The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-02
Washington Bureau. st. Paul Globe,
Cor -rqn Building.

Special to The st. Paul Globe.
WASHINGTON, June Cuba, Por-
to Rico and the Philippines are to be
Americas spoil when the war is over.
The two islands in the West Indies are
to be invaded in force at once, and the
country won by Dewey is to be held
at all hazards.
The semi-official announcement of
this programme was the sensation of
the day in Washington. Even the
runners of a battle off Santiago sank
to second place in the popular interest.
For days it has been plain that the
administration was drifting to a posi-
ton where it would find it necessary to
invade Cuba and Porto Rico with the
intention of holding them for a time
has been no statement, official or un-
official, as to the plans of the presi-
dent.
POLICY OF CONQUEST.
Today, indirectly, the policy of the
war officials was made public in a let
ter sent to the speaker of the house,
accompanying estimates for war ex-
penditures.
The estimates were hardly less sig
nificant than the letter of the secretary
of war. Included were items for estab-
fishing and maintaining communica-
ton with the armies in Cuba, Porto
Rice and the Philippines, this being the
fT ! official intimation that Porto Rico
t to be invaded.
The chief consideration which has
held the president back from taking
Porto Rico has been a dread of the ac-
cusation that this country was enter
.Tig ,.spoa a career of territorial aggran-
dizement under cover of waging
moral war for Cuban liberty. Now
that he has discovered how quietly this
country and Europe take the idea of
our acquiring more territory, his COM
FUNCTIONS are giving away.
1t has been impressed upon him re-
Gently that, now that we have gone
into the business of driving Spain out
of Cuba for the sake of putting an end
to a great source of political agitation
which has kept congress stirred up for
the last seventy-five years, we had bet
ter make our work complete while we
are about it, and sweep this disturb
Ing element out Of our hemisphere al
together.
AFTER PORTO RICO.
Porto Rico has thus far, it is true,
given little trouble either to the
mother country or to us, but it is urged
that with Cuba left to govern itself,
Porto Rico will soon be demanding
something of the same sort, just as the
demand for independence in Cuba ac-
quired its strongest inspiration from
the independence obtained by the Span
ish colonies on the mainland. Rather
than see Porto Rico become in turn the
diplomatic and political fever sore that
Cuba has been, and possibly involve a
later generation of Americans in an
other war with Spain, it is urged that
we ought now to wipe out the last YES
tige of Spanish rule anywhere In the
West Indies.
This argument seems to have appeal
ed to the president when the original
demand for the capture of Porto Rico.
as mere prudential war measure, had
failed
Regarding the movement against
Cuba, Secretary Alger, in his letter,
gives some definite information. The
army of occupation is to comprise 70, @
men. Of these 10000 are to be hurried to
the island at once, and more will fol-
low to reinforce them at the earliest
possible moment.
NO OFFICIAL NEWS.
No official news regarding the en-
gagement at Santiago has been re-
ceived up to a late hour tonight Ma
val officials are, however, not so skep-
tical now as they were earlier. 1t Is
not believed that a serious engagement
has been precipitated, but the amount