The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-18
WAR PREPARATIONS
STILL BEING PUSHED FORWARD
AT ALL POINTS.

MISUNDERSTANDING T~OrpedOcs and
mmuniti to the Coast Towns
Recruiting in the ~Navy-Bids for
Big Supply OF Ammunition Opened.
No News From the Court.
Washington, March IA weeks ne
gotiations closed today by the purchase
10y the navy department in London of
h two fine cruisers built and building
at Elswick, for the Brazilian govern
ment. Possibly the officials took more
pleasure in closing up the business in
this name because of the knowledge
h IA the Spanish agents had been striv-
ing to secure these ships, to whom, it
is said, they would be of much greater
value in case of trouble than to the
United States. The next question is
how to get the ships home and that
has not yet been settled, according to
the secretary of the navy. Just as 500
as the crew can be put aboard the
Amazonas she will start for the United
States. The other vessel will follow at
the earliest possible moment. The
terms of vale are secret. MI. Lane,
agent of the MISUNDERSTANDING Com
pany, said today that the two ships
would be a most desirable acquisition
to the American navy, as they are the
latest and best products of the famous
Armstrong yards. One of the ships is
complete in every respect, has her coal
supply and ammunition on board and
steam can be raised at any time. There
will be no trouble in bringing this ship
across, as an adequate force from the
local yards can be secured for the SER
vice.
A dangerous deficiency in the engi-
neer branch of the navy has been
brought to light in the fact that it is
scarcely possible to secure a staff of
engineer officers to bring back to the
United States any of the ships pur-
chased abroad. This state of affairs
has been brought to the attention of
the house naval committee, but SO far
ut is feared without meeting with the
degree of success Which it was hoped
for in the shape of am endm in
creasing the number of engineer Off
GERS in the service.
Colonel Haywood; the commandant
of the marine corps, today made five
details of marines for cruisers now be-
JIS IcpdIIeu WI Ieduy III CoIIIIIllSSIOll
There are two drafts of forty five
each for the Philadelphia and the
Charleston, one of fifty two for the
Newark at Norfolk and two of thirty
each for the Columbia and the Min
neapolis at League island.
SENATOR PROCTOR VISITS THE
PRESIDENT.
Senator roctorrisited the Whitehouse
and uptown departments today and his
call excited a good deal of interest.
He spent half an hour first with Sec
rotary Alger, explaining, it is believed,
the military situation in Cuba, and af-
forward mad a conference with Judge
Day, assistant secretary of state. Then
he went to the White house and was
closeted With the president for two
hours and a quarter. When he emery
ed from the room he cOurteOuSly de-
clined to speak regarding the nature Of
the information he had communicated
to the president.
N. +. Palmer, representing the Quint-
ard iron works, of New York, which
built the engine of the Maine, was at
the navy department today in consul
ttatiOn with the officials respecting the
conversion of vessels of the merchant
marine into war craft. While not a
Shipbuilding firm, the Quintard works
have done a great deal of work on the
engines and interior fittings of ships,
which is just the class of work that
would be required in the case of the
auxiliary cruisers.
Because of a protest from some of
the western people, the Secretary of
war has modified his order of last week
changing the names and bounds of the
military department 50 as to retain the
name of the department. of the Mis-
souri,. To do this, however, it was nee
essary to abandon the naming of
'The Department of the Platte" and
the territory included within the pres
ent limits of the department will he
known as the department Of the Mis-
souri,. The old department of the Mis-
souri, retains it new name of the de-
partment of the lakes.
SPANISH MINISTER EN-
PRESSES HIS VIEWS.
The Spanish minister, Senior Polo y
Bernabe received a number of dis
patches today from the minister of
state at Madrid and from Captain
General Blanco. Those from Genera
We're reassuring in tone and STATED that
the situation at Havana and through
out the island was quiet and satisfac-
tory. The minister of state cabled say
ing in substance: The uprising in the
Philippines is 50 insignificant that it
i ~ iluN ~ IN NA1ii> ~
this" T'h minister asked that an en-
phatic denial he made in his nam to
the reports that Senior Juan CdballOS
had been in Washington as a commits
sioner from the Spanish government to
make overtures for terms of settlement
with the Cuban insurgents.
Senior Polo's attention was called to
the reports from Spain as to the pros
pective sailing of THE Spanish torpedo
fleet for Havana and to the signlfl-
canoe which had been attached in this
country to this movement. The min
lister aid that the movement of tor
pedo CRATE had been long contemplated.
Their coming had no relation, what
ever, he declared, to recent conditions,
as they were wanted for work along
The Cuban coast.
This minister has received no intlma-
iion as to the findings of the Spanish
naval commission which is Investigate
ing the Maine disaster. He says this
commission is proceeding with the same
formality and secrecy as the United
States court of inquiry and that no in
IL a. ~-.il H. ,,--.,G I'd