The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-04
SCHLEY AND THE DONS.
IHOW THE ADMIRAL SURPRISED
 THE SPANISH DIPLOMATS.

< Negotintions in Porto Rico Which sa-
 gacity and Knowledge Helped to a
 Prompt Conclusion.
 IA dmiral Schley which formed climax 10 his thrilling work at Santiago, seems never to have been printed, although, x as a sidelight, it reveals his ability as a
 uccessful diplomat quite as much in < proportion to the opportunities as Ad-
 1nfrRl Dewey's skill in diplomacy was
 exhibited in the Philippines subsequent N to his display of naval strategy in Ma s3ntla harbor" writes a Washington cor { Byeepondent of the St. Louis Post Dis ! spatch.
 1s , It was in the closing hours of the { war between this country and Spain
 and occurred at San Juan, Porto Rico,
 during September, 1S9S about month after the battle of Santiago. Admiral 8chley, together with w. w. Gordon, of X 6hel volunteer service, and General
 John E. Brooke, of the regular army,
 were constituted a commission to go to
 Porto Rico and arrange the details for sthe evacuation of that island by the $Spaniards and the transportation of the < 3as4Qldiers of the boy king, Alfonso, to
 pain. Arriving at San Juan with
 NneTal Gordon in the early part of N btember Admiral Schley found Gen. &$4Fal Brooke with the United States 3S&p1ceg encamped at Rio Piedras, about eikht miles from San Juan
 .I<, .Np1ediately after the transport Seneca, < &Gontaining Admiral Schey and General Ssaordon had anchored in the harbor of #1San Juan It was then in order for the HA3xlited States commissioners to meet
 body of represent atives sl9K the Spanish government, and head &yYu6rters of the joint commission was SDtab bliehed at the Hotel Inglaterra in
 San Juan. It was the general impress #9iOn that the services of the interpre- %t6rs would be absolutely necessary, as Rnone of the Americans could speak sa&panisk and none of the Spaniards
 &ould speak English fluently enough to
 make Intercourse possible in one lan-
 uage
 Bs Interpreters were accordingly secured SI3Y both sides, and the sessions of the
 $ptnmission were inaugurated without
 Needless delay. All the Spaniards on
 fhe commission were decked out in
 klleir most brilliant apparel, and across Sxheir breasts were strung numerous
 medals, whether bought in the shops Sox Justly earned being the conundrum. sA1l the American commissioners wore fne uniforms of their respective branch Z SS of service and while not so gaudily
 &ttired or so resplendent with medals Ind decorations as the Spanish commits ;Stoners, they presented very imposing &nd Impressive trio of "Gringos," as the
 pAnish term the Yankees.
 W Proceedings began with the usual yG1lrt esies and exchange of formalities, 1$fid It was not long before the delibe- 'fations of the commission were under
 svay. It was observed that the Span- lSfds present were in high glee over lrAs transpiring and they chuc-
 Rled and talked to each other In the l45toAt demonstrative manner during the t8rUGGss of having their remarks trans 8lRted into English by the interpreters. l flits procedure reminded some of those | gSert of ,an Indian powwow at the
 
 6Yi3e big chief would give vent to few l
 dtttiral sounds, after which the half s6Eeed Interpreter would deliver an ora Stl6n of several minutes during which ! 1Jie would tell how much regard the h. i,
 (ians had for their great father at | !SRashington' and how earnestly they 1 9deefred to live at peace with the white 38eople of the country Such incidents s&ave been of frequent occurrence, and | l16 one ever credited an interpreter 1 {vith telling just what the Indians had 1 49&lly said.
 fo 1t was at the San Juan conference. jXpparently the Americans were at 'Sfsadvantage in their experience with i stl& willy and diplomatic Spaniards, and | |&he latter took in the situation and | Proceeded to make the most of it among Xi{emselves.' Their jabbering and gri- 'fiiaGing were utterly at variance with 3he studied efforts on the part of the | 3fiferpreters. who were adopts in the lrt of dissimulation and lying, just as Ixbe Spanish pilots were when they told !A6fi1iral Schley that it would be impos- I4fbIe. for Cervera's fleet to enter the J3s2rbor of Santiago. Amid such scenes anu 4urrOunQ1nSS CHe COHlIIiiSslolelo 'nerformed the task allotted to them; the Americans conspicuous for their dignity and composed bearing, while xkIe Spaniards chattered in evident glee. They felt perfectly safe in saying what $hey pleased to each other in the li- nuid language of their own sunny land. md seemed not in the least embar- nsssed by the gravity of the affairs 46ey were discussing,
 Among other topics they discussed in Spanfsh was the necessity for prolong- iiik negotiations in order that they might receive ample compensation for their services personally and at the eame time hold on the the customs, postal and other revenues for the ben sf1t of their "boy king" They went so lar as to fix some time in ebruary, 1899, and possibly later, for yielding control to the Gringos, and congratula- ted each other upon the success they would undoubtedly have incarrying out this prearranged program
 ssAll this time the Americans were ap- narently oblivious to the meaning of