The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-05-26

Washington, May n. 49, With every
disposition on the part of the executive
To make the present war short, sharp
and decisive, it is beginning to be
realized that the shortcomings of our
military service are so many that lie
lays are inevitable and that much
work Will be necessary 10 put the ma
ton in efficient fighting shape. Every
day brings forth some weak spot that
has to be strengthened. or some hid
den defect such as the discovery at the
last moment that every regular army
officer who accepted Il volunteer APP
pointment would forfeit his commits
sion in the regulars and so become liza
bic TO be let out of the service entirely
at the end of the war. Few officers
cared to risk their future in that way.
so n rush was made toward congress
20 secure the necessary corrective leg
iSlatiOn. Again. il has been found that
the equipment OF the army. small as 1t
is in comparison with the great army
of the rebellion. is sadly lacking. Near
IT, Il month after the formal dcclara-
ton of war. the war department yes
terday purchased number Of shelter
tents, and ii has jus. secured the ham
mocks that experts say are essential 10
existence in Cuba. These preparations
Involved Delay.
so that in spite Of the herculean efforts
of the officers of the army no positive
start has yet been made toward its
goal by the army Of occupation. Prob
ably il is this fact, rather than any
unrcadincss on the part of the navy
that causes the campaign to drag in its
inception. for the navy department
Las announced that ii stood ready at
any moment TO furnish conveyance Of
the troops transportation provided
they were started from this point.
Gen. Miles had an interview with
Capt. Crowninshicld, chief OF the navi-
cation bureau, and it is surmiSed that
this very subject was under discus
sion. The rumor was atioat that Gen.
Miles. with his staff, was to leave
Washington last night for Tampa. but
this again proved 10 be premature.
TO maintain the army of 2OO,W0 men
for six months will cost S,0.0OO,0OO. ac-
cording to estimates prepared 10y Pay
master General Staunton. and the
leading officers are beginning To fear
that hostilites may run along beyond
this price. The reason is the growing
conviction on the part of some of the
officers that they must not reckon on
Any substantial Assistance
from the Cuban rebels in this cam
paign. and, moreover, must meet the
Spaniards in their strongest sphere,
that OF the defensive Naval authori-
ties are relieved of a good deal Of en-
barrassment by the consent of the
French authorities Of Martinique to al
low the scouting vessel Harvard to re-
main in ST. Pierre until her repairs are
completed. 1t was supposed at first
that she would be- allowed only seven
days, and at the end Of that time
would be forced out TO risk attack at
the hands Of some ambushed Spanish
cruiser or torpedo boat. Work on the
Monitors Maiopac, Cannonicus and
Manhattan at League island has ad-
vanced so far that the department ex-
poets to have them in service within a
week or two. They have been sup
piled with tubulOus boilers in place or
the rusted-out boilers they have car
red since the war. One very useful
quality Of the new boilers was found
TO lie in the possibility OF passing small
pieces of what it is composed peace
meal through the smoke pipe hole.
thus avoiding tearing of the decks, and
shortening the time required for the
work fully one-half. These monitors
will be
A Valuable Addition
to the coast defense ships. Mr. Nj
black. late United States naval at
raehe to Berlin. reported to the navy
department yesterday and had some
stories to tell on his experiences in
every seaport of Europe trying TO buy
a ready-made navy in thirty days.
The department is'very much pleased
with the energy and ability shown by
the young officer in the discharge or
important duties confided 10 him. He
has been assigned TO duty as watch
and division officer on the Topeka, one
of the ships that he happened to pur-
chase in England. The absence of Of
fetal news of any character from the
fleets ut the navy department gave the
widest field for speculation, and all
sorts of stories We're afiOar. The re-
port that came from Madrid OF the
bombardment showed that Greeley,
the chief signal officer, has set In mo-
ton the machinery Of the navy to car
ry out his declared purpose Of cutting
the cables that afford the least comes
ton between Havana and the outside
and thus isolate Blanco. Ii Ia not be-
lieved the bOmbardment amounted 70
anything more than this