The sun., 1898-06-03
Preparations GOING ON 70 AID admiral DEWEY

went through the ordinary channels Of
Congressional reference, was sent to the
I Printing Office as a public document,
and given the publicity which is Gus
tomary with relation to all routine com.
municatons to Congress and the Execu.
tive Departments.
Evidence of irritation caused at the
Department by the incident was given
by the inquiries made by officials as to
| how it was possible that a communica.
tion containing important confidential
information could have gotten to the
public.
Apparently the letter was not marked
confidential, and being addressed to the
| Speaker, as are all communication from
the Executive Departments to the House,
| its confidential character escaped the at.
tention of the officials of the House.
TIL re is the best OF reason for be ieving
that the inference drawn from the letter
that the general invasion OF Cuba will
take place at once is a misinterpietation
of is meaning.
The letter fully confirms the state
ments made during the progress of the
campaign in these dispatches that the
| first plan of the Department was to
establish base of supplies for the Cuban
army bv landing 5000 men and that civ
cumstances led to change of plan, Gel :
eral Miles idea of a general invasion by
large force being adopted
1t is known to be still the plan OF the
Department to occupy Porto Rico and to
destroy the fleet and fortiications at Sar-
tiago before the general invasion OF Cuba
occurs, and General Ayers reference to
the invasion OF Cuba cannot properly be
interpreted to mean that this invasion is
to be TIL. first move. The very best in
formation is that considerable time will
elapse before the large invading army
will be ready to move on Cuba.
Meanwhile the Porto Rican and San
tiago expeditions are to proceed. The
Chickanlanga troops are to join General
lee at Jacksonville and are undoubtedly
destined for the occupation of Porto
Rico, jacksonville being the nearest
point of departure from olr coast for that
island
If Admiral Sampson and Commodore
Sch ey have, contrary to the expectatiC n
of the Department, undertaken the II :
duction of Santiago, and there is large
force of insurgent. assembled in that Vi
cinity, the necessity for the military ex-
peditiop to that point may be relieved; ;
but the Department had not this morn
ing received any information which
led to consideration of change of
plan.
In any event, it is well understood that
I,n 81 4 SO; Hs
against Porto Rico. MANY Of the naval
officials are reluctant to believe that the
reduction of Santiago and the capture of
the Spanish feet in advance of the a.
rival OF the military expedition is what
Commodore Schey has in contemplation
in his present movement.
While acknowledging that the c'ryrm.
stances un erstood by the naval COM
lnanders. " i concerning which the he
partmel!t Is nnintorshed, NAV warrant
ti.is movement being made, it is still held
by SC me 6: tins officers of the Department
tl.at such C, ursc would be dangerous,
and thit if any of the American vessels
we've disabled in fight with the shore
batteries it might enable the Spanish
feet to escape,
In military clic.es, OF course, there is Il
general desire that the crisis sliould not
be passed at Santiago before the army
las all opportunity to particila ate in the
action. The army Is counting on taking
All important Part in the operations
against Santiago. The expedition fnr
this purpose has lcen carefully organized
and the engineer division, the siege train
AID some Of the regular troops are now
on their wav, eisilc= to Porto Rico or
Santiago.
II is said that 1t will be at le;s
m nth and q bali befcre the grand army
OF invasion Of Cuba, 10 consist Of 10000
or nc. 9Go men, wi! sr ready to start.