New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-09
READY FOR ANYEMERGENCY
LOCAL MILITARY PREPARATIONS WELL
ADVANCED.
AN ARMY OFFICERS VIEWS ON THE SITUATION
GENERAL MERRITTs FURTHER INSPECTION
OF HARBoR DEFENCES-QUARTER-
MASTERS DEPARTMENT Busy
srrXfN0 gIrPPILEs

OF HARBoR pErENcEs-oUARTER-
MASTERS DEPARTMENT Busy
SEEKING SUPPLIES
'Yf Spain does not haul down her flag In Cuba
there will be war by next Tuesday" said an Army
officer Of prominence. who came to this city IRON
Washington yesterday He Is In close touch with
the Administration and familiar with inside facts
regarding all the preparations made and the tone
of general feeling. He continued Il am confident
Of the date and fully expect that hostiities Will
be declared. The war should be short and sharp.
I think II will not last than month. Our
warships will start out once and meet the Span
sh armored vessels and otilla Of torpedo boats
Our swift dispatch boats with their rapidnre guns
will disable TIE torpedo-boats easily. Then we will
land an army OF seventy-fve thousand or eighty
thousand men In Cuba"
How they defeat the two hundred thousand
Spanish troops there?' asked.
WELL you must judge the future by the past
We have small force hold In check that
army. and believe larger can wipe 1t OF
the island In a short time think the washington
officials believe that Spain will haul down her nag
at Havana and order her troops to evacuae the city
Monday. But II the Sagasta Government does
not do this. Government will haul II down TOT
her. The War Department has everything In read!-
ness to mobilize the entire fighting force OF the
Regular Army, the Governors Of the various States
are ready to call out over one hundred Thousand
militia. and the President will lose time In iss-
Ing call for volunteers. which will be responded to
at In few days will have all our seacoast
defences manned with militia and the regular
troops be moved TO Cuba at once. to be rein
forced by the veterans and National Guardsmen as
fast volunteers are organized to MI the places
to which they will be sent. Everything possible
will be done. and the only danger to be feared IL
that Spanish privateers will seize some OF our coast
wise vessels attack and ravage some OF the small
which undefendpd. In fair
fight our Navy can easily get the better OF the
Spanish Dons. and on land our troops can conquer
the CastIlian rank and file one to two. The war
is inevitable unless Spain recedes. and recedes
promptly and gracefully"
General Merritt was busy at his Office Gov
ernor's Island yesterday morning and came to town
with Lieutenant Mott In the afternoon. In regard
to the further inspection OF forts defending the
harbor General Merritt said to reporter for The
Tribune: II intend to so with the formal inspec-
ton OF the forts soon as have time for the
work possibly tomorrow. have had great pres;
sure Of office business this week. which has occupied
my time and attention fully hope to be able 70
the defences at wiets Point in one day. There is
work In progress at all OF them and the longer the
a 1nspefSss is delayed the more nearly VIII 1t be
The ouartermaster's Bureau received estimates
on harness yesterday, so as to know where sup
ply could be secured in case OF need for q large
army OF yohnesrs Bids were opened tor the n,
the horses Of the Regular Army. At the Commits
rary department the question OF securing a large
supply OF beans In case Of need was under con-
sheraton
Under a recent contract a carriage for a Pinch
rifed cannon OF the disappearing pattern was shipped
for San Francisco. 10 be put In place at Fort Scott.
Yesterdays orders came from Washington TO send
" TO point below Baltimore. The big carriage.
weighing nInety-six thousand pounds and requiring
eight cars to convey It. was nearly halfway across
the continent. but telegraphic orders were sent 10
stop II at Chicago. and II not there at Omaha and
to send II back TO the Atlantic seaboard. We are
just busy can be. said Lieutenant Colonel
Kimball; and shipping everything rs fast as II
Is completed TO the point where II Is needed So
far as the movement OF troops IL concerned every
thing IL In statu quo. but ready transport
them tho moment orders are given We will put
everything In motion soon rs there is declara-
ton OF war II one is made
There were some huge coils NJ submarine cable;
lead-covered. the wharf at Governors Islan
yesterday. which will be sent to-day TO the harbor
forts TO add to tho equipment In readiness for the
complete mining OF the channels and their being
put In such n state OF defence that hostile ves-
sci entering would escape the fate which betell the
Maine In Havana Harbor. The preparations are
practically completed for installing searchlights at
each OF the forts commanding an entrance 10 the
harbor. and they will be ready for before they
needed to detect invading craft which may seek
10 get past the guns under cover of darkness