national
folly to engage our troops in and about
that fever pest hole. Consequently i,
will be left until the climate lends its
aid in the autumn. Shafter will hGli
his own in the eastern strip now sur.
rendered. ihay gradually push his
way over some other districts and il
there should be any particular need
of immediate aggressive action at any
point, will move against it, but Ha.
vana will be left until yellow fever
dangers are past
Meantime in the next two months
there will be enough to keep this gov.
ernment busy. We will have to cope
with the most serious problem vet, OF
| providing for the government and the
| future of the lands involved in this
war. The hauling down of the Span
ish flag and the hosting of that of the
United States means more than on its
face it indicates to the popular mind.
| No more important matter is to en-
gage the attention of the government
than the details to be arranged for the
| disposition, control or temporary
possession pending final transfer of
possession of these additions to our do
| main. There are questions of the most
intricate and fsr-reaching character to
be decided. Porto Rico, whose fall is
likely to be recorded within a week or
ten days. will have to have military
| government Porto Rico, of course, is
to be kept. permanently by this gov.
ernment but there must be mill.
tary government first and many pre-.
liminary details will have to be work
ed out.
There must be rehabilitation of ex-
ing systems Of government where
we have carried our arms, and while
local schemes and conditions will form
the basis of the general system for the
control of the land there must be
numerous changes, abolishing such
laws as may be oppre ssive. Laws will
have to be very thoroughly
gone over and the tariff sys-
tenn revised in some way, but
in general and as far as possible the
system of government which now eE-
lists is to be followed. All this means
work of the most serious character,
and in the absence of X's.ing laws -.
govern such ma tiers ti,r president has
to go ahead Oh his own respo ISL
bilily. Next winter, however, when
congress convenes, the necessity for
laws covering such matters will
be recognized by recommend
ations to congress to that end be
submitted by the president, and it is
very probable the shaping of the de S.
TIMES of Porto Rico and similarly cir.
cumstanced accessions will be left to "a
commission or commissions to be ap-
pointed to draft the laws for adoption
by congress. The government is likely
to be busy from now on considering
all these matters of governmental de-
tail.
1T is a certainty as far as now can
be foreseen that Guam. the island IL
the Ladrone group that was captured
by this government, will be per-
| Inanently retained as a cOallng anG
supply station. For these purposes it
is valuable from its location between
the Sandwich and the Philippine is
lands, but ON the point whether
the rest of them will be kept am not
sure. They may be and they may not
be. The disposition of the Philippines
is unsettled and depends upon circum-
stances. AS to the attitude of Garcia
and the insurgents in Cuba, there is
no change in our intention. This gov
ernment has not been misled in it's es.
innate of those forces.
With the oppressive hand Spain has
put on them so long, contending
against the conditions imposed by in
| Justice and oppression there should