The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-03

Washington, June 1,-F'Or the first
lime since The beginning OF hostilities,
tther-e appears to be something in the
mature Of an official statement eff plan
hof campaign Of the United States gov
.ernment. This is contained in a letter
aof Secretary Alger to the speaker OF
nhe house, transmitting certain recon-
-nenda atoms and statemnts of General
Ludlow which disclosed the purpose of
7the war department to send TO-
coo men 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 establishing electrical cOmmunica-
fions in connection with the army lin
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines"
showing for the first time officially az
iunrlied intention on the part of the gov
ernment to land troops in Porto Rico.
OF course all these moves have been
anticipated by the press, but neverthe-
less a strong element of doubt existed
and therefore, the official statement
of the governments purposes, made
even in this indirect fashion, created
WrOfOund sensation here. The three
are to go together, Cuba, Porto Rico
and the Philippines, and pass into the
ammilitary occupation of the UTlted
" State troops.
InaSmuch as the secretary says that
the second contingent of troops Is to
go forward as 500 as they can he pre-
pared much interest is attached to
an order that was made today at the
war department providing for the or
GanizatiOn Of the $4,000 additional WOl-
unteeFs called for. The order offlclally
established tine statement heretofore
made in these dispatches that a large
proportion of the new men are to be
used to fiji up the existing regiments
OF volunteers which are in most cases
deficient i'm numbers. 1t is to be pre-
SImed from t0day'S order that the VOL
1Inteer regiments collected under the
first call will be detained until they are
filled up in this fashion so that the or
der has some bearing upon the plan of
campaign.
The war department received dis
match today from General Brooke, IN
command Of the forces at Chickamau-
ga. setting at rest the reports as to in
adequate food and water supply there.
When these reports were circulated re-
Gently Secretary Alger telegrapheC
an inquiry to General Brooke, whose
reply is as follows:
There is no reason whatever for
+COlnrJIalnI as 10 Ile QudllIy dllu fAIllu
of food furnished the troops in this
camp. Some regulars arrived here
with food ratiOns only, but defects of
this kind are quickly remedied and the
vegetable component Immediately pro-
vided The wafer question is being
solved as to quantity, and it has al
ways been good as to quality
The naval officials have been con-
sideraDly mysti1ied throughout the
day by the reports of an engagement
off Santiago. At the outset there w rs
complete sceptiCism and a disposition
to treat the reported action as a myth
Gradually as the day advanced the
COrrObOratiVe eVidE nee coming from
many quarters, Including the official
announcements from Havana and
Madrid. led the crFcials to cOncede
that sons engagement has taken place
although they did not regard it as a
serious one No bulletins were issued
by the de Oartment during the day and
at the close of office hours it was stat
ed that ID dispatches from CommO-
.dOre Schley had been received during
the day. Shere is reason to believe
however, that the department received
indirect adv4ceS through the state de-
,-paftment, psSSibly not pearing out the
rpress dispatches, but sufficient to indi-
cate that an engagement of some kind
had occurred at Santiago. The i'm
.-press4on obtan4ad during the aft ernoor
that, in eXecuE.On of the general IN
+structions to al United States uava
commanders on the Cuban tooast tc
prevent the construction or strength
aning of batteries by the Spania rds
Commodore SChles, observing work OF