Evening star., 1898-07-15
-Four Questions Discussed at Today's
Cabinet Meeting.
NO PEACE PROPOSITIONS MADE
Porto Rican Expedition to Get Of
Next Week.
THE SPANISH PRISONERS

| Throughout OIucidl ana On0fnc1aI circles the
| four questions most discussed were:
| Ffrst-Whether Spain will ask for peace.
| Second-The invasion of Porto Rico.
| Thfrd-What to do with the American
| soldiers at Santiago in view of the out
| break of yellow fever
Fourth-How to send the Spanish prison.
| ers to Spain.
All of these questions were talked of more
| or less in detail at the session of the cabi-
net today. The session lasted until nearly
| l o'clock. 1t was extended In the hope of
| hearing details of yesterdays surrender
| but nothing came in that line. Just before
| the cabinet adjourned a telegram was re-
| ceived from General Miles, but he mention
| ed nothing of yesterdays surrender. His
| telegram related wholly to the coming Por-
| to Rican expedition. The failure of the
| ofhcials at Santiago to send anything since
| yesterday was annoying to the President
| and cabinet. Up to o'clock last night the
President and Secretary Alger waited pa
| tientiy for detailed news of the day at San
! tIago. None came, and the story was the
| same up to the time the cabinet session
| ended. At that time the government was
| unaware of the names of the commission
| ers who dealt with those appointed by
| Toral. 1t is understood that a telegram
! was scAt W hthtfdi SNdiI6F asking Tor
report. 1t is believed that something is on
| the road and that there has been a delay.
The Talk of Peace.
| On the most positive authority the state
| ment can be made that Spain has not di-
rectly or indirectly limited at the subject
| of peace. She is standing off in a suIIen
| attitude and the administration is in doubt
what the Dons will do. The President and
Nahi nat how
| hope lacks a great deal of being substan-
| tial. 1t is frequently not founded on any
| thing substantial. The President knows
| no more of what Spain will do than any
citizen of the country" said a cabinet Off
| Ger this afternoon. IF Spain had COM
mon sense she would sue for peace" said
| the same official, but in the same breath
| he exp1 essed a doubt to whether COM
| mon sense exists in the Spanish nation.
1t is equally certain that the longer
| Spain keeps the war going the more severe
| will be the conditions she will have to
| meet. Three or four weeks ago. it is said,
| the President would probably have been
| satisfied to accept terms which would free
! Cuba, give us Porto Rico and coaling sta
| ton in the Philippines. 1t is now doubtful
| whether he would accept these conditions
| from Spain. The longer the war is kept
| up the greater the force to be used in the
| matter of conquest. After Porto Rico the
| Canaries Will fall, and then Havana will
! be taken last. Spain will have reduced
herself to the last extremity.
The Porto Rfcan Expedition.
The expedition to Porto Rico will get
away the last of next week This is the
| understanding of cabinet officials They
| have not inquired into the details and only
Know that it is now the intention of the
President to get the expedition off next
week. Swift preparations will be made all
this week for the expedition. Gen. Miles is
planning many things from Santiago He
will probably go along with the expedition
Cabinet officials believe that the taking of
Porto Rico will be comparatively easy. The
total number of United States troops will
| probably not exceed $4,000, although there
is talk of making the number greater, SO
as not to delay operations.
The Troops at Santiago.
Right here enters the question of whether
the soldiers now at Santiago will make I'D
any part Of the expedition. 1t is said to be
ikely that new troops entirely will be used
In the Porto Rfcan campaign, so as to
avoid another outbreak of yellow fever
There are a number Of soldiers still on
employed in the coming campaign The
soldiers who have been exposed to yellow
fever, and this embraces practically the en-
tire army engaged in the operations be-
fore Santiago. will be placed in detention
camps and kept there until they are
thought to be out of danger These camps
will be established all around Santiago at
nigh and dry points. Several thousand SOL
oilers VIII be quartered in each camp. This
plan may be changed to the one of bringing
the soldiers back to this country and TAX
Ing them to some point far up north, which
would probably not be subject to the dread
disease.
For the Porto Rican expedition soldiers
will be drawn from the various camps
throughout the country. General Lees
camp at Jacksonville win furnish large
number. These soldiers are eagerly wait
ing the call to go across the waters to
Porto Rico.
The Spanish Prisoners.
The cabinet talked over the matter of
shipping the Spanish prisoners to Spain
and could not reach conclusion for the
reason that nothing was known from the
front of the arrangements so far made by
General Shafter. The best idea, however,
is that ships of neutral nations will be
asked to bid for the transportation of the
Spaniards. One bid has already been re-
ceived, and no doubt is felt that enough
ships can be quickly secured for the work.
and that the cost will not be excessive 1t
win probably be more than week before
this expedition can get away from San
tiago.
Expecting News From Sbafter md
Miles.
Despite a night vigil that extended well
nto
Kinley was early awaiting todays dis
patches from Santiago. He Indicated his
entire satisfaction with the terms of the
capitulation SO far made known to him.
and evidently was in happy spirits With
a keen anxiety for further information he
was expecting definite advices from Shaf-
ter and Miles all the forenoon.
Throughout the morning and up to the
time the cabinet met there was a stream
Of callers. A number of them asked for
war appointments.