The Portland daily press., 1898-05-27

Washington, May &c. 6.-Secretary Long
said al the close OF Office hours today that
no word had come from any scouting
waters, concerning the Spanish flying
squadron, wherefore he concluded that
Cervera was still in Santiago harbor.
Supposedly Schley is lying outside
watching the entrance to prevent the
egress of the Spanish vessels, but there
has been no official confirmation of the
fact This is little remarkable in view
of the. fact that it is only days run for
one of Schley's swift torpedo boats from
Santiago to cable port in Hayti. There
is also curious lack of information from
the newspaper despatch boats on this
point. 1t was supposed that the censors
might have excised from the dispatches
of the newspapers any reference to the
fleets, but this would apply according to
the statement of the navy department.
officials here, only to that part of the
dispatches that might relate to the move
ments and whereabouts of the United
States forces and the censor's rules would
not exclude reference to the Spanish
squadron.
Notwithstanding the officials profess
mistaken confidence in their original be-
lief that the Spanish squadron is securely
bottled up in Santiago harbor, there is no
concealment by them of an intense desire
to secure some absolute trustworthy in
formation on that point. 1t is not to be
doubted that, with the question still
open, the beginning of the military
operations is retarded for as long as there
exists possibility of the Spanish naval
force being at large, there is an indisposi.
tion to start the troop transports for
Cuba. Probably it was this uncertain
state of affairs t hat induced the Presi-
dent to call consultation at the White
House today between Secretaries Alger
and Long, General Miles and the man.
bers of the naval war board, Admiral
Sicard, Captain Crowninshield and Capt.
Mahan. AS stated by one of the members
of the conference the purpose was to go
over the whole system from the Philip
pines to Cuba and Porto Rico and decide
just how far the plans already laid should
be modified to meet existing conditions.
This involved discussion Of such i'm
portant points as tho propriety of the i'm
mediate advance of the military forces up
on Cuba; the credibility of tho advioes SO
far had touching the location OF the
Spanish squadron: the policy of expe-
diting the Cuban expedition or accom-
panying it With one directed against
Porto Rico, and finally the extent OF the
military assistance to be sent to Ad-
miral Dewey at Manila. AS already indi-
Gated the proceedings were rather in the
nature of a consultation than of war
council. A full decision is not demanded
at once so that it is not probable that all
of these important questions were dis
posed of at the council. None of the mem
bers of the conference felt authorized to
tell what had taken place, but there are
thought to be patent indications of a
decision to embark military expeditions.
whether for Cuba or Porto Rico can only
be couiectured, in the course of the next
few days. There was a lack of news to.
day from Admiral Dewey and this con-
vinceu the naval authorities that there
could be little credence placed in the Ma.
drid report of an accident to the Balti-
more. In the rush of military prepara-
tions, the war department officials have
not been able to give much attention to
preparation of the regulations for nro-
ourement of the 5000 additional voliin.
teers called for yesterday by the Presi-