Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-07-27
ALGER CONGO WE'D THE IDEA.
une Achievements of Which the Re-
Aring Secretary of Wa- is
Justly Proud.

paTtment met the IfeHleHa''tS oiot'-
+ lem thrust upon it by the neces-
sity with which it was confronted dur
in. the war with Spain of St'idenlyd s.
! posing of thousands of Spanish pris-
oners captured in Santiago province.
! The history of that time has not been
fully told, and it remained for Secre-
/ ta-y AIger TO supply the nced by the
! following bit of "Reminiscences:
'-On the night of July 8, 1898, the
! president asked me what, in my jud@-
ment. we should do with the Spanish
! prisoners of Santiago after their cap
! ture. The matter had received very
mucl. thought from the president and
myself. but no definite conclusion had
been reached. / then suggested TO the
| president that Galveston, Tex. would
! he the best place in the United states,
! in nv Judgment. where We could scii,t
| them, that it was away from the coast
| line travel: a good harbor; that there
| would be plenty of room for camping
| them. and that its climate would be
as nearly similar to that of Santiago
as we could probably select. This
seemed to meet his approval, as it was
| only a question of time, of course.
| WHEN their capture would be c:;rc;:u.
| l went to my home. as nearly as l can
| remember, about two o'clock in the
morning. and being TOO tired to sleep.
| l lay awake for awhile, but finally
! doxed off. / awoke at daybreak, and
| my first thought was concerning the
| Spanish prisoners, and the new idea
| came into my head Why not send
! them back TO Spain?' This thought go
| deeply impressed me that | formulated
! my plan. and on the morning of July
/ 10. instead of going to the department
! direct. | went to the White House and
laid the new plan before the president,
saving that it would be an umprcce-
dented procedure and a most gracious
act: that to transport the prisoners
| to Galveston would be half the dis
tarce; that we should have to clothe.
shelter, guard and feed them there.
and no doubt have to ship them back
to Srain in the end. | also stated hat
/ believed that it would be a great
inducement to the Spaniards to sur
render. which Gen. Shafter afterwartI
assured me was the effect. The presi-
dent readily approved the plan. and on
the same day l cabled Gen. Shafter az
follows:
WAR Department, July 10, 1898.
"'Gen. Shafter, Playa del Este, San
tiago de Cuba:
Should the Spania. DIS surrender
Internationally and wish to return &c
Spain. they will be sent back at the
expense of the United States govern
ment.
*. y. ALGER, Secretary of War
Upon receiving this, on the 18th al
July. Gen. Shafter sent the following
communication to the commandments
chief OF the Spanish forces:
Headquarters of the Seventh
Army Corps. Camp near Santiago lie
Cuba, July II, 1898:
'Sir-With the largely increased
forces which have come to me. anC
the fact that L have your line of re-
treat securely in my hands, the time
seems fitting that / should again de
mand of your eNcellency the surren.
der of Santiago, and of your excel
lency's army. / am authorized tC
state that should your eNcellency -
desire, the government of the United
States will transport the entire com
mand of your eXcellency to Spain.
81 have the honor to be, very re-
spectfully, your obedient servant,
"'WM. r. SKATER,
'Maior-General Commanding.'
To which the commander replied as
follows:
Santiago de Cuba, July IL, 1895.
Sir have the honor to advise
your eminence that your communica.
ton of this date is received, and IN re.
ply desire TO confirm that which / SAID
in my former communication; also to
advise you that I have communicated
your proposition to the general-in-
chief
'Reiterating my sentiment, I an
very respectfully, your servant.
JOSE TORAL,
"'CommanGer in Chief Fourth Corps
and Military Governor of Santiago,
Immediately upon the surrender
steps were taken to carry out the |
pledges of the United States govern |
ment to ship the Spaniards home. The
quartermaster's department immedi :
ately advertised for bids to transport
the prisoners to Spain, with the result
that eight of the ocean transports sut- /
mitted a combined bid, which was, fo1 |
officers S110. and for enlisted men SIS !
per capita. steamers to be dispatched |
from Santiago de Cuba within As hours |
of their reported arrival, or demurrage
to be paits at the rate of &C .
cents per capita per day, same
demurrage to be paid if steam
ers be detained at place of de-
barkation by quarantine or other
causes. The Spanish transatlantic
Co.'S bid was S55 per capita for of
fcers, and S2s for enlisted, with no de
murrage. The Spanish company's of
fer was accepted. The rations for the
prisoners were inspected by a United
States government official, and this
government paid for transportation o!
all the prisoners, S513,S60
Under other bids it would have cost
MES under their bid would have cost
the government $1,312,915. Here was
100000 saved to the United States,
and probably as much more in de-
murrage.
''Some days after this contract was
awarded, the president said to me az
I entered the cabinet room:
Mr.. Secretary, would you like tc
hear something favorable to you,
pointing to the New York Iimes?' and
went on to read the editorial comment
complimentary to the man whose mind
the plan of transporting the
Spaniards back to SPAIN