The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-09-13
< 4 I !!
TROUBLES
OF PEACE
President Trying to Frame
Instructions for the Paris
Commission.
THE PHILIPPINE PROBLEM
Queer Stories Of Aguinaldo's
Doings---our Officers
Silent.
HAS GOMEZ RESIGNED
Veteran Cuban Leader Said
to Be Angry at Amer
ican Rulership.
sPAIN's TURBULENT coRTEs
More Trouble Over the Generals
Sashes--war Nows From
All Points.
More Trouble Over she Generals
Sashes--war News From
All Points.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. Sept. 13, 1885,
General Miles said To-Day that desDatcnas
were being exchanged with New York
concerning the proposed parade of troops
there and although he feared the parade
was off. yet efforts were still under way
to bring 1t about. Aside from the troops
coming from Porto Rico and thos$ az
cavalry horses, which with their mounts,
would make considerable showing OF the
equipment for the mounted brancn OF the
service.
About / 600 horses are to be disposed Of.
but the remaining six thousand probably
VIII be driven across Long lslano ~. up 70 70
through Long Island would take until
ext atuTday 50 tha{ odpG paTaSe m Mlra sIranad .a5
ssfala ssxay aa3unet Mses osa result IS q he
~staiegrans being exchanged with New
Re New A rese6ed asefslo Very 9T soon eaf pafa0e
The lnainl company of voluilt eer signal
corps Just ferurned from Porto Raco wliI
be ordered at once to their homes 10 De
the difficulty which is being experienced
in the constructing of the proposed COM
rnisSin for the investigation OF the con-
duct of the staH BRANCHES OF the army
during the war with Spain, has excited
some discussion in military circles as to
the possibility of the practical failure OF
an investigation by q commission. 1t
develops that there is decided disap-
proyal among army ofiicers OF the Propo-
sition to have the conducttof the war m
yestigated by a civil commission which
cannot be clother with any judicial au-
thority.
The objection is not On account of any
prejudice against civil authorities inter
fering in military matters, but is due TO
the fact that testimony before conn
mission not possessing judicial authority
would be in a manned voluntary, and
would, it is said put officers in the atti-
tude of gratuitiously giving testimony
which might be damaging to ind1vfdq1als 1a
or to the administration of the War De-
partment. Army officers say that 1t
would be no trouble to get all the infor-
nation there is concerning the campaign
at Santiago, the management of the war
through the department and the opera
tons of the medical, he quartermaster' 5
and the commissary departments, II a
tribunal on board were organized with
authority TO compel testimony, but thar
officers will not Jeopardlze their own i'm
terests nor Du themselves in the atti-
tude of being voluntary informerS when
the composition Of the commission max
ing the inquiry is not such as to make it
compulsory upon them to tell what they
may know.
They say it win be impossible for a
commission no hayintg the power to COM
pei testimony to get at the facts. Most
Officers, they say, will make IT point OF
honor, as well as a matter of self-inter-
est, to decline to give testimony of any
Importance unless compelled to. If the
Commission could compel testimony an
officer giving testimony which might be
damaging would have the excuse that
he had no choice but to tell what he
knew In the absence of authority to
compel testimony the witness would have
a right to conceal or to decline to disclose
any facts in his possession.
Secretary Long reached Washington to-
day. having run down from his New Eng
land summer home to meet the Presidents
wish that there should be full attend
ance at the Cabinet meeting 1t is the
Seeretary's expectation, unless something
unforeseen developes, 0 return almost inn
mediately to his family.
The purpose of the President in calling
for a full attendance at the Cabinet meet
ing was to submit to the members the
Instructions which will be gwen to the
American Peace Commissioners. The
time is very limited in which to properly
charge the commission, for as the mem
bers will sail from New York Saturday
On the Gampania, they must leave Wash
1ngton Friday, 80 that only two days are
Washington.
not finally and definitely concluded upon
line of policy respecting the Philip
pines-whether they shall be retained or
at the time Of the signature of the proto-
col TO acquire nothing more than a COAL
ing station, or perhaps naval station at
most, in the Philippines.
From the many inquiries he has made
of public men, and from the notice he mas
taken of the attitude assumed towards
it is Inferred that he is still open to- con,
vict.on as to the best line of policy to be
pursued, and it Is probable that his prin-
cipal purpose In calling the cabinet meet
ing today was TO gather from the MEM
bers their personal opinions which are
supposed to be freshly acquired from con-
tact with the people where they have
been. as IN the case of Secretary Long
and others paying visits to their native
States.
One elemen In the Cabinet is disposed
to postpone the final decision on the
future of the Philippines, arguing that
the matter might safely be left TO the
discretion of the Peace Commissioners,
and pointing our that lmportsnt develop
Ineats changing the whole aspect Of the
question could fairly be expected before
the joint commission had taken up the
subject for consideration.
It Is the present disposition to refrain
from publishing Instructions to the Peace
Commissioners so It is probable that only
ti1e most general idea will be permit
ted to leak cut. This course Is regarded
AS absolutely essential in order to pre-
vent the Spanish Commissioners from
obtaining an advantage Ia the pegotta-
fiona
The ofacials at the War and Navy De-
pArtmenHs profes sto feel more confidence
Than they haye heretofore expressed re-