Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-06-25
sHAFTER HAS NOT REPORTED.
He Is Living Up to His Reputation of
Fighting More Than He
Talks,

WASHINGTON, June 24.-No official news
came to the war department during Office
hours from our army near Santiago. This
was cause for mild surprise at the depart
ment, as General Shafter has a cable at
his command, and it was expected he would
report the measure of success he had at
tained in the debarkation of his army on
Cuban soil and the beginning of operations
against Santiago. However, the general
has the reputation here of being man
of deeds rather than words, and of not be-
ing given to over many official reports
Not hearing from him. the officials were
obliged to rely for informal ton entirely upon
press reports. They found these highly
satisfactory. Secretary Alger expressed
particular qualification at the news that
the troops had reached point within sew
en- miles of Morro castle without encoun-
tering serious resistance. The direction
taken by the troops after their landing at
Notwithstanding generally westward-is
taken in some quarters here to indicate Il
purpose to unite with SIMPSONS fleet ind
an attack on MORO castle and the other
forts at the entrance of Santiago harbor
before turning their attention to the town
itself. Once the fort is captured, Sampson,
with small boats. could remove the mines,
and If. as reported. the Merrimac does not
completely obstruct the channel some of
the battleships may be sent in to deal
with Cerveras squadron in its last resort.
Something of this kind is believed TO be
necessary in order to relieve our troops
from the fire of the Spanish fleet when
they attack Santiago directly. One or two
of the battleships, supplemented by few
torpedo boats. could be relied upon to keep
led hat
he would have no time to get to the troops
attacking Santiago from the rear
With great satisfaction the navy depart
ment to-day published SIMPSONS state
ment that Hobson and his men are Well
and are not in the line of fire. 1t was also
noted that Sampson linda no difficulty in
having his flag of truce respected. which
is gratifying. in view of the statement COM
ing from Havana some days ago that there
was to be a lapse into barbarism through
the refusal of the Spaniards to recognize
flags of truce.
Admiral Sampson is now in constant and
practically immediate cable communication
with the navy department. Six dispatches
We're received in rapid succession through
the early hours of this morning, the last
bringing the situation up to u o'clock
last night. They showed that only a half
hour elapsed between the filing of the mes
sage by the admiral and the receipt of il
in Washington. so that the authorities here
are now assured of being only an half
hour behind the actual developments at the
scene of action.
The only message bearing on the general
situation was one in which Admiral Samp-
son said that, under flag OF truce he
learned that Hobson and his men were well
and had been removed from MORO castle
to the city of Santiago. four miles distant.
. This lifted weight of anxiety as to
the condition of this brave band of heroes
for since the recent bombardment, in
which Morro suffered somewhat, there has