Evening star., 1898-10-31
NO TIME YET FIXED
Final Departure of Troops to Garrison
Cuba.
PLANS ARE NEARLY PERFECTED
Troops viii Not Be Sent Until
They Can Be Accommodated.
TO TAKE POSSESSION JAN. /


Final arrangements for the occupation Of
Cuba by American troops will he deferred
until the Secretary of War shall have had
an 0ppnrtunfty to confer in person with
Col Hecker and Col. Lee. the officers of
the army who recently visited Cuba for the
purpose of selecting sites for camps ami
the best available places for the landing of
troops. Secretary Alger received a teie-
gram from Havana this morning saying
that the officers named had left this morn
ing on the transport Seneca. bound for New
York. They were accompanied by all the
members of their party, and in The Language
OF the telegram all are well"
The officials Of the War Department
characterize as absurd the report publish
ed in many papers that the military move
uHent Oh Cuba will begin on the %d proximo
No preparations have been made for such
a speedy departure. There is said To be n"
occasion of such action. According to
Secretary AlSer. who was questioned on the
subject:
No time has vet been fixed for the
movement Of the army to Cuba our plans
are nearly perfected for the occupation cf
the island and will be carried out As forms
Ulared unless unforeseen difficulties arise.
but thtSe pans do not cont eTnplaie aH early
movement The troops are being sent 10
camps in the southern states. Does this
look like an immediate Cu4Larkat ion for
Cuha9 We would not be sending them to
camp if they Were to be sent at once to
Cuba. | will say frankly that I do no.
know when the first detachment VIII b.
ordered to Cuba
Accommodations for Troops.
Adjt. Gen. Corbin spoke TO the SAM
effect He said that the movement to Cuba
would begin when the coudiu ms jusr!fi d
It. and that it was never intended to send
troops there until arran nger2ents had been
made for their accommodation.
The department will continue the policy
Of occupying the towns in Cuba just as
rapidly as they are evacuated by the Span
ish troops. He said that there was never
any intention of starting the first eXpa.li-
ton to Cuba on the 81 Drt Nimo. and he
had no idea how such an impression got
abroad In case it became necessary for
the occupation of a Cuban town. oy the
departure OF the present Spanish garrison.
troops would be sent there next week. but
there ar no present Indications Of such
necessity.
Limit OF Spanish Occupation.
AS has already been sta-cd several times
IN TEe S.dr January l has been fixed by
the adminIslr ration as the extreme limit OF
Spanish occupation OF Cuba and arrange
nlents are now in progress for the transfer
Of American troops 10 that territory in full
time for the tinted States to take temporary
possession nT- the date named. An effort
vas made by the Spanish authorities to Sc
CJre ar extension Of the time ii final evac-
uatipu Until the 1st of February. but the
proposition Was neEatiVed by the American
commissioners by EXPIRE - direction from
Washington II - recognized that il will
le difficult task for the Spanish govern
mant. with lis limited facilities To trans
port the lars" Spanish army still in Cuba
within the next two months. and this GOV
IiSppS.f 10 deal b3rShIy
with them IN this matter. It is expected
that the Spanis authorities will exert
every effort 10 eraclate the island by the
date fixed but it Is possible that they may
lot N. f"e 10 complete the evacuation by
that time
4" Take Possession January L.
tn" TrIted States government will. how
ever. take possession Of Cuba January /
regardless "f the progress Of the move
neit OF rvaCUatioH. and viii expedite the
transportation of all the Spanish troops
theL remaining on the island. 1t is the
present lnt'ltiou OF the administration that
lhe IN Army Corps. comma HGed by Maj.
Gen I-"~- .ow assembling at Savannah
Ga. shall DE- fully installed in Cuban gar
TIsons by the l~t o1 January. Arrange
neHtV are Low being mace for the landing
ana qUaTtcriHg Of these troops in Cuba,
but they Will not be finally cumplrted an
til the officials hcre have had an opDor-
tunity "f consulting with CO!oEeIs Hecker
ard Lee Of tn board which was sent there
10 lnvrStIg-j" these subjects
Gen FIlzEuSh Lee was in Washington
for several hours Saturday, and returned
to RtChm"Ug carly yesterday morning The
health Of his wife has very much improved
and he has indicated his intention Of re-
Stunning his military duties in a few davs.
II Is IT, byhle that H. Will nuke anat her
visit 10 Washington before the departure
OF his -urps for Cuba in order to confer
with the President and Secretary Of War
regarding the conduct oi IN. military
operations AZ Cuba pending the establish
nent Of The proposed CUFau government.
supplies for Cuban Garrisons.
Advertisements inviting bids for furnish
ing the War Department with certain sup
plies required 10y the quartermaster's Bu-
rsaI in ru.t viii he ISSUED in "a few days.
These iaeiute lumber of various dimen-
Stcns. machinery of several kinds, iucIud-
tng pumps. mon pipe ana lighters. by which
men ana stores may readily ur Transported
l-'m Sl.rs 20 the shore Tr,S.. ar. rh..
classes rt articles which the Hrcker board
has recommended he advertised for e. i
count lrurrtcfirIhi- tu obtain in Havana
and p,a-r cuban cities near the propO~ed
sites ali rEe materials needed ana in con-
sequence much Will have To be shipped
from the jujr-d States. The lumber is
to b. used Iu constructing warehouses; hos
pita.S, providing floors for the tents etc
while the pumps ana iron pipe are neces-
~,tTy t'r n fiutatuiEG IN adequate water
~