New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-22
no PORTO RICO INVASION.
THE CAPTURE OF THE ISLAND SAID To
BE REMOVED FROM IMMEDIATE
CONSIDERA rION.


Shafter's army from diseases indigenous tc
Cuban soil is exceedingly high the Presidents
desire for the prosecution Of a genera! aggres-
sive canpaign throughout the entire island OF
Cuba may be promptly entered upon the mo-
ment Santiago is captured
The suggestion of a Porto Rican campaign to
precede the invasion Of Cuba was Put ior'h
more than a month ago before Admiral Samp-
son holnbarded san Juan. AID pending the uh-
certainty regarding the destination o' OerNerA
SQUADRON. then several weeks at sea from Cape
Vcrd. The unexpected difficulties me' win !"
organizing the great volunteer army needed TOT
the Cuban campaign together with the urgent
warning delivered by medical experts against
the advIeability Of exposing raw, unacclimat'i
recruits 10 the uestilontial climate Of havana
and the surrounding country. where the piocN
ade conditions were presumed to he uhuSua'S
favorable 20 devastating scourge of ye"o"
fever. together with the comparative saiupHy
OF Porto Rico and tho relatively small Span'a"
force holding that island. worked strongly !"
bring about the approval Of the sch'me 10 o'-
tain control Of IL as a war neceSsly' l"' Nv
sirab HE Diplomatic point supposed 70 he gained
through actual occupation before SpaH Oo"'"
sue for peace in Difference to strong pressure
IN that direction which il was well '-nown was
hoirc excried at Madrid gave no hte weight
70 the project and preparations for It's accom-
plshment went forward so energedcaIy tha''
even after Ccrvera had shut hifnse1 UP d'
Santiago and poth Cohli"'"".o - my
mral Sampson had confessed ''a' a.. .,
10 eject him would prove futile without the CO.
operation Of an army corps. the PoIio N'ca"
enterprise was not abandoned, but was tempo
rarllv pushed aside boy the more imperative
necessity Of sending General Shafter 10 H""-
tiago as expeditiousy as possible.
.f1 Hllr
ranna las, week before many oiliclals In Wash
,rr,o, I'm tho absence Of any countermandins
% tho original orders for moblzlng the Porto
Rican expedition. again took up its details and
,,oro hurrvinc tho preparations along On tho
or,~i,al limos whom General Niles returned ana
corrincod the highest authorities that the best
-, military reasons existed for concentrating
-. ,o.,.,,,cs - the Governments for the time
no,r, o, loast upon the support u General
c,,et.r y,hoso coropalen was ~ more hazard
,,s nature han had been generally appreciated.
No,withsiandine the excellent equipment ana
the trained forces which had been PROVIDED IN
his army CORPS the fact that l'.W" men were
70 be landed IN strange country IN the race
of much more numerous force whose 'A"'
strength could only boz estimated. Viii probably
proye the crucial event = ihe whole war. Is
eucress may hc expected 10 result 70 spain
,r.,,,, -c,liza,.o, ~ the futiity u further re-
/ sts.,r,e ,,hre a serious reverse even = a
s's'ah''' "i..' - - ,..t.,,,,ol, n-olons
',"I ''"'' ''"' ,.,
tho duTail"h "4 H'S'''''''
/ popTo RICO NOT OF STRATEGIC lNFcK-
IAN1E
~. .h ,..,,oi ,ossesslon n, Porto
Inc "'"S''" ''''' '' ,.. e., a.
Rico constituted any Na''' "''""''H ,
international! law point Was sPee'"S ''''''''
hv the citation ~ prcccdcnts. the most recent
, .,. ...,,,t. .,,tor .,. Ianan ~ For
"l V''' '''''H ''' ,.,...h ,h
mosa a. the treaty ~ 9inN'i'-'H' "''"'"h" '
island was IN possession q China a. the close ~
+, - oieo made evident that the
me wal. 81 ..,o..,,, .,b,cb
United states haa aos''"'e Jus '''-'''
could not be comhh't"d "y heu''"'S' -'' 'N''
the surrender of Porto Rico by spain as an IN
s,i,, AGAINST mart Of the cost of the war.
"''''' ,..,,,. o,rccd.d that
especially as u was unlNefSANy ''"''''' ''''
this Government already had the power o'
o-o,tuall, dictatirc the terms of peace In
. ..n.,,atlo argu-oent
TACT u ih'I' 'N'a''" any O..
FOR running the risk Il sacrncing HcneraI H"dl-
ter FOR The. ACQUISITION Of Porto Rico. al present
'' ~, .,...,, o,,,..,,, ln tho war il
an a''s"'" "'' "'+"N ..... .a,,,,,. r,o,ch,
has yet 10 "e ,'' ''' .,''' neIcals and
,oys ~ 49,, - tno Dploma,ic CORPS in Washing
:, non. a,,,o,re ~ De conclusively settled
,,o, M ,,,tbor attention Will hc paid TO Porto
rtco for tho rrosout unless it develops a strate-
;o t,,,c-,arc. utterly unrec1gnlzod at the pres
eut time
Tho eject of General Mics I,n"ouS ,,ciea
soniau ms 'i Ine u'H,"' ,,i',o,. ~ General
G,'n , r,, ar, r.id.nt on ain sides The
decision TO send Al least one regiment Of volrn-
teers on III" iast auNl.l"is - 'i"f,' ti = ,,'
-Ir"I''it -, tt,,.,.I - ra-y dovs later and an
,h. Ir,ea1. from Carlp Alger during the en-
suing week. are fair instances ~ the success OF
his 'nGauona me II'S'ucHt Hu.n"' ~ .~' . =
him to-day - send Two D!t~"H'' ~" -, ,1 t
naval auNiAarlrs As qIl."i' "S ~ .n or
made ready 20 sail ana ID .ois''la,n,r me ~ '.'
Massac lus''d VII az ', - - c,',rio,.
rD., nd 81 .