The record-union., 1898-04-21
CALLING OUT OF VOLUNTEERS.
Much More Complicated Question
Than at First SUPPOSED.

WASHINGTON, April 20.-The OBJ
ject of most concern at the War De-
partment this morning was the calling
out of volunteers. This turns out to be
much more complicated question
than was at first supposed, and the
officials are looking to Congress for
immediate relief in their extremity
There are all sorts of conflicts in the
existing army laws, which it is said
consist of nothing more than a lot of
patchwork dating from the beginning
of the Republic. 1t is recalled that
even President Lincoln was obliged TO
call upon Congress to validate the calls
he had been forced to issue for troops,
and no successful effort has been made
since that day to provide adequate ma
chinery whereby the Government
might avail itself in an emergency of
the vast resources of the United States
in the way of troops.
one Of the difficulties that confronted
officials this morning, when it was sup
posed that the way had been cleared
in a certain measure for the use of the
National Guard as United States vol
unteer troops was a conflict between
Sections 1106 and 1915 of the Revised
Statutes. 1t was the purpose of the
! War Department, in Difference to the
wishes of the National Guardsmen, to
allow them to preserve their own or
ganiZatiOnS in the event that they be
called to the service of the United
States, but the National Guard regi-
ments are all organized on the three
battalion basis, and each infantry reg
iment consists of twelve companies
with three Majors, Battalion Adjutants,
| etc. The regular army organization
provides for one Major and a very
much reduced staff of officers and ten
| companies. 1t is manifestly impossi-
BILE. therefore, to muster the National
/ Guardsmen into arms with their pres
ent organization, and 1t is thonght to
/ be ineXpedient to attempt to reorgaliZe
the Guard on so short notice.
| Secretary Alger, with General Niles,
went over to the White House about
noon and spent some time with the
| President in an attempt to find some
way to remedy this condition of AFFAIR."
communication received at the
/ War Department from the President Of
! the Lone Star Steamship Company,
containing statistics of import of meat
and cattle into Cuba gave a good deal
of sOlace to the War Department ofH-
cials. II showed that Al $50 head of
/ cattle We're so imported last year, and
/ that the present supply of meat IN
hand is very short. This would greatly
aid the task of reducing the island by
! blockade and starvation.
/ Orders were sent this morning to the
I Twenty-fifth Infantry. under Colonel
/ Burt, at Chickamauga, to proceed to
Mobile, Ala, and Chickamauga at once
1t was stated by a prominent officer
| of the army to-day that the call for
volunteers probably would be. as stated
| by the Associated Press yesterday. for
! about $4,000. The points Of general
mobilization for them prior TO their de-
parture for Cuba have not been deter
i mined. 1t is likely they will at first
| be concentrated at some point in the
! states from which they come, and be
/ drilled. disciplined and equipped for
activeawork.
Arrangements are being made by the
! War Department for the transporta-
/ ton of troops from southern ports to
| Cuba, and it is expected that they will
/ be perfected tomorrow or soon there
/ after. Colonel A. S. Kimball. Chief
/ Quartermaster of the Department of
| the East. will open bids at New York
/ for the charter of steam vessels for this
service. 1t is believed he will have no
| difficulty in securing a number of first
class steam vessels of good speed for
the transportation of the army to be
sent to Cuba. 1t is explained by As
/ sistant Secretary Meiklejohn that the
department has deemed it advisable to
/ charter rather than purchase the ships
it may need for the transportation of
/ troops, and all the vessels engaged will
! be assembled at the various points on
| the Atlantic seabord and the Gulf coast
most convenient for the embarkation of
| troops.
MOVEMENT OF TROOPS.