The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-21
ACOMPLETE EXPEDITION.
Will Accompany Major General
Miles to Porto Rico.
TO TRANSPORT THE sPAN1ARDs.

The War Department Awards the Con
tract to the Spanish Transatlanti
Company-It VIII Cost the Govern
mont $685. 200 to Send Them to spai
Washington, July 21.-The war an
navy departments are now engage
in making all Of the arrangements TO
the dispatch Of the Porto Rican expedi
ton and Watson's eastern squadron
There has occurred one of those natu
raj pauses in the progress of the cam
paign incident to the completion OF ON
get Of operations and the imitation o
another. There being no possibility O.
the receipt of news Of great battl'
or Of surrender, there was less ex'
element. less evidence of nervou!
strain than for weeks past. Genera
Miles expected departure was agar
deferred. The explanation given wal
that there was difficulty experienced
at Santiago in securing the naval con.
voy for the expedition. 1t Is known
however, in addition, that the president
himself has restrained General Miles t
the extent of abjuring him In earnest
terms not to commit the folly of start
ing for Porto Rico without the most
complete preparation.
The government has profited by the
lessons taught by the Santiago expedi.
ton. Aside from the actual loss of life
that might be expected to result from
a badly calculated start, 1t Is realized
that our relations with some Of the
European powers would be impaired,
In a small measure at least, by the ad-
verse moral effect created by anything
approaching a defeat for the Ameri-
can arms at this stage Of the war.
Therefore, 1t Is certain that, SO far as
the department can prevent, General
Miles soldiers will not run short OF
food. nor Of tents to protect them from
tie tropical rains, nor Of the means OF
transportation. that were so deficient
at the beginning of the Santiago move
ment. -s'
General Miles reported yesterday
afternoon that he had with him ten
transports, which 1t is presumed have
aboard several thousand soldiers, al
though at least two Of them are filled
with equipment. The men aboard ship
are suffering from delay. precisely as
did the soldiers who lay In Tampa bay
before the departure of the Shafter ex-
petition.
The war department was agreeably
surprised at the number and terms of
the bids received In answer to it's pro-
posals for transporting the Spaniards
now at Santiago to Cadiz. The bid
from the Spanish Transatlantic COM
pany was the most surprising OF all,
and its terms were so liberal that the
contract was promptly awarded to that
company. 1t will cost the government
s5S5,O00 to transport the prisoners.
The company agrees to carry the
prisoners from Cuban ports to Spain at
the rate Of $40 for each enlisted man
and SIS for each commissioned officer,
subsistence to be furnished by the COM
pany on the army ration basis. as pro-
vided for In the governments adver-
tisement for bids.
The award provides also that the
company shall have five ships at San
tiago on the 30th inst, two on Aug.
7 and enough to complete the trans
portation of the prisoners on Aug. q.
According to the calculations at the
navy department, Admiral Dewey's
fleet at Cavite should now be REIN
forced by the coast defense vessel
Monterey, which, with her tender and
collier, the Brutus, has now been about
20 days out from Honolulu. With the
addition Of this fine and powerful mon
itor Dewey will be amply able to take
care of himself so long as the naval
forces Of the Philippines are maintain
ing the relative proportions they now
occupy. However, the disclosure by the
state department of the lack Of foun-
dalton for the sensational stories of
strained relations with Germany has
largely abated the anxiety entertained
at the navy department as to Dewey's
position at Manila. y