The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-31
MUST MAKE -FOUR TRIPS
Four Separate Expeditions to Be Landed
at Different Points The Insurgents
Have Been Armed and Are Expected
to Prove a Great Assistance "A War
Conference at the White House = The
Military Movement Was Started I'm
mediately Following the Receipt OF
Schley's Report - General Miles Staff
Has Left for the South.

vasion Of Cuba has begun. Unless the
carried, at an early hour this morning
the troops that have been gathered at
the gulf ports began to break camp and
march aboard the transports waiting to
carry them to the enemy's territory.
About 25 of these ships, the biggest and
fastest that could be obtained suitable
for the purpose, had been gathered
ready to receive the troops. They will
accommodate about 30, 900 men, for in a
short voyage like that from one of the
gulf ports to Cuba it is possible, with
safety and comfort. to carry a much
larger number of men aboard ship
than would be admissible in the case of
a cruise to the Philippines for instance
How many troops started this morn
ing: where they took ships or whittier
they are bound are questions which the
directing spirits of the campaign re-
fuse positively to answer. They have mo
desire that the Spanish should have op-
portunity afforded them to gather forces
to attack our soldiers as they land.
Therefore, nothing of the details of this
first movement can be learned. There
n shspiNioii StdIt VIII Dt
made from Tampa and Mobile, and i'm
such case the fleets of transports will
converge at Key West to pass under the
convoy of the warships which Admiral
Sampson has provided to ensure the
safety of the troops during the passage
across the Florida straits. to protect
them against attack at the hands of
some stray Spanish cruiser or gunboat.
1t is probable that there will be no
less than four separate military expedi-
tions, and that these will be landed at
four different points. Whether Porto
Rico Is one of these points or not cannot
be learned. Before the entire force
which it is proposed to use in Cuba can
be landed the transports must make four
separate voyages across the straits.
Arrangements have been made to
utilize the services of the insurgents to
the largest possible extent The gov
ernment already has sent expeditions to
a large number of points on the island
and landed arms for the insurgents.
Most of the parties succeeded perfectly
in their object. and il was said a the
war department to-day that a sufficient
number of the insurgents have been
armed to constitute very effective sup
port for the troops as they land.
war conference was held at the
white house at 3 o'clock this afternoon
between the president and his two war
secretaries, Alger and Long, and Major
General Miles, in command of the army.
Vice President Hobart. who accompa-
MED the president to Arlington and re-
turned with him to lunch. was present
part OF the time, and Secretary Day
who had just returned to Washington.
also dropped in during the conference.
After the entire situation. naval and
military. had been gone over, Secretary
Long retired and Secretary Alger and
General Miles remained to discuss more
in detail the military operations now
about to be put into execution as a re-
suit of the definite official information
that the Spanish squadron is securely
held within Santiago harbor.
Naturally those who participated in
the conference observed strict reticence
regarding it. 1t was stated. however,
in an authoritative quarter that the dis
cussion had covered the entire range of
naval and military operations, with
particular view to the active movements
about to begin. General Miles brought
with him memorandum showing the
exact disposition of the military forces
now concentrated at various points
throughout the country. with the num-
ber of men at Tampa and other south
ern points ready for embarkation. He
also made known that at O'Clock this
morning. Immediately following the re-
ence of the Spanish fleet at Santiago.
he had gone to the war department and
had issued telegraphic orders putting
the troops i'm motion. and thus starting
the forward movement of the military
arm of the service. Further than this
those attending the conference would
not discuss their plans.
1t was said at the war department
that chief reliance would be placed at
the outset on the United States regulars.
and in such' volunteer regiments as
are thoroughly equipped and reason
ably well seasoned for service. AL
though the officials will not state how
many troops are available for active
service IL is roughly estimated that
there are about 10000 regulars and 5000
volunteers at Tampa. These include IL
regiments of regular infantry and II
regiments of volunteer infantry. IL bat
talions of artillery and five regiments
of the regular cavalry. The infantry
force. regular and volunteer, Is about
$4,000 men. and cavalry about 1000. the
artillery about loo. How many Of
these have been or will be dispatched to
any given point or to several points. is
not disclosed. as that is a part Of the
secret campaign plans of the govern
ment. Back of this force are other
available regiments at Mobile. New Or
leans and other points esaily accessible
to Tampa. Still farther back is the
large volunteer camp at Chickamauga.
comprising about 10000 infantry volun-
teers. 1000 cavalry volunteers and three
regiments of artillery volunteers II