Evening star., 1898-03-05
Nothing Known About Plans of the
Court of Inquiry.
ACTIVE STEPS OF PREPARATION
Secretary Long Confers With the
President.
MOVEMENTS OF THE SHIPS

TIE Spanish situation have divided them
selves into two distinct branches. one re-
lsting to the court of inquiry and the other
to the natural and necessary steps 20 place
the naval and military arms of the serv-
Ice on efficient basis. Concerning the
court and its work, the information reach
ILg the authorities kere is of the most
fTagmentary and inconclusive character
and the highest naval officials reiterate
that nothing is at hand which indicates
even the tendencies of the members of the
court from the evidence they have thus far
received.
Admiral Sicards telegram last night
gave the only clue as to the plans of The
court, and this in effect was that it would
be some time before the testimony of
divers and other witnesses could be taken
and an idea formed to the time of clos
ing the investigation and submitting the
report. 1t is felt at the Navy Department
tEat this leaves the question, so far the
court is concerned, in state of doubt for
some days longer, probably a week ten
days, for aside from the conclusion of the
hearings, there is the formulation cf the
important findings, the framing of the
courts opinion, and then the formalities of
its TRANSMISSION to Admiral Sicard and
thence to Washington. While these last
stages will be very brief when the actual
findings and opinions have been matured.
Yet they cannot be entirely eliminated, and
there appears TO be no disposition to be
pieclpltate in a matter involving such
grave issues.
Activity in Military and Naval Bu-
reaus.
The other general branch of the subject
the activity in the various naval and mill
hary bureaus-continues without reference
to the work of the court of inquiry. This
activity has not up 10 the present time
taken the form of any concerted or elab-
crate plan of emergency preparations. L;
~ prt-n lrfU tlYh
p&rauNs!y nlEcr ac-s, which when taken
Together. however, show that the heads o,
departments nave not been Inacuve IN pre-
parlLs theIr branches OF the service
any requirements wnicn might DC
upon Them.
member of the cabinet stated todly
that tEere should be mIsun4ersJan
or miscons,ruction OF these steps. or IN
Stance. all OF the manifold movements, S,
particularly in the west, OF war material
are declared in The most positive manneI
S.H Ply 10 be in execution OF pans long ago
CeVe-Cred by the fOrlifIcalionS boaru Ioi
the defense Of the coast. Thus. at S attic
the ', ar Department recently purchased a
Isct of 64O acres on Magnolia Bluff a
point regarded by the board as indispens-
able 10 the proper defense of Puget Sound.
This is now being put into condition for
the reception Of heavy guns ard other
weapons. and 1t is said that the work
should have been done Iorg ago.
But while il is stated that these steps
are in accordance with past plans, there
ministration is impr essed with sense Of
duty in putting the two war branches In
the highest state of efficiency to meet any
emerg 'ncy- There is no disposition TO ar
tcipare trouble, to say that any
situation will develop which will warrant
the sea'e of preparations now on foo; On
the contrary, the highest authorities Of
the naval and military branches say they
do not expect a crisis. but that they
are simply performing the duty allotted to
them OF being ready for anything
arfc L.
l. may be from the information now in
hand These high officials do not wish to
minimize their preparations, to assert
mat they are merely routine, neither do
they wish these wise and natural precau-
tcns 10 be construed beyond their Iegiti-
mate extent and made the basis for alarm
ing reports of war measures. In referring
to this subject a member of the cabinet
said he felt that patriotic instincts should
Inspire just measure of the activity now
evident for no more and no less than Ii
really meant.
Need of Sailors.
The Navy Department is embarrassed Dy
the lack of ''seamen'' necessary to fill the
complement of ships already or about 10
go into commission. A number of seamen
were lost in the Maine disaster, and The
Department will require about twenty-five
for the MiSntonomoh and Katahdin, which
are 10 go into commission next week. In
view OF tde shortage the officials in charge
of the recruiting stations at League Island
Norfolk and Newport have been instructed
10 enlist such seamen as may be available
and not coIfiEe themselves to persons who
have heretofore been in the navy.
The departure of Gen. Wilson chief of
engineers of the War Department for the
south. ii is row admitted is for the pur-
pose of inspecting fortiications and river
ard harbor improvements. He has not
been on such a tour in the direction he has
taken since his appointment to mis- present
office. He may go TO Dry Tortugas in the
Gulf of Mexico. which the War Depart
ment formerly occupied but which is now
in use by the marine hospital service.
ships Not Ready for Service.
According to an official of the construc-
ton bureau of the navy. il will be some
time before the Charleston, Yorktown and
Philadelphia, now at the Mare Island yard,
are again ready for service unless ex-
traordlnary measures are taken to hurry
the work them. The work on the
Charleston, carried on in the manner in
which il has been done. will require three
months before she is finished. The York
town and Philadelphia might be prepared
again for sea service in very short time
II they are not put in commission, but il
the latter step is resorted to ii will require
from SIX to nine months to put them in
ahape.
The War Department is having some diff
hcuity IN obtaining the title to sufficient
ground at Point Wilson. Washington, on
which IL is proposed to erect fortification
This is because of the fact that the owners
Of much of the land scattered over the
country and trouble has been experlenced
IN securing their addresses. The mater Is
now in the hands of the Department of
Justice. which is doing everything possible
to push affairs The nature and extent of
the works TO be erected will depend on the
money available.
Work Coast Defenses.
I'VE are pressing work on Notifications "
said an official of the War Department to-
day. Just as we have been since the per-
nianent system of coast defense inaugurat-
ed by Congress about two years ago. We
aim TO spend all the money Congress ap-
propriates yearly, so that the legislative
tody will be induced to continue to author
ize expenditures for this necessary adjunct
of national defense.
Naturally The public is taking great in
terest in all that is going on and probably
observes with closer scrutiny everything
being done. This, coupled with the fact