The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-19

80 Immediate hostilities, President Nc,
Kinley, 1t is understood, will at ono,
issue a call to the governors of tn,
various states for troops, with the re.
quest that the National Guardsmen bt
sent as the volunteers These men vii
be for service in Cuba with the regu.
lars, the invading army i'm all proba.
bility being led by Major General Mile.
in person. This action is said to have
been decided on at washington last
Saturday, at the conference between
President Mckinley, Secretary of WaI
Alger and representatives Of the Ma.
tional Guard organizations of twenty
two states, and the statement was yes
terday practically confirmed by Major
General Snowden.
In order that an invasion may he
made Immediately effective large
body of organized troops will he landed
ON the island of Cuba without unnects-
rary delay, and consequently the call
for volunteers will, it is expected, be
greatly in excess of the 10000 men orig
inally suggested. I'm fact it is more
likely TO be $4,000 or 100000 It Is well
known by the military authorities that
there are 10000 Spanish troops alone i'm
cuba. Against these General Miles
could pit at once only about 10000
United States regulars. There are.
however, over 100000 effectively organ
lied National Guards, many Of them
Of long training, who. with slight
addition to their equipments, will be
ready to go into active service without
the usual drill necessary to prepare
ordinary volunteers.
In this state the division Of three
hrigades has everything, including
tents ready for immediate service. and
the government is now hard at work.
day and night, turning out the new
waterproof fatigue uniforms for the
army of occupation.
Among the Pennsylvania National
Guard officers who attended SATURDAYS
conference at Washington We're Major
General Snowden, Adjutant General
Stewart. Brgadier General Schal and
Lieutenant Colonel Elliot. assistant ad-
jutant general of the First division.
While not disposed to go into the de-
tails of the conference, General Snow
den discussed the probabilities of the
guard being ordered out. He is of the
opinion that the entire guard Of the
state should be put into service, as the
nest surest and cheapest way to strike
blow is to have an overwhelming
force at hand. He is satisfied that the
soldiers of the state would give a good
account Of themselves, and that they
nave already the necessary discipline
to go under fire. Should the troops be
called out tomorrow, they will prob
ably be ordered to mobilize by going
into camp at Mt. Gretna there to await
orders to move.
RETAIN THEIR OWN OFFICERS.
OF course, the guards Will retain
their own officers, each organization
simply going from the state into the
United States service. Some of the
commands might be ordered To garri-
son duty along the coast, hut it is eX-
pected that the bulk will go with the
army of invasion under General Miles
Should only a portion of the guards
he required, it is probable that there
will be two brigades at least formed,
which would make a division of Penn
sylvania troops. commanded by Gen
eral SnOwden. 1t is hoped however,
that the entire division will be ordered
out, in which event three brigades un-
der Generals Goblin, Wiley and Scharl
will remain as they are
AS the commander of the Pennsyl-
Vania division, General SnoWden would
rank with the regular army officers.
who would be made major generals Of
volunteers, although it is presumed
that the commissions of the regular
army generals, say those Of Brigadirr
Generals Shrafter, Coppinger and Gra-
ham, would be dated ahead of the Ma
tlonal Guard major generals, so that
they would be senior officers. There is
also probability, if the army Of inva-
sion is large enough, that ii will be
divided into army corps. In that event
Major General Brooks and Major Cen
eral Merritt would probably be the
CORPS commanders.
PRESIDENTS RIGHT DEFINED.
One Of the questions discussed at the
conference with the president was the
rlght TO send the guards out Of the
country. 1t was the unanimous onin-
ION that there could be no question of
the presidents right to order the
troops out of the country, as they
would then be volunteers i'm the United
states army, and not state national
guards. At the expiration of their SER
vice in the United States army they
would resume their organization as ma
tional guards.
General Snowden thinks the dan
gers Of the Cuban climate have been
greatly exaggerated, and anticipates
no extra hardships for the men i'm that
respect. The general has been in Cuba.
and says that the danger is confined 10
the sea-coast cities, where they have
not proper drainage, and that tho
climate in the country is all rigi;t.
General Schofield also stated that an
American army could evade Cuba with
out any danger from the climate in
the months of June and July.
AT every armory in the state pre-
parations have been made TO ansWe,
an immediate call, and if the men are
ordered out tomorrow they will be
ready to go anywhere they are direct
ed on shortest notice.
ADJUTANT STEWARDS DENIAL.
Harrisburg, April 1S,-Adjutant Gen
eral Stewart denies that the officers of
the National Guard Of Pennsylvania
have been advised from Headquarters
that an order for the mobilization of
the troops will be Issued in a few days.
He says the question of mobilizing the
guard in Fairmount park has never
been considered or thought Of by those
in authority and that the war depart
ment would determine where the troops
would be sent in the event Of their be-
ing placed in the United States service.