The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-06-04
Something In the Nature Of az
Official Statement.
4 MOVEMENT ALL ALONG THE LINE.
Cuoh Porto Rico and the Philippines to
be Wrasted from the bankrupt Ty-
rant-NayaI Officers Puzzled Over
the News from Santiago.

pan Vi yam par VI Lll ShlbSN SNubNo
government. This is contained in a
letter of Secretary Alger to the speaker
OF the house, transmitting certain rec
concentrations and statements o. Gen.
Ludlow, which disclosed the purpose
of the war department to send 10000
hen TO Cuba, 10000 to start at once,
and the remainder just as soon as they
can be made ready for departure.
Then there was an estimate for es-
tablishing electrical communications
in connection with the army in Cuba,
Porto Rico and the Philippines. show
ing. for the first time, officially, an
implied Intention on the part OF the
government to land troops in Porto
Rico. OF course all these movements
have been anticipated by the press,
but, nevertheless, Il strong element of
doubt existed and, therefore, an Off
cial statement of the governments
purposes, made even in this indirect
fashion. created a profound sensation
here. The three are to 90 together.
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines,
and pass into the military occupation
OF the United States troops.
InaSmuch as the secretary says that
the second contingent of troops is TO go
forward as soon as they car be pre-
pared. IL good deal OF interest attached
to an order that was made Yesterday
at the war department providing for
the oIganization o: the 1000 addi-
tiOnal volunteers called for. The or
utf officially established the statement
heretofore made In these dispatches
that Il large proportion of the new
men are to be used to fill up the exist
ing regiments of volunteers, which
are in most cases deficient in numbers.
1t is to be presumed from yesterdays
order that the volunteer regiments
collected under the first call will be
detained until they are filed up iii
this fashion, so that the Ordc,' has some
bearing upon the plan u cinot;gn.
The war department received Il dis
patch yesterday from Gen. brooke, in
command of the forces in Chickamau-
ga. setting al rest tn reports rs To in
adequate .ood and water supply there.
Gen. BruOHc says:
There Is no reason whatever for
complaint as to the quality and kindof
food furnished the troops in this camp.
Some regulars arrived here with food
rations only, but defects of this kind
are quickly remedicI and the veg
table component Immediately provided.
The water question is being solved as
to quantity. and it has always been
good as to quality.
The naval officials have been con-
siderably mystified throughout the day
by the reports of IN engagement off
Santiago. Corroborative evidence, com
ing from many quarters, including the
official announcements from Havana
and Madrid. led the officials to CON
ceia late in the day that some
engagement had taken place, although
they did not regard it as Il serious
one. No bulletins were issued by the
department during the day, and at the
close OF Office hours it vas stated that
no dispatches from Commodore Schley
had been received during the day.
There is reason to believe, however,
that the department received indirect
adviceS through the state department,
possibly not bearing out the detailed
press dispatches, but sufficient to indi-
cate that an engagement of some kind
hal occurred at Santiago.
The impression is that, in execution
OF tine general instructions to all COM
munders on the Cuban coast to prevent
the construction or strengthening of
batteries. Commodore Schley. observ-
ing work of this kind going on at
MORO Castle, had drawn his fleet up
close enough to stop it. 1t is not be-
licveG that he made any real attempt
to enter the harbor. but while engaged
i'll the task of Smelling the shore bat
tcries. finding the Cristobal Colon in
range he could not resist the tempta-
ton to try a few shots at her.
The statement from Madrid. in what
seemed to be almost sami-otiicial form,
of the acuteness of the financial strin-
gcncy there, and the plain intimation
that the Bank of Spain and, conse-
quently, Spain were nearing the end
of their financial resourccs. was re-
garded at the state department as of
more real significance than many of
the stories OF battles on land and sea
that probably came oScr the cables for
the past few weeks. The effect of this
notice may be to hasten the operations
against Porto Rico. lest the prize
slip from our grasp through a sudden
and unexpected termination of the war.
An additional evidence hal the
actual forward movement of the army
and navy had begun, was given in the
action of the foreign naval and military
observers. They have been so%journing
in Washington for some time. but
within the last week all of them
started for Florida The British naval
and military attaches we're the
first to leave, and now they
have been followed by the German.
Austrian. Russian, Swedish, Norwegian
and Japanese observers. The govern
ment of Norway and Sweden has no
less than six military and naval ex-
perts to observe various branches of
the warfare. They include Command
ers Anderson, Dahlgren and Gade, and
Lieut.. Gechnuyden, of the navy, and
Captains Wester and Stang, of the
army. They left for Tampa Tuesday
night.
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