The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-24
MGER TELLS HOW HE DID 1T.
STORY OF THE RETURN OF THE
PRISONERS TO SPAIN.


coIyeSton-AIGer slept With the
oucstion and Had bright
rbought in the MOrning-It Was to
s.nd the Captured Army to
spain.
zrssbington, July 23.-Secretary Acger
-. ,,vavs felt a pardonable pride in the
.ca.s With which the war department
MET the tremendous problem thrust upon
=, t,. the necess " with which it was sud
dsr., confronted duricg the war with
.,,ir al suddenly disposing of the thou
.,nfs of Spanish prisoners captured in
s,r,,aeo province. The history OF that
,r,s has mol been fully told, and it re-
,,aiued for Secretary Alger to-day to sup
nh. the need, by the following bit of remi-
risceHce:
.Ou the night of July 9, 1898, the Presi-
don't asked me what, in my judgment, We
-,,1d do with the Spanish prisoners Of
Santiago after their capture The mater
t.5 received very much thought from the
PRESIDENT and myself, but no definite con-
.,,sian had been reached. l then suggest
.o the President that Galveston, Tex,
o-,5l3 he the best place in the United
s,srss in my judgment. where we could
..r4 Them; that it was away from the
csas.-lIne travel; a good harhor; that lhere
would he plenty of room for camping
,b.m and that its climate would be as
r.s,ly similar 10 hat of Santiago as W
could probably select This seemed 10 met
hi. APPROVAL as il was only a question Of
time. of course, when their capture would
b. effected.
How the Thought Came.
81 went to my home, as nearly as I can
remember, about o'clock in the morning,
and being too tired to sleep. I lay awake
for awhile. but finally dozed off. 1 awoke
AT daybreak, and my first thought was
concerning the Spanish prisoners and the
new idea came into my mind, why not
send them back to Spain?' This thought
impressed me so deeply that l formulated
nv plan. and on the morning of July 10,
instead of going TO the war department
direct went TO the White House and
lai5 the new plan before the President,
saving that ii would be an unprecedented
procedure and a most gracious act; that 10
snip the prisoners 10 Galveston would be
half the distance; that we should have to
t'Othe shelter, guard ana Ie6N lHeHl there,
and. no doubt have to ship them back to
Spain i'm the end. l also stated that be-
Heyed that il would be a great inducemenC
10 the Spaniards to surrender, which Gen.
Shafter afterwards assured me was the
effect.
The Correspondence.
The President readily approved the
plan. and on the same day l cabled Gen.
Shafter follows:
Gen. Shafter, Playa del Este, Santiago,
Cuba: should the Spaniards surrender
Internationally and wish to return 10
Spain, they will be sent back direct at the
expense of the United States government.
r. A. Alger, Secretary of War;
Upon receiving this, on the 18th of July,
Gen, Shafter sent the following communi-
cation to the commander-in-chief of the
Spanish forces:
Headquarters Fifth Army Corps,
Camp near Santiago de Cuba, July IL,
1S98-Sir. With the largely increased
forces which have come to me, and the
fact that 1 have your line of retreat Sc
curely in my hands, the time seems fit
ting that ! should again demand of your
eXcelency the surrender of Santiago and
OF your eXcellency's army. l am author
lied to state that should your eXceHency
So desire the government Of the United
States will transport the entire command
Of your excelency to Spain. I have the
honor TO be- very respectfully your ODE
dent servant William R. Shafter,
" Major General Commanding.
The commander replied as follows:
Santiago de Cuba, July II, 1S9S.-Sir:
have the honor 10 advise your eminence
that your communication of this date is
received and, in reply desire to confirm
that which l said in my former communi-
cation; also 10 advise you that l have
communicated your proposition to the
genera-in-chef.
'Reiterating my sentiments 1 am, very
respectfully, your servant, Jose Toral,
'Commander-ln-C Chief Fourth Corps, and
Military Governor of Santiago"
Return of the Spaniards.
Immediately upon the surrender, steps
We're taken to carry out the pledges of
the United States government TO ship The
Spahlards home. The quartermasters de-
partment Immediately advertised for bids
TO transport the prisoners to Spain, with
the result that eight of the ocean trans
portation companies submitted a combined
oid, which was, for officers $40 and for
ENLISTED men $50 per capita, steamers to
DE dispatched from Santiago within forty
eight hours of their reported arrival, or
Hemurrage to be paid at the rate of 60
cents per capita per day, the same de-
Inurrage to be paid If steamers should be
detained a place of debarkation by quar-
spanish Transatlantic Company's bid
Was S55 per capita for officers
aud $40 for enlisted men, with no demur
rage The Spanish company's offer was
accepted
Inc rations for The prisoners were in
Spected by United States government Of
l-.aL and this government paid for the
transportation of all the prisoners $513,S60.
me same number carried by the other
companies under their bid would have cost
coe government S1,3l2,9l5 Here was $780,
saved to the United States, and prob
'os as much more in demurrage.
some days after this contract was
awarded. the President said 10 me as 1
uttered the cabinet room, Mr.. Secretary,
%yu'a YOU like 10 hear something favor
T Tole 10 YOU printed in the New York
lures and went on to read the editorial
5i''N. &, complimentary to the man
"I"Se mind had originated the plan of
a"sportng the Spaniards back 10 Spain"
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