Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-05-19

WASHINGTON. May 1S.-Col r. P.
Hughes. inspector general, with head
quarters at New York city, was at the
war department to-day on a mission
from Gen. Merritt in connection with
the assignment of regular troops to
accompany the Philippine expedition
soon to start from San Francisco.
Gen. Merritt's preference for a larger
number of regulars than it was pro-
posed by the department to give him
has been known here for some time, and
his views on that subject are shared by
many of the army officials. They real
ize that Gen. Merritt will have deli
cate and important duty to perform as
military governor of the Philippines
and they agree in expressing the Opin-
ion that the general should have an
adequate and we'll disciplined force at
his command to maintain order in a
city that will be filed with discordant
elements. There are not enough regu-
lars in the west to furnish the number
that Gen. Merritt thinks should be sent
on the expedition and consequently
Secretary Alger and the department
officials have been considering the ad-
visibility of withdrawing about three
where large number are now rem
dezvoused and of dispatching them
post haste to the Pacific coast. Gen.
Greedy. chief signal officer, is making
arrangements to send a detachment of
six officers and So men, made up large
ly of telegraph operators and cleo
tricians, to accompany the Philippine
expedition.
Carvera May Have Made a Mistake.
LONDON, May 1s.-The London Times
said this morning:
1t cannot be denied that Adm Cervera has
lost prestige in visiting Curacao He is now
most disadvantageously placed for any at
tempt at mischief on the Seaboard OF the
United States, and if there were thoughts
Of going to the Pacific it has been wasted time.
Our own belief is that Adm CerveraS ambi
ton is limited to keeping his feet in being
Certainly it looks if, of all strategical moves
at his disposal, this is not the one which prom
ises at the best, some initial success, to be
dearly paid for in any event by a subsequent
collapse.
The mystery surrounding the move
men is of the Spanish fleets is held here
to show that the science of naval
scouting is still in its infancy. The
London Morning Post asks rather
ironically:
What have the American swift cruisers been
doing since the commencement of the war?
Apart from the single possibility of Cervera's
efforts proving successful, more inaptitude has
never been displayed than in the present war.
The failure of the beautiful mercantile cruis-
ers on both sides is calculated to support the
opinions of those who think the money expend-
ed in England in substituting cruisers might
be much better employed.
May Raise Spanish Gunboats
CHICAGO, May 1s.--A special to the
Journal from Washington says: It is
stated that in his last cable Adm.
Dewey said that if wrecking appara-
tus were sent him he would be able to
raise a number of the Spanish war
ships sunk during the battle. The adj
miral thinks there are several of the
gunboats which can be easily raised,
repaired and made useful. In view of
this the war department has been has
tening the preparations to dispatch
the transports now on the Pacific coast
to Manila and they are expected to
leave San Francisco by Thursday.