The record-union., 1898-06-30
Attack to be Made Without Waiting
for Rsinfuroements.
Shafter Anxious 10 Begin Operations Before
Large Spanish FeEes Now ef the
Way to Santiago Reach
4.
Their Destination.

WASHINGTON, June 29.-The opin-
ion prevails here that within a day or
two at the most General Shafter will
have begun his attack upon the City of
Santiago proper. The Important event
of the day. was the Generals announce
ment that he, could take the city, in
forty -eight hours, blIt.sat considerable
loss Taken in connections with the an
nouncement contained III another dis
patch that he is going to attack without
waiting reinforcements, II viii be eseen
that the officials have ground for their
expectation that the first general en-
gagement 1of the war will begin in a
very short time.
Numerically. the opposing armies are
not very different, the estimate of the
Spanish force being placed at 1900
men, thoroughly intrenched and behind
barbed wire fences and blockhouses, as
against about 1900 men under Shat
ter's command, aided by 1900 Cubans
One of the gravest elements in the prob
lem, however, is the Spanish warships
by Sampson. who might engage the full
attention Of the Spanish shipz,s their fire
on the American advance would be very
hard to meet
The military authorities here say that
Generla Linares has shown great rpili-
tary tactics in slowly retiring during
the last few. days, as he has gradually
drawn our troops from the protection
of the American ships, and brought
them close to the ffre-of the Spanish
ships in Santiago Harbor For this
reason 1t was with relief that the an
nouncement was received here that
Shafter had succeeded in landing all of
his artillery, including his siege train,
for unless Sampson can be relied upon
to force his way into the harbor. and
attack the Spanish. ships, the siege guns
planted on nights commanding the bay
Will be the main reliance of General
Shafter in offsetting the presence of the
Spanish ironcads.
! Undoubtedly Shafter- is animated to
attack as. soon as possible by his
knowledge of the approach of the REIN
forcements for Linares from Manzanil-
10, for. with this additional force, Shaf-
ter's position would be disagreeable,
il not perilous, at least until he had re-
ceived reinforcements.
The War Department received the
first definite news to-day as to the ap-
proach of these Spanish reinforcements.
This was in an official dispatch, stat
ing that 5000 men, with pack trains
and droves Of animals, were advanc-
ing from Manzanillo, and were fifty
four miles from Santiago 1t has been
known through reports from Lieutenant
Joyce, made to General Miles. that the
Spaniards have 1900 men at Manzan-
lilo and 10000 at Hoiguin. and every
against their advance from either quar-
ter. The official report to-day showed
that 5000 of those at Manzanillo had
covered half the distance to Santiago
and it is the belief Of military officials
here that General Pando is making
similar advance with his 10000 men
from Holquin
These advances, now practically un-
opposed, are regarded as one Of the
most serious elements of the situation.
There is the further element to which
the military authorities are giving
careful attention, that one man in
trenched behind earthworks or in rifle
pits is worth three men in the open. 1t
is said that the battles OF Chancellors-
vile and Spottsylvania afforded the
most direct proof on this point
1t was announced at the War Depart
ment that by their reports 1900 SOL
diers should be leaving Tampa to-day
to join Shafter. They will be three or
four days on the voyage, and it is prob
able that 1t is this force that General
Shafter refers to as likely to arrive too
late for action.
The Navy Departments to-day gave
out q message froms Admiral i. Dewey,
which was brought to Hongkong by the
McCulloch. 80 that It Unjust have left
Cavite on the 23d. The Admiral made
no reference to the banding Of German
marines, and the sofllcials here are sat-
isfied that Germnay is acting in good
faith and according t. the rules Of neu-
trality. -
The report that the Egyptian Gov
ernment had finally refused to coal