Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-06-02

The delay in the departure of the troops
for Manila was not only due to the diff
Guilty of obtaining transports on the Pa
cifc coast, but also to the inability of the
quartermaster, commissary and ordnance
departments to secure the necessary sup
plies. Those who have complained about
the hardness Of the Government in re
enforcing Admiral Dewey should remem-
Der that these troops are going to coun-
try where they can obtain nothing except
tropical food, which would bring them
down with disease and cause the death Of
many If eaten before they were fully ac-
climated. 1t was therefore necessary to
provide at least six months rations foc
10000 men, and a simple calculation will
demonstrate what that means. The
troops are provided with all the meats,
breads, vegetables, tea, coffee, sugar and
other groceries, and, i'll fact all of the
neccssaries of life enough to last them
for half a year if they were cast away
upon desert island or beyond the reach
of endorsements. In addition to the
commissary stores required the ordnance
department was called upon to provide all
the arms and ammunition, clothing, tents,
ETC., which 10000 soldiers might need I'M
der any contingency for the next six
months Under ordinary circumstances
supplies purchased for shipment to Ma
Mia would have lasted the entire United
States army year.
There is no excuse for the advance in
the price of food products because of the
war. OF course wheat and other bread
stuffs have advanced in all the markets
of the world because of the short crops
in other countries, but in New York,
Washington and other cities of the East
meats have advanced from to cents Il
pound and provisions and table vegeta bles
in a corresponding manner. There is no
scarcity Of either, there is no interrupt
ton in the trade, the market gardens in
this part of the country never produced
more abundantly than this spring, and
there is no unusual demand. The market
men have simply taken advantage of the
war rs all excuse to increase prices and
charge 6 cents instead of 5 for head of
lettuce and 80 cents instead of % for a
bunch of asparagus. The butchers say
they are not to blame for the advance in
beef and mutton because they have to
pay more to the wholesalers.
The Iowa delegation contains the prize
orators of the House of Representatives.
For dramatic effect and impressive elo-
quence nobody can beat Mr.. Cousins; for
high flights of oratory and scholarly argu-
ment Dolliver is unsurpassed; in a rough
and tumble debate David B. Henderson is
the equal Of any man upon the floor, and
for satire, vituperation and malediction
COL Hepburn is superior to any man who
has been in Congress for years. The Iowa
delegation is also distinguished because
it furnished more men for the Union army
than any other State delegation in Con-
gress. Mr. Clark was a private in the
Nineteenth infantry; Col. Henderson lost
leg, while colonel of the 10th regiment;
Mr.. Lacey was a lieutenant Of the SD
Iowa; Mr.. Hull was captain of the Odd,
and Mr. Hepburn lieutenant in the I'd
Iowa cavalry, and Mr.. Perkins private
in the 31st infantry.
TIE second call issued by President
Mckinley will raise the volunteer army to
100000 men and the whole army to 279,-
500 men. The army reorganization bill
authorized the increase of the regular
army to 62,0O0 men, and in addition to
the 100000 volunteers there will be three
cavalry regiments, with 5000 rough rid
ers from the West; ten infantry regiments
of immunes, with 10000 men, and $500
in the engineers corps, making q grand
total Of 800 men in the United States
army. 1t is the intention to at once send
an army of from $4,000 to 100000 men
to Cuba, since there can be no danger to
the transports from the Spanish feet bot
tied up in the harbor at Santiago de Cuba.
There will also be q larger army sent to
Manila to hold the Philippine Islands.
There will be no experiments made there.
The prediction is freely made at the
War Department that within two weeks
there will be $1,000 troops on Cuban soil.
They will land in the east and west Of
Havana, and possibly on the south coast,
in the vicinity of Cienfuegos. The imme-
diate invasion of Porto Rico is not only
being seriously considered, but is now al
most under way. There are political as
well as military reasons for this step.
The administration still looks for a sud-
den collapse of the war by proposals Of
peace ON the part of Spain, made under
the thin guise of European Intervention.
The administration has determined that
Porto Rico must be one Of the fruits OF
victory, but to bring that about it is deem
ed necessary that the United States
should effect landing in the island be-
fore the treaty of peace.
Admiral Sampson is a religious man.
He is a member of the Presbyterian
Church of the Covenant in this city, and
the Mems Society, which is literary
club connected with the church. He was
always regular in his attendance during
the several years that he was stationed
in Washington, and took great deal Of
interest in philanthropic work. After he
was placed in command of the squadron
the Mems Society sent him a telegram Of
congratulation and confidence, to which
he returned quite touching answer.