The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-02
MEDs OF THE ARMY
xonE rHAx THREE MILLION Ell
IRA - NECESSARY AT ONCE.
MOST NJ It VIII Re Used In the In
vssion ard Occupancy of Cuba
To Build Roads, Etc.

washington, Jure lin significant rec
concentrations submitted to congress today
Secretary Aigsr, through the medium Of a
letter accompanying his Recommendation.
outlined IN general way the steps con
templated In the campaign against Cuba,
Porto Rico and the Philippines. Tie letter
is from Chief Engireer Ludlow, who makes
the significant statement that 1t IL nov
proposed to forward TO Cuba an army o.
invasion to DO composed OF l5.0o9 or zV,9Vo
troops to be followed as rapidly as praesI-
cable by $4,000 more
The secrstarys recommendations for
appropriations aggregating s3,io7 .0O0 will
be submitted One is for s2,5s2.000 Of de-
tic.eney In the appropriation for gun and
mortar batteries required Immediately
for the use Of the war department 10 re-
main available until expended"
This amount is needed to provide EN-
placements for carriages OF hlgn power add
rapid fire guns to be procured oy the ORD
dance department with the fanus already
appropriated
llshment and maintenance OF the electrical
communication ia connection wlth the army
In Cuba, Porto Rico and the Fahlppine
Islands,
Then follows a significant recommends
ton for $4,000 for an expeditlonary
force to Cuba" required By the war tupart-
nlent for Immediate use" The letter out
lining the expelitiouary projected against
Cuba is written BY General LUDLOW, whose
special services were avsilsd Of pg Serre-
iary Alger 10 outline what was headed II
Is dated May e. aud Is: Referring To NY
letter Of Aprl rs. covering the project
with estimates for the establishment IN
Cuba OF expeditionary force u from S0el
10 5000 men. invite attention TO the icl-
loving: Provisional estimates Tor this
amounted TO $4,000, which have begu
approved and made eapsndablo immediate
ly. Furthermore the project for the trans
fer to Cuba Of an cxpediii0narY force has
materially modified in that. instead OF an
assumed force Of 5000 for the establish
ruent 81 depot and base al supplies, 4 IS
now proposed to forward 40 army of ~.
vaslon 10 be composed 81 iso0o or 20 900
troops. to be followed as rapidly IS pos
slble by 10000 more.
II IL therefore necessary 10 make pro-
vision for the greatly augmented scale on
which the expedition is TO bs equipped
and for It's movement
General Ludlow says for obvious reasors
tho plans IN detail ran not be glvsn bat
that In a general way they can b. out.
lined.
THE general nature OF these engineer
ing provisions however. may be clearly
Indicated and Ia fact estimated for In
the ensuing campaign account must DO
taken OF the fact that the raiuy season IN
Cuba covers the summer month"; and must
be anticipated "a affecting the times and
means required for transportation Ia or
der not to delay movements and imperll
health. There are few regularly built
roads in Cuba. the principal ones being
westward. II is NOT likely that these
roads have been kept IN repair and IL Is
quite certain that others must BE- con
structed and maintained This Will re-
euire road making machinery as ceOno
MIXING the labor % troops and leaving
them free for tho purely military work
Tor which The n1mEers in question viii not
be moro than suffiCent 70 squat the on
envy. In addition, special means OF trans
poFiation VIII be Necessary and portable
three gauge roads Ipust be provided for On
the established lines and along such roads
connecting liues AS may be feasible ana
cxpeditiouB. Railroad will be suitably
equipped TO cost s5000 rer mile for con
struction and $500 PER mile for equipment
The total az this item therefore IA se2d .00l
for thirty miles Three Quilts OF road
making machinery. including rock quarry
Ing and crushing apparatus, road rollers
dltehera and gradcrs will cost at leas
$4,000 each say S2s zoo In addition Their,
should be m additional allowance of 800
0OD for electric lights. dyuamos 0ad tor
pefo appliances etc, including the en-
ployiH9 OF scouts. spies" etc.