The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1898-12-10

official communication between thelr re
spcctye governments Gen. Woodfor'!
| thrrcuron demanded his passports and
! quite, Madrid the same day.
THE DECLARATION or WAR
Spain having thus denied the demand of
| fac United States and iniimatrh that rcln
| tons had ceased. other powers authorized
| by the resolution were used to meet the
| contingency Of actual war between soNrr-
| cign states. On April -. ] proclaimed 4
| blockade of the north coast of Cuba. in
| Guiding ports on said coast between 'ardc
mas and Hahal Honda and the port of Glen
| fucgos on the south coast of Cuba, and on
! the 23rd | called for volunteers to execute
| the purpose of the resolutions. by my
| message of April - the congress was In
| formed of the situation and recommend
| cd formal declaration Of the existence OF \
state of war between the United States and
| Spain. The congress accordingly voted on
| the same day the act approved April ~,
| 1898. declaring the existence of such war
| from and including the DIST day of April
| and rc-enactrd the provision Of the reSolu
| ton of April 20 directing the president to
! use all the armed forces Of the nation 70
| carry that act into effect. Due noiicnti lion
| of the existence of war as aforesaid was
given April q by telegraph to all the gov-
! ernments with which the United States
maintain relations In order that their neu-
| trality might be assured during the war.
| The various governments responded with
proclamations OF neutrality, each after It's
| own methods. IT Is not among the least
| gratifying Incidents Of the struggle that
| the obligations Of neutrality were Impair
TALLY discharged by all often under deli
| cate and difficult circumstances.
! In further ful6lment of international du-
ty. | Issued. April 2G. a proclamation an
nouncing tho treatment proposed TO be az
corded to vessels and their cargoes as to
| blockade. contrahand the exercise Of the
| right Of search and the immunity OF ncu-
| trail flags and neutral goods under enemy s
! llag, A similar proclamation was made by
| the Spanish government. In the conduct
| Of hostilities the rules of the declaration Of
Paris including abstention from resort to
| prtvatecring, have accordingly been OBJ
served by both hclligrrents. although nej-
ther was party to that declartlou.
THE WAR PREPARATIONS.
Our country thus after an interval of half
a century of peace with all nations found
| itself engaged in deadly conflict with for
| egn enemy. Every nerve was strained to
meet the emergency. The response to the
| initial call for 10000 volunteers was in
| slant and complete as was also the result
of the second call of May - for 10000 ad-
| ditionai volunteers. The ranks of the reg
| ular army were increased to the limits pro-
| force Of the navy on the 18th day Of Au-
gust. when 1t reached its maximum. num-
| berel -. l23 men and apprentices. One
hundred and three vessels were added to the
navy by purchase one was presented to
! the government, one leased and the four
vessels of the international Navigation
Company, the st. Louis, st. Paul, New
York and Paris were chartered. In addi-
| ton to these, the revenue cutters aud light
house tenders were turned over to the navy
department and became temporarily part
| of the auxiliary navy.
| The maximum effective fighting force Of
the navy during the war, separated into
classes, was as follows
| -Four battleships Of the first class. one
battleShip of the second class; two nrnOr-
ed cruisers: six coast defense monitors; one
| armored ram: twelve protected cruisers:
three unprotected cruisers: eighteen gun
boats; one dynamite cruiser; eleven tor
pedo boats: fourteen old vessels Of the old
| navy, including monitors. Auxiliary navy:
Auxiliary cruisers 2S; converted yachts u;
! converted tugs 10; converted GOLFERS 49,;
revenue cutters o: four lighthouse tenders
| and 10 miscellaneous vessels
| Much alarm was felt along our entire At.
| tic seaboard lest some attack might be
| made by the enemy. Every precaution was
| taken to prevent possible injury to our
great cities lying along the coast, Tempo
| rary garrisons were provided. drawn from
! the state militia: infantry and light bat
| teres were drawn from the volunteer force
About 1000 troops were thus employed.
| The coast signal service was established
| for observing the approach of an enemy's
| ship to the coast of the United States and
| the life saving and lighthouse services CO.
| operated which enabled the navy depart
ment to have all portions of the Atlantic
| coast from Maine to Texas under observa-
| ton. The auxiliary navy was created I'M
| der the authority Of congress and was Of
| ticered and manned by the naval militia of
| the several states. This organization pa
| trolled the coast and performed the duty
of second arm Of defense.
Under the direction of the chief OF engi
| neers submarine mines were placed at the
| most exposed points. Before the outbreak
of the war permanent mining easements
| and cable galleries had been constructed
! at all important harbors. Most Of the tor
ped0 material was not to be found In the
| market and had to be specially manufac-
tured Under date of April 10, district Of
| ticers were directed to take all preliminary
measures for the attaching and laying OF
| mines to the cables and Oh April ~, tele-
graphic orders were Issued to place the
loaded mines in position. The aggregate
| number of mines placed was 1,535 at the
principal harbors from Maine to Califor-
mia. Preparations were also made for the
planting of mines at certain other harbOrs,
put owing to the early destruction of the
Spanish meet these mines were not placed.
The signal corps was promptly organized
and performed service OF the most difficult
and important character. Its operations
during the war covered the electrical con
neetion of all coast Notifications, the es-
tablishment OF telephone and teIegrnphic
facilities for the camps at Manila, Santi-
ago and Porto Rico, There were construct
ed 300 miles Of line at ten great camps,
thus facilitating military movements from
those points In manner heretofore un-
known in military administration Field
telegraph lines were established and main
tanned under the enemy's fire at Manila and
later the ManilaHong Kong cable was
re-opened.
In Porto Rico cable communications were
opened over discontinued route and on
land the headquarters Of the commanding
officer was kept In telegraphic or telephon-
ic communication with the division COM
manders on four different lines of opera
tons. There was placed in Cuban waters
a completely outfitted cable ship, with war
cables and cable gear suitable both for the
destruction OF communications belonging
to the enemy and the establishment of our
own. Two ocean cables were destroyed
under the enemy's batteries at Santiago. The
dAv vfOtS tn fhn In udinU NJ Gon Sl,,r