Evening journal., 1898-04-20
lie ARMY And MANY.
os,ly National Guardsmen TO Answer First
Call For Volunteers.

WASHINGTON, April 2O-Milltary
and naval preparations continued yes.
telday with undated vigor. Seven fleet
steam yachts suitable for navigation IN
Cuban waters were procured, and sew
oral bids for steam colllers were made.
Arrangements are being made to utilize
number OF powerful converted smooth
bore guns, survivors Of the late war, as
armament for the auxiliary cruisers.
Many agents for ship owners were at
the navy department yesterday offering
60 sell craft to the government, but
whCre the vessels are suitable the
prlc8s are said to be excessive, and no
purchases were made.
The authoritative statement was made
nt the war department yesterday that
on the first call for troops only the
ms t'onal guard will be given an oppor
tUuity TO volunteer for service in the
war. This statement is i'm accordance
with those made by Secretary Alger to
the national guardsmen who called up
on him at the war department on Sat-
urday when the modified Hull bill for
the expansion of the army I'm time Of
w0r was under consideration. Secre-
tary Alger thinks that such course Is
in keeping with sound discretion
and the dictates OF common sense, for
sha organized militia have gone to great
expense and have devoted much time
10 perfectlng themselves for military
duty. Any other course he believes
would be destructive to the best inter-
esls OF the guard. AS far as practicable
the state organizations entering the
volunteer service VIII remain intact, the
governors OF the various states being
permitted, as they were In 1861. to des-
Innate the regimental officers, which
VIII Include those OF the grades of sec
ond lieutenant to colonel The pres
ioent viii reserve TO himself the right
to appoint the STAFF and field officers
n any applications have been made 10
the war department FOR permission 10
volunteer and among men OF all creeds,
nauonalltles and politics there is an ex-
pressed Intention and desire to uphold
the honor and the integrity OF the dag
of Che republic.
ft was stated yesterday that the first
call for troops would DO for $4,000 men.
" hlch. IL ls believed, will exhaust the
entire available strength OF the national
guard at this time after deducting those
who are sick and otherwise incapacitat-
ed for Immediate service The total
tie war department Is 113764 men.
Secretary Alger made several addl-
tiOnal allotments from the emergency
fund for the war department yester-
day. one million dollars was given for
the Quartermaster's department chief
II 10 meet extraordinary expenses In
the transportation Of troops and muni-
tiOns Of war; $l5. 600 for work with bal
iInrr "a ~ 9e0 000 for narFooflprr tn, rre,,r
tolegraphio service. General Greely tho
chief signal officer, Is stanch advo-
cute or the use OF balloons at the va
rious ports OF the country and in regu-
Lar field service. A great deal of in
dignatlon has been expressed by naval
sliicerp over the cold blooded attempt Of
persons owning vessels or acting as
their agents to eEtort from the govern
4 ent sums Of money largely In excess
Of the value Of their craft. The same
complaint IL also made as to many
Kinds OF military and naval supplies,
although Il Is gratifying TO note that
in "a few exceptional cases the tube
making and boiler making firms and
s1rae ammunition and gun making peo-
rie. every disposition has been shown
t. give the government the best terms
in price and time of delivery.
The navy department has arranged to
place some light armor on the four YES
sells acquired, from the Morgan line--the
Prairie. Yosemite, Yankee and Dixie.
The Carnegie company has undertaken
To roll Immediately light steel plate IL
inches thick. Two layers OF this plate
VIII be placed around the boilers and
vnglne rooms Of the ships, making about
go tons or armor in each case. This
viii be sufficient at least to repel the
fire Of machine guns and perhaps to
keep out the murderous six FOUNDER
shells.
The navy department has received
satisfactory information that the coal
loaded at Newport News upon tho Brit
ish tramp steamer Hampstead Is not
as was supposed intended for the Span
ish naval craft at the Cape Verde is
lands. but is for a line Of merchant
steamers. so that apprehension from
That score has been removed. The de-
pertinent Is stlll reaching out FOR ves-
sells suitable for colliers. and several
cable messages were sent yesterday to
IT'S agency In Europe looking to the pur-
| chase Of some of these vessels.