The Portland daily press., 1898-06-20
WAR LEADERS IN COUNCIL.
The President and His Advisers Make
Plans of Campaign.

Washington, June 1S.-The original
plan of campaign for the conduct of
the war against Spain will be adhered to
ana will be pushed with vigor and ener-
gy That decision was reached at a war
council held at the White House today
at which were present President McKin-
.ey' Secretary Alger and Secretary Long,
Gen' Miles. Assistant Secretary Meikle-
Jonh, Admiral Sicard and Capt. Mahan.
~ course there will be some slight modi-
1ioa1lons made necessary by The changes
unat nave occurred since the beginning
Oh hostlllties, but these will not effect the
general plan OF operations. Gen. Miles
returned from Florida with q store of
information that will be freely ayailed Of
60 correct the defects in the present sys-
tenn that experience has deye1oped.
The stories that there has been friction
between Gen. Miles and his official su
periors are pronounced to be absurd by
all concerned and today's proceedings
gave ample evidence of the fact that the
| utmost harmony characterlzes the rela-
tions between the chief executive and the
military branch of the government. The
official declaration that the campaign is
! to be rushed with vigor, does not neces-
sarily mean an immediate attack upon
Havana, although such advice has been
LII uObS Juettu tlltU Uu6 NcTy
best efforts are to be put forward to put
the army in condition where it can be
used with overwhelming effect at any
poinG at almost a moments S notice. 10
ms end the troops now in camp are to be
thoroughly trained and hardened, and
When they leave the United States, their
equipment will be the best q soldier can
have, fit for any season. With such an
army at command, numbering no less
than one hundred thousand, the fate of
Havana cannot long remain in doubt
when once this army is hurled upon it.
Meanwhile, the smaller expeditionary
movements are to go forward uninter-
ruptedly. When Santiago is captured, the
trained regulars who do the work there
will be pushed on to Porto Rico, If all.
or most of them are needed for this ex-
pedition, then the provisional force''
referred to by Gen. Shaftar in his report,
will probably be despatched Immediately
from the United States to garrison Santi-
go and to relieve the regulars.
Word came to the navy department
through the agency of the state depart
ment that the Spanish Cadiz fleet was
still headed eastward today. The basis
of the report is not known, but it is
probably the statement of the skipper of
some merchant vessel, which has passed
the squadron, for the ships have long
since escaped the range of observation
of the lockout at Gibraltar. All reports
relative to the movements of this squad
ron are received by the naval officials
subject to confirmation for experience
has taught them that the Spanish are
freely availing themselves of the rather
puerile device of sending out numerous
false reports of naval movements, in the
hope to mislead our campaign directors.
1t may turn out that this last report was
unfounded and that the squadron re-
versed its couse after nightfal1.
No confirmation has reached here of
the report from Spanish sources that the
Spanish food laden steamer Purisiana
Conception, has managed to slip into
Manzanillo. Cuba and if this should
turn out to be the case, there is strong
disposition to hold somebody accountable.
Secretary Long, when questioned as
to the probable date of arrival of the first
Philippine expedition said onight: sit
is likely to reach there any day now. I
should think tomorrow. -
Asked when word of the landing of the
Santiago expedition might be received,
his reply was: Possibly tomorrow
afternoon; probably Monday morning."