The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-04-28

crease to 10000 men, and as soon as
the President asked it declared thata
state of war existed.
The blockade of Havana and other
Cuban ports, of which notice was
given to the world in a proclamation
by the President as soon as Spain vir-
tually declared war by sending our
minister away from Madrid, will be
maintained until Cuba is captured,
but no land operations further than
the landing of a small force of marines
at some place on the coast and estab-
fishing of a base of supplies for the
Cuban army is contemplated until the
1875, 600 volunteers, now being mobil-
lied, are ready for embarkation. 1t
impossible to say just how soon that
will be-some say not more than ten
days, while others whose opinions are
entitled to weight say it will take at
least month to get the new army
into condition to be effective-but
no time is going to be wasted. The
men who are to have charge of the
invasion of Cuba know their business.
They are not going to move until they
know they can make short work of
driving the Spanish out of Cuba.
| They know that the men can be
trained and put into proper fighting
condition much better in the United
States than in Cuba.
Meanwhile the people must not al
low themselves to become impatient.
Our navy will, while the army is get
| ting ready, continue the work of
blockading and of picking up Spanish
merchant vessels, which has been so
auspiciously started by the capture
of valuable ships. The blockading
squadron will not attack them. There
are all sorts of reports as to what
Spain is doing and is going to do with
her warships but it looks as though
she is afraid to send her big feet of
ships to the assistance of Cuba, and
is keeping them on the other side of
| the Atlantic, where their most dan
gerous occupation until we have cap
tured Cuba will be the capture of the
American merchant ships. Our AS
! iatic squadron has orders which may
result in a naval battle off the Philip
pine Islands.
Hon. Charles Emery Smith, forS
many years editor of the Philadelphia
Press, who was nominated and CON
| firmed as Postmaster General last
week, to succeed Hon. James A. Gary
who resigned in consequence of bad
health, took charge of the Post Office
Department to-day. Mr.. Smith needs
no introduction either to the people
of the country or to the republican
| party. His selection was genuine
surprise, but the immediate unani-
nous confirmation of his nomination
| by the Senate told that it was pleas
/ ing one.
Another change in the Cabinet may
be expected any day, as Secretary
Sherman's age and strength will not
.
! the Department of State during the
trying and exciting times that war
necessarily brings to the Cabinet. Mr..
Sherman made up his mind some
time ago to retire in favor of a Younger
and stronger man as soon as the war
began, but up to this time President
Mckinley has not been able to obtain
the consent of Judge Day, who as AS
sistant Secretary has had direct
charge of everything pertaining to
Cuban matters, to become Secretary.
Judge Day has never had any desire
for office, having accepted his present
position as a personal favor to the
I President, and with the understand
ing that it was only to be a temper
airy arrangement. That he would pre-
fer returning to private life and the
practiceof his PROFESSIONS we'll known
to his friends, but they expect the per-
suasion of the President to prevail
The U. s. will use balloons in actual
military service for the first time, in
Cuba, although their usefulness has
been fully demonstrated some time
ago, by experiments in this country
and by actual service in Europe.
Each of the two q. S. armies which
will be used for the invasion of Cuba
will have complete balloon outfits
and corps of experts to work them.
These balloons will be sent up high
enough to make thorough observa-
tions in radius of twenty-five or
thirty miles and each of them will
carry signal officer to report to the
commanding officer. They will, of
course, be controlled from the ground
by means of ropes.