The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-16

Washington, July 15.-There was
long and anxious wait to-day to hear |
further news from the commissioners |
who had been charged to make ar
rangements for the surrender of the |
Spanish army at Santiago. For Is
hours no word came from either Gen
eral Shafter or Miles. although there
was the keenest desire on the part of
the president and the cabinet officers
to learn what was to be done and
whether the actual surrender of San
tiago and the Spanish troops had been
carried out. When the cabinet met at
IL o'clock there was nothing from the
front which would serve as a guide for
the deliberations. 1t was thought that
the cable had been interrupted. but In
auiry of General Greely. chief signal
officer. gave assurance that the cable
was intact. Thereupon Secretary Aiger
sent a dispatch asking for the situa-
ton up to the latest movement, and
particularly inquiring as TO how far the
surrender had proceeded.
No answer came while the cabinet
was in session. In the meantime,
General Greedy had cabled and he was
the first to hear from the front. A dis
patch from Lieutenant Jones. military
censor at Playa del Este, reported that
the message from the secretary of
war 10 General Shafter was only SIX
minutes in passing from Washington
TO PLAYA del Este. The message re-
ceived by General Greedy came at 2;ZS
d. m, and indicated that negotiations
were still in progress. but as the dis
patch was submitted to the president
no details were given out.
Toward the middle of the afternoon
DISPATCHES from General Shafter ana
| General Miles began to arrive In re-
| sponse to Secretary Alger's dtspatch.
| They were not given out In full, but
| such portions as were made puohc
| show that the negotiations were stlll IN
progress and that the Spaniards had
| raised some rather unexpected ques-
| tions. Most important of these was an
| insistence that the Spanish troops re-
tain their arms when they returned TO
spain. There was entire willingness on
| the part of General Toral to turn over
| the arms to General Shafter at the time
OF the surrender but with this was %
| be the understanding that the arms
| were 10 be returned to the spanish
troops when Spanish soil was reached.
| This was a condition which had not
| DpPn anticipated. nt dulhoAAhiNS -
| did not regard IL as serious. or as likely
TO overcome a final settlement, as {
| was attributed to the Spanish sensi-
| tiveness against the humiliation IN
volved in the laying down OF their arms.
one of these dispatches. after specify
ing that this difference had arisen, add
| ed that a settlement would De reached
before the day closed. General Smarter
himself summed up the situation by
| nf no fhHf
there would be failure in completing ar
rangements." No question whatever
has been raised as to the surrender
itself. Not only has General Torll
agreed to 1t. but this agreement has
been ratified by General Blanco at Ha-
vana and by the Spanish government
at Madrid.
General Greedy received another dis
| patch at 5 p. m, containing the infor
nation that Colonel Allen had LANDED
the shore end of the signal corps cabl'
at Playa del Este from the cable steam
| er. Colonel Allen was not allowed u
land at Playa on account OF the Adrii
| coming from an infected district. Al
were well on board. but no one was al
lowed ashore. Colonel Allen returne'
this evening TO Balquiri to repair tn
French cable at that point and establish
regular communication between Playi
and Santiago, so that the army viii D.
in telegraphic communication witt
Washington as soon as the city is sur
rendered.
The perplexing problem now to b
solved is how to carry out the plan
made by General Shafter to remove IN
Spanish soldiers. who surrender,
| Spain. II would have been no easy un
| dertaking to remove the 10000 me
| across the Atlantic under the best con
ditions, but the reports that indicates
the existence OF yellow fever among III
Spaniards theatened all kinds OF dim
, cultles After all, IL was decided I
be only a matter OF money and ir IN
price offered Is large enough steams nj
lines can doubtless be found 10 under
take the task At the best. several week
! will be required to move the Spaniard'
so that IL will be necessary TO maintai
a considerable proportion OF the Ameri
: can army in the neighborhood for som
time Still, being under no care TO pre-
| tect themselves against the foe, IN
| American troops can be so disposed a
TO make themselves very comfortable |
comparison with what they have under
gone. and by removing them into III
hills lust in the rear Of Santiago Il Is be
lieved that the danger of an extensio
| Of the yellow fever will be reduced 5
far that Il will no longer be cause fc
grave apprehension. The surgeons n
| ports describe the disease as OF mil
! character, and II Is said that this Wi
readily yield 10 a change OF altitude.