The herald., 1898-07-02
BROOKE GOES TO PORTO RICO
Regiments Ready to Start If Shafter
Does Not N eed Them

NEW YORK, July IA Times special
from Washington says:
The Porto Rican expedition which is the
next number on the war program after
the surrender of Santiago is to be led by
Major-General Brooke, now commanding
the First army corps at Chickamauga, who
will be made Military Governor of the is
land after its capture. Having provided for
the forwarding of sufficient reinforce
ments to General Shafter to insure his be-
ing able to take Santiago when he gets
ready to move his full army against 1t,
the administration is again turning its
attention to the details of the invasion of
Spains other valuable island possession
in the West Indies with a view to being
prepared to fall upon it the moment Lii
mares and Cervera have capitulated.
The plans have SO far progressed that
General Brooke has been selected to COM
mand the army of invasion and has been
ordered to get his corps, composed of %
regiments of volunteers ready to move to
Tampa within a week or ten days. From
there they will be sent to Santiago pre-
paratory to the movement on San Juan,
which will be made from southeastern
Cuba as base.
the Porto Rican enterprise is in accord
ance with his own wishes. While General
Brooke's corps, including 80 600, is destined
for Porto Rico, 1t will be sent first to San
tiago. AS revealed in part from official
sources of the highest authenticity the plan
is to make the Porto Rico campaign con-
tinuation, SO to speak, of the Santiago en-
terprise, instead of an independent and
separate undertaking. The troops from
Chickamauga will be sent aboard trans
ports at Tampa and shipped to the base
of operations in the vicinity of Santiago.
There under the supervision of General
Miles, commanding the army, and of Gen
erals Brooke and Shafter, it is proposed
to organize the force for the attack on
Porto Rico.
If, by the time General Brooke's force
arrives at Santiago, General Shafter has
not succeeded In taking the town, as many
men as are needed will be landed to re-
inforce him. In case the undertaking prom
ises to consume some time the entire ex-
petition may be disembarked and Linares
and Cervera crushed with overwhelming
force of numbers. If, however. as is thought
more likely, General Shafter has pract-
ically, II not actually, completed his task
when General Brooke arrives, the plan is
to land portion only of the volunteers to
help form the army of occupation for the
Province of Santiago, take on board the
bulk of regulars now in Skaters command
and proceed to Porto Rico.
With the American army in possession
Of Santiago, 1t will be made sort of base
for the movement on Porto Rico. Being
but little out of the way of the direct
route from Florida to Porto Rico it Is
admirably situated, army authorities say,
for halfway station between Tampa and
San Juan. With General Merritt in the
Philippines and General Brooke in Porto
Rico, 1t will remain for the other ranking
Major General of the regular army, Gen
eral Miles, to lead the main expedition
against Havana when the time comes for
the final movement to drive the Spaniards
out of Cuba. Unless Spain surrenders
sooner, it is believed that General Miles
will be entrusted with this notable service
in Difference to his place as commanding
General of the army and in recognition as
we'll of his fine record as an Indian fighter
in days gone by.