The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-07-23
PLANS OF THE GOVERNMENT.
Significant and General Statement from
 an Authoritative Source.

Washington, July 22.-A significant statement was made to the Associated
 Press to-day by a man in position to
 speak with authority as to the plans of
 the administration with reference to fu-
 ture war operations. Tn substance the
 statement was as follows: Commodore
 Watson's proceeding to the Spanish
 coast as soon as the Porto Rican expe-
 dition is gotten under way is not to
 lombard the Spanish coast. No such idea of bombardment of the coast is en- tertained While there may be other
 incidental purposes. the main mission of Watson is to take care of Admiral Camara's squadron The movement of
 this squadron and the fears and appre-
 hensions caused by reports concerning it are to be stopped for all time. The talk indulged in as to the Canary Isl-
 ands is utterly without foundation. This
 government has no plan to take those islands, and does not want them.
 Despite popular expectation that Porto Rico operations will be followed 1 immediately by action against Havana, it can be said that Havana will not be attacked while yellow fever conditions | exist. This is certain. It would be the height of national folly to engage our | troops in and about that fever pesthole | Consequently it will be left until the | climate lends it's aid in the autumn. | Shafter will hold his own in the east | ern strip now surrendered, and may gradually push his way over some oth-
 CT districts, and if there should be any particular need of immediate aggres-
 sive action at any point he will move
 against it, but Havana will be left until
 yellow fever dangers are past.
 1 Meantime in the next two months there will be enough to keep this gov
 ernment busy We will have to cope with the most serious problem yet, of
 providing for the government and the l future of the lands involved in this war. | The hauling down of the Spanish flag
 and the hoisting of that of the United | States means more than on its face it | indicates to the popular mind. No more> | important matter is to engage the at l tention of the government than the de- | tails to be arranged for the disposition, | control or temporary possession, pend- | ing final transfer of possession of these l additions to our domain. There are ques- l tions of the most intricate and far reaching character to be decided. Por- | to Rico, whose fall Is likely to be re-
 ported in a week or ten days, will have | a military government. Porto Rico, of 1 course, is to be kept permanently by | this government, but there must be a military government first and many
 preliminary details will have to be
 tation of existing systems of govern ment wherever we have carried our
 arms, and while local schemes and con- 1 ditions will form the basis of the gen | eral system for the control of the land, | there must be numerous changes,
 abolishing such laws as may be oppres-
 sive Laws will have to be very thor | oughly gone over and the tariff system revised in some way, but in general 1 and as far as possible the system of | government which now exists is to be l followed.
 l All this means work of the most
 serious character and in the absence of
 existing laws to govern such matters, 1 the president has to go ahead on his
 own responsibility. Next winter, how | ever, when congress convenes the ne
 cessity for laws covering such matters
 will be recognized by recommendations iContinued on Seventh Pagel -