The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-19

Washington. June 1s.--The original
plans Of the campaign conduct of the
war will be adhered to and will be
pushed with vigor. That decision was
reached at war council to-day. at
which were present President McKin-
ley, Secretaries Alger and Long. Gen.
eral Miles. Assistant Secretary Meikle-
john. Admiral Sicard and Captain Ma
han.
OF course. there will be some slight
notifications, made necessary by the
changes that have occurred since the
beginning of hostilities. but these, after
all. will not affect the general plan Of
operations. General Miles returned
from Florida with a store of informa-
ton respecting the condition of troops,
the difficulties to be experienced in the
progress of the campaign and the mat
ter of transportation and terminal ia
cilities will be freely availed of to cor
rect the defects in the present system.
The general was present during the war
council The only reason the COM
manding general did not visit the white
house YESTERDAY was because of a de-
sire on the part OF the president that
his war counseliors should have the
benefit of General Miles recital of his
observations at first hand.
The stories Lat there has been fric-
ton between General Miles and his Of
fetal superiors are pronounced to be
absurd. and to-day his proceedings
gave ample evidence of the fact that
the utmost harmony characterizes the
relations between the chief executive
and the military branch of the govern
ment. There were, of course. some diff
ferences of opinion among the persons
present at the war council, but there
has been no disposition in any quarter
to resist for an instant any conclusion
which has secured the approval of the
president.
The official declaration that the cam
paign is to be pushed with vigor does
not necessarily mean an immediate at
tack upon Havana, although such ad-
vice has been rendered. 1t does mean,
however, that the very best efforts are
to be put forth to put the army in con-
dition where 1t can be used with over
whelming effect at any point at al
most a moments notice. To this end
the troops now in camp are to be thor
oughly trained and hardened. With
such an army at command, numbering
no less than 100000. the fate of Havana
cannot long remain in doubt when the
army is once hurled upon il.
Meanwhile the smaller expeditionary
movements are to go forward uninter-
ruptedly. If Santiago is captured the
trained regulars who do the work will
be pushed on to Porto Rico. II all or
most of them are needed for this expedi-
ton. then the provisional forces re-
ferred to by General Shafter in his or
ders probably will be dispatched imme-
diately from the United States to gar
rison the towns of Santiago and to
equip the regulars. Probably knowl-
edge of some such intention has led
to the rumor which found currency to-
day to the effect that 1000 men from
General Graham's camp had been ex-
pected to proceed immediately to REIN |
force Shafter at Santiago As q matter |
OF fact. Secretary Alger said this after |
noon he had as yet given no orders for |
the sending of troops away from Camp |
sive movements elsewhere
The rooms OF Secretary Alger were |
thronged to-day by friends of the many |
for appointment from civil |
life as second lieutenants in the army. |
There are to be 200 of these appoint |
ments and II was announced this after |
noon they will be made public in the |
Monday morning.
Word came to the navy department |
that the Spanish Cadiz fleet was still |
headed eastward to-day. The basis Of |
the report is not known. but IL il prob |
doiy IToin tne skipper OF some merchant
vessel which has passed the squadron. |
for the ships, of course. have long since |
escaped the range of observation Of the |
lookout at Gibraltar. All the reports |
relative to the movements OF this mys- |
terious squadron are received by the |
naval officials subject to confirmation,
for experience has taught them that the |
Spanish are freely availing themselves |
Of the rather puerile device Of sending |
out numerous false reports of naval |
In the hope to mislead our
campaign directors. Therefore. in the |
use Of this last report. IL may turn out |
to be unfounded.
No confirmation has reached here Of |
the report from Spanish sources that the |
Spanish food-laden steamer Purisima |
has managed to slip into
Cuba. and IL this should
turn out to be the case there is a strong
disposition to hold somebody account
able. While the town mentioned In not
within the blockading lines. IL is felt |
that with due vigilance the vessel could |
have been captured by one of the Amer
can cruisers. The vexatious feature of
the boats arrival at Manzanillo is that \
he large amount Of supplies she car
ried are probably placed in reach Of the