The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-06-03
PLAN OF INVASION.
Seventy Thousand Men to Be Sent
to Cuba as Soon as Ready.
ALCER ASKS FOR APPROPRIATIONS.
The Letter Outlining the ExpeditioBary
Project Against Cuba written by Gen.
Ludiow-Engi neering Provisions
Estimated and Outlined.

Estimated and Outlined.
AsHINGToN, June For the nrsJ
time since the beginning Of hostilities.
there appears to be something in the
nature of an official statement of the
plan of campaign of the United States
government. This Is contained in a
letter of Secretary Alger to the speaker
of the house, transmitting certain rec
concentrations and statements of Gen.
Ludlow, which disclosed the purpose
of the war department to send 10000
men to Cuba, 10000 TO start at once
and the remainder just as soon as they
can be made ready for departure. Then
there was an estimate for establishing
electrical communication in connec-
ton with the army lin Cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippines. showing for
the first time officially an implied i'm
piled intention on the part OF the gov
ernme mt to land troops in Porto Rico.
The three are to go together
Porto Rico and the Philippines-and
pass into the military occupation of
the United States troops.
Inasmuch as the secretary says that
the second contingent of troops is to go
forward as soon as they can be pres
pared, good deal of interest attached
to an order that was made yesterday
at the war department providing for
the organization of the 10000 addi-
tional volunteers called for The
order officially established the state
ments heretofore made in these dis
patches that large proportion of the
new men are to be used to fill up the
existing regiments of volunteers,
which are, in most cases, deficient in
numbers. 1t is to be presumed from
yesterdays order, that the volunteer
regiments collected under the first
call will be detained until they are
filed up in this fashion so that the
order has some bearing upon the plan
of campaign.
The secretary's recommendations to
congress were for appropriations ag-
gregating So, 10T, 900. One recommen-
dation is for s., 5G2, 600 of deficiency in
the appropriation for gun and mortar
batteries required Immediately for
the use of the war department, to re-
main available until expended" "A
second one is for Sl95, 900 "for the es-
adjustment and maintenance of spe-
cial electrical communication in con-
nection with the army in Cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippine islands,"
Then follows significant recommen-
dation for $3.50, 900 for an expedition
airy force to Cuba required by the
war department for immediate
use" The items are as follows:
For machinery and equipment for
the construction and repair of roads,
SIS, 900; construction and equipment of
military railroads, S225, 900; additional
intrenching tools, electric appliances,
Photographic and topographic outfits,
instruments and maps, manuals and
for special and technical services, $780,
900; contingencies involving immedi-
ate expenditures of imperative urgency
that cannot be specified in advance, to
be expended under the direction of the
ma jor generals commanding the army,
| $50, 900.
The letter outlining the expedition
airy project against Cuba is written by
Gen. Ludlow, whose special engineer
ing services were awaited of oy Secre-
tary Alger to outline what was needed.
Gen. Ludlow says that for obvious rea-
sons the plans in detail cannot be
! given, but that in a general way they
can be outlined The general nature
of these engineering provisions, how
ever, may be clearly indicated. and, in
fact estimated for. In the ensuing
campaign account must be taken of
the fact that the rainy season in
Cuba covers the summer months,
ana must be anticipated as affect
ing the time and means required
for transportation in order not
to delay movements and imperil health.
There are few regularly built roads in
Cuba, the principal ones being west
ward of Havana. II is not likely that
these roads have been kept in repair,
and it is quite certain that others must
be constructed and maintained. This
will require road making machinery, as
economiziug the labor of troops and
leaving them free for the purely mill
tary work for which the numbers in
question will not be more than sutii-
cient to equal the enemy In addition,
special means of transportation will
be necessary, and portable three foot
gauge railroads must be provided for
on the established lines and along such
additional connecting lines as may be
feasible and eXpedient
For railways, there should be not
less than 80 miles of track and suita-
BILE equipment, which may be esti-
mated at $1,000 per mile for track and
$4,000 per mile for equipment. The
total of this item, therefore, is S225.
900. Three outfits of road-malting ma
chimes, including rock quarrying and
crushing apparatus, road rollers, ditch
ers and graders will cost, at IS, OOO
each, S25, 900. In addition, there should
be an additional allowance of say
$780, 900 for electric light, dynamite
and torpedo appliances, etc, including
the Arunloyment Of scouts, spies, etc.
Two freight trains on the Pittsburg
a Gulf road collided near Decatur
Ark, and Fireman Williams, of Pitts.