The Press., 1898-04-28
Washington Letter.
Washington, April

There has been no occasion for any body to find any fault with the rapidity with which important events have followed each other during the past week. The signing by the president of the armed in- tervention resolution; the uitimatum to Spain; the breaking of diplomatic rela- tions with us by Spain; the proclamation declaring to the nations of the world the intention of the United States to blockade Havana and other Cuban ports; the actual establishing of the blockade i; the csptuIe of Spanish merchant vessels by ships of the blockading squadron; the proclamation calling for 125,OOO men to servg gtwoyeETs, unless sooner discharged. That Is the weeks record of the most im- portant acts of the executive branch of the government.
 Congress has not been idle during the week. It passed the bill authorizing the formation of a volunteer army; the bill for reorganizing the regular army and in- creasing 1t in time of war to 50, 900 men !; adopted e resolution declaring the exist ence of state of war between Spain and the U. S., besIdes doing the usual amount of routine business and attending the funeral of the late Senator Walthall of Mississippi, which was held in the senate chamber on Saturday, and was attended by the president and all the members of the cabinet. -.. ...- The ways and means committee of the house upon which devolved the duty of preparing the bill to provide the money to pay the expenses of the war, has per formed that duty and reported the bill to the house. The bill by the imposition of new internal revenue taxes and an increase of the taxes on beer and manufactured to- bacco provides for an estimated increase of .S100, 100000 in the country's annual revenues. It also provides for the issue of $500, 900 900 in per cent. coin bonds, to run from ten to twenty years, at the option of the government, and authorizes the tificates of indebtedness by the treasury. The expectation is that the bill will be passed this week, as the disposition of congress is to push everything connected with the conduct of the war through with out prolonged discussion, recognizing the moral effect upon the world of speedy and united action by congress upon war meas ures.
 The fighting is not likely to be as speedy in arriving as the events which immediate ly preceded the opening of the war. So far as known the bulk of the Spanish navy is on the other side of the Atlantic, with the intention of remaining there and de voting it's attention to hunting for stray American merchant vessels which can be taken without fighting. There arc numer- Ous reports about their coming over here to fight, but our naval officers do not believe them, although they would be more than glad to have them do so. Our navy will not attack the forts of the Cuban ports it is blockading, unless 1t Is first attacked by the forts; at least, not for a while. The present object is to make the blockade thoroughly effective and to capture and destroy all the Spanish ships that can be found. In addition to that, a small force will probably be landed at some port that is accessible to the insurgent army, in order that 1t may be furnished the supplies and ammunition it needs to enable it to assume the aggressive towards the Spanish army. Food will also be landed for free distribution to the needy.
 While this is going on in Cuba and Gu ban waters the volunteer army will be got ten together in camps of instruction and prepared at the earliest moment to pro- ceed to Cuba and drive the Spanish army of the island. This will take time. So 1t Is just as well not to expect news of much fighting, unless the Spanish forts seek an engagement with the blockading squadron, or our Asiatic squadron finds the Spanish squadron it is hunting for, for several weeks to come.
 Although the postmaster general has nothing directly to do with the conduct of the war, the substitution of Hon. Charles Emory Smith, able editor and ex-minister to Russia, for Hon. James A Gary, who stated that his resignation of the post master generalship was by direction of his physician, in the cabinet, is regarding as the first step towards putting the cabinet on a war footing, and the second step is to be the substitution of a younger and more vigorous man for Hon. John Sherman as secretary of state. Assistant Secretary Day will succeed MT. Sherman, and John B. Moore, professor of international law, of Columbia University in New York, and formerly. second assistant secretary of state, has been chosen to succeed Judge nay os oooiatant aooroforz, oF ofofa