NEWS OF THE LATE WAR.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 76, 27 September 1898, Page 6

NEWS OF THE LATE WAR.

THE MISMANAGEMENT IN THE AMERICAN CAMPS. [press association.] [per it.m.s. moana at auckland.] San Francisco, 7th September. President M'Kinley has had a difficult task in quieting the public clamour against certain members' of bis official household, notably the Secretary for War, Senator Alger, whose inefliciency has been painfully evident, and whose honesty has been called in question by press and people. The battles in the late war cost comparatively few lives, but mismanagement in the camps and hospitals reaped a rich harvest of death. Hundreds of sons of wealthy prominent families are alleged to have been starved iv the camps and in the transports that were bringing them weak and exhausted from the battlefields of Cuba and Puerto Eico. Geueral Miles, the Conimander-iu-Chief, gave utterance in Puerto Rico to such bitter criticism of Mr. Algar as might havo earned him a courtmartial. But according to the popular belief the Secretary for War dared not open the question. At Havana posters have been circulated exhorting the soldiers to refuse to return to Spain unless they were paid in full. Mauy of them had not been paid for 15 months. Spain made a proposal to admil at Havana, free of duty, 1,000,000 rations for the starving people provided that Spanish oflicials distribute the same, or to allow Americans to distribute them iif duty were paid. The Administration has decided not to allow the Spaniards to handle the supplies, and is considering the question of paying duty. General Garcia was removed from his command by the Cuban Junta for insubordination to General Shafter. Although Havana has not yet been evacuated by the Spaniards the Cubans have|named their civil authorities, who have issued a proclamation as follows : — " The war is ended. The independence of Cuba, which was the aim of our revolution, is a fact. The victor} 7 gained in the heroic struggle | would be lost if we did not proclaim, as the fundamental principles of our nationality, harmony and fraternity among the Cubans. Let us proceed together towards reconstruction of our beloved Cuba."