The age-herald., 1898-03-24
SPANISH CRISIS
 IS NEAR AT HAND This Is the Feeling in Official Cir
 Cles at Washington. REPORT OF COURT OF INQUIRY Mill Probably 0a Received Friday and Immsdiat Sd Before President. sENAT@ cALL AT WHITE HOUSE M0 ,~3 Desires Patriotic Unity With. : out Reference to Party. EXPECTS TWO MESSAGES TO CONGRESS One VIII Relate Exclusively to the Maine Disaster While the Other VIII Take
 Up the Fearful Condition of
 Affairs in Cuba.
M9 1~s Desires Patriotic Unity With. ; out Reference to Party.
EXPECTS TWO MESSAGES TO CONGRESS

W AoI1IN6ION, MATCH ZO.-Iu0 feeling was unusual throughout official circles that the culmina- tion of the Spanish crisis was near at hand, With the report of the Maine court of inquiry only a lit- tie while off, with the white house the center of long and earnest conferences between the presi- dent and the party leaders of con- gress, and with exceptional activ. ity toward emergency prepara- tions in the war and navy depart ments, there was abundance of evidence that definite results re- garding the Maine disaster and the Cuban question in general were about to be reached.
 Among the presidents callers were Sena. tors Cokrel, Turpie and Foraker, Gen, Dan Sickles, former United States min- ister to Madrid and Representative Will liam Alden Smith, of Michigan, who has recently returned from a trip to Cuba The call of Messrs. Cokrell and Purple was re- garded as particularly significant as they are representative democrats in the sen. ate and their visit followed that of Sena- tor German yesterday.
 Desires Patriotic Unity
 It was generally understood that in the present emergency the president desires patriotic unity without reference to par ty. Secretaries Long and Alger also con- ferred with the president during the day. Secretary Long later said that the Maine report probably would not be received until Friday, when it would be laid before the president immediately. He did not think the president would give the document any consideration at a late hour. It was more probable, he thought if Lieutenant Mark arrived at a late hour that he would take the report to hotel for the night.
 There has been no change in the plan of sending the report to congress early next week. probably Monday, accompa- nied by a message from the president It is definitely settled, however, that the mdA- sage and the papers accompanying it will relate exclusively to the Maine disaster. It will not take up the fearful condition of affairs in Cuba as shown by the reports 
 served for subsequent action and @ latef message to congress.
 Secretary Long determined today to or der the double turreted monitors Puritan and Terror to Key West, where they will reinforce the squadron in those waters. He also determined to bring into service the eight single turreted monitors at League Island navy yard, Philadelphia, two of which will be sent to Boston, two to New York and four held in reserve at Philadelphia The Puritan and Terror take the place of the battleship Massachusetts and Texas, recently withdrawn from this squadron at Key West. It was stated at the navy department that this move was in accordance with a programme previous ly agreed upon, although not announced heretofore The Puritan by many experts. is regarded as the most formidable fight ing machine in the navy.
 Sea Going Cutters Utilized
 In addition to its other preparations for possible trouble, the navy department today took steps toward utilizing ten of the sea-going revenue cutters for use along the Atlantic coast
 Captain Shoemaker, chief of the revenue cutter service, conferred with Assistant Secretary Roosevelt during the day on the plans for turning over these cutters to the navy. They will be first sent to Norfolk, where additional guns will be mounted and then will proceed to Key West and become a part or the squadron tHere The nsaH service, however, will be as naval pickets a chain of these fleet cutters being main- tained outside of the cruisers and battle ships. The revenue cutter service now has ready for instant and active service 124 line officers, 174 engineers, 900 enlisted men and 19 vessels, IA of which are on the Att lantlc coast Two others are in course of at Cleveland and can be ready for sea in from thirty to forty-five days. The Manning, Gresham, Algonquin. On ondagua and Windom are all new and fast and efficient vessels, and could go any, where and perform any service that amy vessel of their class can perform. The Manning is considered an eighteen knot boat.
 Not Definitely Decided
 All of them, it Is said, could be quickly into torpedo boats or dynamic cruisers. Secretary Long said today that it had become evident that torpedo boats could not he bought abroad and could not
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