The Lamar register., 1898-06-22
ARE HARD TO SUIT.
PRESIDENTS ADVISORS pisA-
GREE.
General ariis. Disappross, of Big Camp
At Fsrnandina-oP oPposiiion to General
copplnEer- Expedition 20 spain.

"A good deal Il confusion also, and
President Mckinley has learned by eN-
Irrience. He Is man OF abundant
caution. and while he may H. too de
liberate TO suit many people he takes
the advice OF Davy Crockett and )
sure he IS right before he gots ahead.
For that reason be summoned General
Miles from Tampa. much against the
latter's wishes. although the general
should consider Il q compliment 20 t.e
called gOu miles back TO talk with his
commau4ler-in-chief As stated In
these dispatches last night, nothing has
bcen definitely determined about the
expedition TO Porto Rico. The sscrc-
tary of war aud his sutlor,linate~ had
formed a pretty plan. with all details,
but the President declined 10 appnuye
Il until be had consulted General Miles
The latter arrived this morning In his
private ear, with iis porcelain hath
tub and other luxurious nppurteuances
that have been the cause OF criticism
and comment. but instead Of settling
the open question In sIs-sssiy manner
he threw the whole game In eonfuslOn
and upset the calculations Of the resi
of the department By the objections he
raised To- their plans
There has been n guod deal af frie-
tion tctwecn General Miles and ihe
secretary Of war from the beginning.
aS | have frequently stated In these
dispatches. aud there WAS never more
than at present. The Alger plan In
brief Is 20 moboliEe .OHu or 5000
troops AZ FeruaRdinn. Florida aud ship
them 10 Porlo Rico from thar point nn,
der command Of Major General Cop
pinscr.
In the first place. there has been con
Is
n foreigner: he is not a graduate %
West Point: he was not n cfttzen Of the
United States until be became hriga-
der general and even then tuck out
naturalization papers ouly for The pur-
pose uf joining the Lnyal Legion; be
Is a Catholic. and II l. argued he
should not be sent In command Of
troops to a Catholic country like Porte
Rico. But Gencril Coppinger has
strong friends, who conirnd that the
objections raised contain the very h.~i
reasons why he should be selected He
has the strong hacking Of General
Miles and AdJutau, General Corbin.
and, although when he was appointed
a brigadier general four or FIVE years
ago. he did not stand very high prOfcs-
sionally. II Is claimed ai the War De
partment no man in the list Of depart.
ment commanders has made better
record than he. /, Is almost eertain
thar the President win Accept the rt-c-
concentrations OF Miles and Corhin and
let Coppinger lead the Porto Rscan cx-
pedition.
General Miles. however, win not al
low himself to be drawn into the rail-
road fight, and has made a rccoiDinen-
dntion which. although II upSeis the
plans Of the War Department. seems
Il.
oInmends thar the troops and supplies
now at Tampa be shipped from that
place, where temporary facilities have
been provided and the experience OF
the Cuban expedition has taught many
valuable lessons He sees no reason
why these facilities should be aban
doned and the troops and supplies
transferred TO another point simply FOR
the purpose OF loading them on trans
ports He suggests that the troops and
supplies AZ Jacksonville De started
from Fernandina. those at Chickamau-
ga from Brunswick and those at
Washington from Newport News or
Baltimore or equally convenient ports.
General Miles nrgues that il i use
less expense to take troops out Of one
camp and establish them in another
unless they are to remain permanent
Is AT the second place. Nothing can be
gnined. for example. In taking troops
from Chickamauga 10 Fernandina and
allowing them TO remain there until
they are ready to go to sea. He urges
that they be retained al Chickamauga
until the transports are ready to re-
ceiye them. so that they can march
aboard from the cars as soon as they
arrive. Nor does he see any advantage
in sending the entire expedition from a
single place. II will save n long and
expensive journey TO ship the troops
now at Washington from Newport
News or Baltimore instead of taking
them to Fernandina or Tampa, and nj
either OF the former places better IA
ciIities exist for handling men, live
stock and supplies.
General Miles has been spending the
afternoon trying to convince Secretary
Alser of the advantages of his plan.
The President and Cabinet regard IL
very fayorably and it win probably be
adopted.
There Is no intention of sending a
feet across the sea. The matter has
not even been seriously considered.
Several persons have suggested at DIFF
ferent times that IT would be a good
idea to lombard Cadiz or some other
of the Spanish ports. The capture Of
the Canary islands has also been adj
..