The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-20
WAR WILL DRAG ALONG
SHORT, SHARP AND DECISIVE
POLICY IMPRACTICABLE

In the American Military System
That VIII Involve Delay-Army
Will Cost Mt the Rate of Sixty
Million Dollars u Year While 1t
Is In the Field.
WASHINGTON, May 19.-With
every disposition on the part of the ex-
ecutive to make the present war short,
sharp and decisive, 1t is beginning to
be realized that the shortcomings Of
our military service are so many that
delays are inevitable and that much
work will be necessary to put the ma
ton in efficient fighting shape.
Every day brings forth some weak
spot that has to be strengthened, or
some hidden defect, such as the dis
covery at this late moment that every
regular army officer who accepts a
volunteer appointment will forfeit his
commission in the regulars and so be-
come liable to be let out of the service
entirely at the end of the war.
Few officers cared to risk the future
IN that way, SO a rush was made to-
wards congress to secure the necessary
corrective legislation. =
INVOLVES DELAY.
All OF this involves delay so it is not
remarkable, in spite Of the herculean
Efforts of the officers of the army, no
positive start has yet been made to-
wards its goal by the army of occupa-
ton. Probably it is this fact, rather
than any unreadiness on the part of
the navy, that causes the camgaign
to drag in it's inception, for the navy
department has announced that it
stood ready at any moment to furnish
conveys for the troops, provided they
were started from Tampa or Key West.
Gen. Miles had an interview this
afternoon with Capt. Crowninshield,
chief of the navigation bureau, and
1t Is surmised that this very subject
was under discussion.
The rumor was af1oat that Gen.
Miles, with his staff, was to leave
Washington tonight for Tampa, but
this again proved premature.
WAR EXPENSIVE.
To maintain an army of 100000 men
for six months will cost $50, 100000, &C
cording to estimates prepared by Pay
master General Stanton, and the lead
ing officers are beginning to fear that
hostilities may run along beyond this
price. The reason is the growing con-
viction, on the part Of some Of the
officers, that they must not reckon on
any substantial assistance from the
Cuban rebels in this campaign, and,
moreover, must meet the Spaniards in
their strongest sphere, that of the de-
fensive.
OFFICIALS DISAPPOINTED.
Officials in the adjutant generals Of
flee are trffle disappointed over the
result of depending upon the national
guard for the volunteer army. The ma
tional guard was resorted to on the
theory that it afforded a body Of train
ed soldiers practically equipped for the
field. The experience Of the past month
has shown, war. department officials
say, that this is far from being the case,
and they attribute much of the vexa-
tiousi delay encountered infraisings the
volunteer army to the fact that federal
authorities were in error as to avail
able strength and preparation of the
citizen soldier.
These authorities were told, 1t Is as
serted, that practically the entire ma
tional guard would volunteer; that, as
a whole, it was well equipped, and that
the only raw recruits that would have
to be trained in the primary principles
OF soldiery and armed and equipped
from head to toe would be the Is or 20
per cent Of the guard who would be re-
5ected on the physical examination
Instead Of this, it is contended that
fully half the men mustered in as
members of national guard regiments
are fresh recruits, without uniforms or
accouterments. and without the slight
est idea of military movements or tao
tics. Not only these recruits need to
be armed and equipped, but the ma
ticnal guard organizations themselves,
according to the reports received by
the adjutant general, are far short Of
being as well equipped as they were
represented to be.
CLAMOR FOR GUNS.
States which proudly let it be known
at the very first symptom Of war that
they had so many soldiers armed and
equipped for the field" are now clamor-
ing for supplies, uniforms, Shoes blank
cts and guns. They have found that
equipping troops for summer encamp-
ment of a few weeks is very different
thing from equpping them for a cam
paign in Cuba. The discovery has bsen
made too late to avoid much delay In
getting together the army for the in
va & on Qf the suffering isle
AS an instance Of the difficulties the
adjutant generals office has encounter
ed, it is related that one state execu-
tive, In answer to a query as to what
troops he had ready to move, wired:
Have one light battery Of artillery
mustered in and ready, all except guns,
carriages, horses and harness"
Another state ommander-in-chief
answered a similar query by saying
that he had the states quota ready,
"all except the equipments" These in
stances, which are bona fide, are said
to fairly illustrate the state of prepar-
edness in which the national guard
regiments Of many Of the states are.
This has put upon the supply depart
ment unexpected demands, far beyond
what 1t was expected to cope with.
It has been compelled, in other words,
to equip many thousands Of troops
which were pictured as being already
equipped.