The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 17, 1898, Page 1

IE TUESDAY, MAY 17, 1898. MERRITT IN OPE N REBELLION Declines to G ippines Wit o to the Phil-| h the Force Proposed. He Declares More Trained Regu-| lars Are Required to Capture and Hold t NEW YORK, May 16.—Major-|nis troops that are needed at the | General Wesley Merritt, who has been selected by the Government to command the expedition about to be sent to the Philippines with the purpose of completing the work begun by Rear-Admiral Dewey, and to administer the affairs of the | islands as Governor-General, has refused point blank to go with the troops which have been selected for the task of driving the Span- jards out of the archipelago, and who are expected te maintain order afterward. It is therefore a question whether | the War Department will alter its | plans or not. Should the present arrangement of sending 15,000 men, only 1000 of whom are regu- | lars, be adhered to, 1 am in a posi- tion to state that General Merritt will not be their commander. He has given the matter serious study since official announcement | as‘made that he had been chosen | for duty in the Far East, and what may be considered his ultimatum the will be presented to Secretary Alger by Colonel Robert F. Hughes, lnspectur-G:‘nsral on General Merritt’s staff, who left this city on the midnight train for Washington. It has been an open secret on Governors Isiand for days that| General Merritt does not relish the job of taking the Philippines. He was supposed to be desirous of commanding the army of invasion in Cuba, or even one that may be sent to Porto Rico. His rank, his| experience and his knowledge of | tactics were such that military men said at the beginning of the war that he would naturally re- ceive the most important command in the field. Other considerations, however, have prevented the naming of General Merritt for the | command of the troops massed at Tampa or about to be mobilized at Chickamauga. Geheral Merritt remained in charge of the Depart- ment of the East, while Generals Wade, Shafter and Brook were sent to the front, and in the De- partment of the East General Mer- ritt is likely to remain for some | time to come unless the policy that | has been pursued at Washington | since the opening of hostilities is changed. General Merritt, at his head-, quarters on Governors Island, was seen to-day and asked when he expected to start for Manila. He replied: ‘It is not settled yet whether [ am to go. I have askedl the department to furnish a suffi- cient force of trained and disci- plined troops. 1would not care to| go with a force of 15,000 men, only 1000 of whom are regulars and the others volunteers from the militia of the Northwest, Gen- eral Otis may be willing to go with less force, but | am not. The command they propose to give me is not adequate to my rank. It is | all very well for them to say that additional troops will be sent later if they are needed, but the history of all such expeditions is that after you get away these promises are notkept. The only way is to fur-| | shall | tions in Dicki..son’s he Islands. start, and from what I can learn of the situation in the Philippines have at least 5000 , as there may be no we should | trained men | time to discipline and train recruits | | after we get there. Ishall remain ll)i;' | ni right here until I learn just what the department is willing to do. My successor here has not been {arpointed, and 1 do not propose he bs tled.?? | DICKINSON NOT TO BE HONORED. WASHINGTON, May 16.—The briga- | diership is still an interesting topic of | should not leave Tampa until der It harmless. KF3op 000 06 300 100 30 06 100 00 100 K00 0 308 308 208 308 3003 0000 0N 00 U O RN X countrymen. the rate of 500 a day. FoRc-R-2-2-2-2-0+ TAMPA, Fla., May 16.—General Shafter, command, in an interview this afternoon said: ish fleet has been destroyed or so crippled as to ren- rily be governed by their conduct.” ement as to the intended departure of the troops, and it d uncertainty which has lasted for weeks. There those of Cuba better han Dr. Diaz,who is attached tothe staff e is a man of many parts—medical, doctor of divinity, Baptist He was ordered to be executed, but through the intervention Our movement must necessa This is the first official stat quite disposes of the cloud of is probably no man who knows of the commander-in-chief. H missionary and Cuban leader. of the United States escaped. versation with me to-day he drew some He estimates that since the blockade they have b Indeed, their condition at this moment is worse than ever. Those who are not hemmed In towns appease the pangs of hunger by the consumption of pine sap- lings orany substance that may be masticated- fifidfifififififififinl:!fifiufififififlfirfl:fl:fl:fifififififififidddfififid fifififififififi():1l:(fifiQl:(31i:iQt(l:(!:ifiCUZI):ififififlQflfifififlfll}fiflfifil}fififlfiflc{fiflfidfi TROOPS CANNOT INVADE CUBA UNTIL AFTER SEA CONQUEST Copyrighted, 188, by James Gordon Benne:t “We are in duty the Span mystery an There was no more popular man who during the absence of General Wade is in harrowing details of the horrible sufferings of his o bound to go to Cuba, but we in Cuba at the time. Incon- een dying from starvation at R RegeReRoReReReRaReRaPugeRegugugegugaguRegugeg=geFegeyel | that Graham destroyed any prospects that Dickinson may have had. s The positive statement is made by | one of the California delegation Who | saw the President to-day that Colone! Otis is certain to be made a brigadier. | This, notwithstanding the President's announcement some time ago that no Californian would be appointed uniess he was endorsed by the entire Califor- nia delegation. President McKinley is Ahxious to appoint Otis for personal reasons, he having served in the same with him during the war of e rebellion. 'mz\'n brigadiers will be appointed from civil life for some time, however, as the President is having difficulty in choos- them in other States than Califor- a, and it is belleved that he will dis- | pose of them all in one batch of nom- inations. It is learned to-night that General Dickinson was the tender of a staff appointment. The California delegation. without assur- ance from the President that the goods until this matter is set- | could be delivered, wired General Dick- | southern waters. | inson asking him if he would accept a position on the staff of a major-gen- | eral, and he replied that he would not. 'FIRST EXPEDITION TO DEPART THURSDAY. WASHINGTON, May 16.—It is said offered and declined | at the quartermaster-general's office that the City of Peking with over 1000 | men aboard will leave San Francisco | on Thursday for the Philippines. Brig- adier-General Otis is expected to go | with the first detachment of troops for | the Philippines to be followed later by | General Merritt, who is to be the com- | mander-in-chlef of the expedition and | the Military Governor of the islands. | General Miles has recommended to the | President that t—- additional brigadiers | will also be sent, but their names have | | not been announced. | e S | CRUISERS NEEDED ‘ a FURTHER SOUTH. WASHINGTON, May 16.—Senator | Gray add other influential men have | | made strong protests against the | cruiser Columbia and other fine war- | ships being kept on the New England | | coast, when the enemy’s ships are in | Sénator Gray had | | business with the President to-day and | called his attention to the matter. | “It is stated that these ships are kept | | on the New England coast to allay ap- | prehension,” said Senator Gray. “Well, | that is all foolishness. Here those ships | are kept on this coast when there is | not a particle of danger, while the S \ Com \ MANDER FM.SyponD® discussion here, and hundreds of tele- grams are pouring in dally. If any Cali- fornian is appointed to command a bri- gade it will be Colonel H. G. Otis of Los ‘Angeles. This is well understood in the California delegation to-night. General Dickinson has now been endorsed by the Democrats and Populists, Magulre, De Vries, Barlow and Castle. Perkins, Barham and Loud have called on the President to present numerous peti- favor, although Senator Perkins is on record as having endorsed Colonel Otis. So is White. The President sent for General Gra- ham of the regular army to-day, ques- tioned him about General Dickinson’s fitness to command a brigade, and in- quired especially about his military conduct during the Debs strikes and | riots. General Graham was stationed at the Presidio at that time, and know- ing this the President availed himself of General Graham's presence in Wash- ington to ascertain whether there was | any truth in the reports derogatory to General Dickizson’s conduct at that time. General Graham's reply, if pub- lished, would not be relished by Mr. Dickinson. It is even gossiped among Californians in Washington to-night ‘THE WARSHIPS THAT MAY FORM THE NUCLEUS FOR A SQUADRON NEAR MARTINIQUE. "OREGON" Spanish squadron is not far from southern waters. 1 do not believe anybody has any idea that the Spanish fleet would attempt to sail 3000 or 4000 miles from its present position to at- tack New England, and be without a base of supplies when it got there. While our ships remain on the New England coast, the southern coast, much nearer to the Spaniards, is un- protected. So is the coast of the mid- dle Atlantic States. Our ships should be with one or the other squadrons.” It is said that several other New England Senators take the same ground as Senator Gray. WHERE WILL CERVERA BE OVERTAKEN? Elusive Game of the Span- ish Fleet P uzzling the War Board. Blanco Needs Am munition and the Enemy’s Ships May Be Encoun- tered Trying to Run the Blockade. Call Office, Riggs House, | ‘Washington, May 16. | While a hundred minor details in | the campaign against Spain occupy the time of army and navy officials | one question continues to overshadow NEW YORK, May 16.—The Herald’s Washington correspond- ent telegraphs: Spain’s fleet in the Caribbean Sea is to be met by | a squadron consisting of the armor- clads of the United States in the North Atlantic waters. This seems to be the intention to-night of the Naval War Board, and preparations are being made to effect a junction of Rear Admiral Sampson’s fleet and the flying squadron, under command of Com- | modore Schley, with all possible dispatch. If necessary Commodore Schley, according to one official with whom I talked to-day, will join Rear Admiral Sampson on the south | coast of Cuba, in order that the southwestern section of the Amer- ican blockading squadron may be protected and to place the Ameri- can force in a strategic position to attack the Spanish fleet at what- ever point it may appear. It is CHASE OF SPAIN'S VESSELS IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA not necessary, nor.would it be| good policy, to attach the monitors to the combined fleet, and the probabilities are that these vessels will be stationed in front of Ha- vana or at Southern ports for their protection in case the Spanish squadron should attempt to bom- bard any coast city. With such a squadron as the officials contemplate forming the enemy’s fleet, if met in battle, will, it is confidently believed, be totally crushed. Rear Admiral Sampson will have under his command, it is expected, the battle-ships lowa, Indiana and Massachusetts, the second-class battle-ship Texas and the armored cruisers Brooklyn and New York. Handicapped as Rear Admiral Sampson now' is by monitors, his speed is not more than eight or nine knots. - For the reason that the fleet’s speed is- the speed of the slowest vessels the Terror and Amphitrite are being towed, be- sides endeavoring to hasten their voyage by proceeding under their own steam. With no monitors on his fleet Rear Admiral Sampson will be able to steam at a rate of twelve knots an hour and keep his squadron well together, and under forced draught may be able to reach fifteen knots. The New York and Brooklyn, with the auxiliary steamers and torpedo boats which will be attached to his force, will be able to speed at such a rate as to be able to over- haul the Spanish armored cruisers and hold them engaged until the Texas, followed by heavier ships of the line, come to their support. If the Spanish fleet is coaling, as is believed, then the operations of the board can be completed without undue haste, and the combined armor-clad squadron can be sta- tioned ata strategic position to be selected, from which 1t will strike in any direction that the enemy may make his appearance. all others. Where will Sampson find the Spanish fleet, assuming that the Spanish admiral does not avoid an encounter by running away? Opin- ion is crystallizing that the greatest naval battle of the war will be fought in the neighborhood of Havana, and in support of this theory a number of considerations are advanced. Chief among these is the entirely re- liable information received by the Navy Department several days ago that the Spanish ministry promised Blanco, at the time the blockade of Havana was proclaimed, that a fleet would be sent to raise it and to ré- lieve the beleaguered city. While a dozen conflicting reports have since been current regardingthe movements of the Spanish vessels, the Navy Department now realizes that they were dispatched to Cuban waters at the time the promise was cabled to Blanco, and it is also ap- parent that the Governor General of Cuba confidently looks forward to their arrival. Press advices from Havana received to-day emphasize this expectation, saying that the stock of shot and shell for coast de- fense has been greatly depleted in the effort to prevent the landing of parties from the American ships and in replying to the bombardment by the United States warships of the shore batteries. Admiral Cervera is said to have a large supply of am- munition for these batteries. Three important announcements were made to-dayundercircumstances which introduce an element of sus- picion in each case. Admiral Samp- son’s destination was officially given as Cienfuegos, the Spanish fleet was said to have left Willemstad, Cura- coa, for Western Cuba, and the ap- pearance of a second Spanish squad= ron off Martinique was announced. ‘Whether Sampson has actually cabled the department that he is steaming for Cienfuegos, or whether the report originates with Secretary Long and his aids, it is suspected that the strategy board has taken a leaf out of Spain’s book, and here- after may be expected to publish mis- leading statements regarding the whereabouts of American vessels. It seems hardly reasonable to suppose that the Secretary of the Navy in one breath would declare that no more information would be given out re- garding the movements of the Amer- ican fleets, and in the next would proceed to locate Sampson’s destina- tion for the benefit of the Spanish admiral. ‘While it is quite possible that the Spanish fleet has left Willemstad, it is more than likely that it is still in the immediate vicinity of Curacoa. The Navy Department has reliable advices, received through commercial resources, to the effect that the Span- ish fleet has met several colliers near Willemstad and has filled the bunk- ers of every ship, after having taken in port all the coal the strict observ- ance of neutrality would permit the harbor authorities to supply. In this connection Secretary Day had a long conference to-day with Mr. DeWeckherlin, the Netherlands Minister, in the course of which the latter gave the most satisfactory as- surances that at no time would the Spanish vessels be permitted to ob- tain contraband of war at Dutch ports in the West Indies or else- where. The report that a second Spanish fleet has been sighted off Martinique is set down at the Navy Department as a canard. Its evident purpose is to distract attention from the squad- ron in the Caribbean Sea and to cause the Navy Department to divide its forces in order to meet two fleets instead of ome. Xf this is the real purpose the device has already failed. Another grave problem confront- ing the administration is the starting of the expedition to the Philippines. The departure of the first vessel has been postponed from day to day, and although it is now officially given out that the City of Peking and the City of Sydney will start from San Fran- cisco on Thursday with about 3000 men, it would not be surprising should there bes further delay. The ‘War Department is solely responsible for this procrastination, which has demonstrated graphically how poorly prepared this Government has been to cope with even a fourth-class Eu- ropean power. It is hoped By army and navy officials to have the Aus- tralia and Centennial follow soon af- terward, the latter vessel to sail di- rect from Seattle. It is estimated that 5200 men can be conveyed to Manila on these four transports. Orders have been sent to Mare Island to hurry the Philadel- phia, but it is not believed that she 'will be ready in time to act as con- voy for any of the troop ships. She will, however, be sent to join Dewey’s squadron as soon as she is put in commission. The Philadelphia will be commanded by Captain Frederick Rodgers. The Philadelphia Press, owned and edited by Charles Emory Smith, the new Postmaster General, prints the following inspired editorial on the subject of holding the Philippine Islands, and it is regarded as sig- nificant, coming as it does from a member of the Cabinet: “The United States will keep the islands until it sees something bet- ter to do with them. This is the national policy on which President McKinley is acting, and it is the only one on which either he or the nation can act. As an act of war our fleet has captured the harbor of Manila, and in a few weeks more our troops will have completed the occupation of Manila and the conquest of the islands. The national duty is clear as to these points. General Merritt is as competent to act as military governor of Manila as any one of the scores of English generals put in like position. An American force is just as competent as an English force of the same size to occupy and pacify the islands and their nine million in- habitants. Be American! Have con- fidence in Americans! The Philip- e