The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-06
WORK OF DEPARTMENTS.
Statement Regarding the Activity In
the Navy and Army.


WASHINGTON, March 5-The activity in
the various naval and military bureaus con-
tinues. This activity up to the present time
has not taken the form of any concerted
or elaborate plan of emergency prepara-
tions, but has been manifest mainly
through comparatively minor acts, which,
taken together, have shown that the heads
of departments were not inactive in pre-
pairing their branches of the service for any
requirements which it was possible might
be made upon them. A member of the Cab
met stated to-day that there should be no
misunderstanding or misconstruction of
these steps. For instance, all of the mani
fold movements, particularly in the West,
of war material are declared in the most
positive manner simply to be in execution
of plans long ago developed by the forti-
fications board for the defense of the coast.
Thus at Seattle the War Department has
recently purchased a tract of $40 acres on
Magnolia bluff, a point regarded by the
board as indispensable to the proper defense
of Puget sound. This is now being put into
condition for the reception of heavy guns
and other weapons. The work. it is said,
should have been done long ago.
However, while it is stated that these
steps are in accordance with past plans,
there is no concealment OF the fact that the
administration is impressed with sense of
duty in putting the two war branches in
the highest state of efficiency to meet any
emergency. There is no disposition to an
ticipate an emergency, or to say that any
situation will develop which will call into
use the preparations now on foot. On the
contrary, the highest authorities of the
naval and military branches say they do
I,,4
ing the duty allotted to them of being
ready for any result that may come, no
matter how unexpected it may be. These
high officials do not wish to minimize their
preparations or to assert that they are
merely routine neither do they wish these
wise and natural precautions to be con-
strued far beyond their legitimate extent
and made the basis for alarming reports of
war measures. In referring to this subject
u member of the Cabinet said he felt that
patriotic instincts should inspire a Just
measuring of the activity now evident at
no more and no less than it really meant
SEAMEN NEEDED.
The Navy Department is somewhat en-
barrassed by the lack of seamen necessary
to fill the complement of ships already or
about to go into commission, and In view Of
the shortage the officials in charge of the
recruiting stations at League island, Nor
folk and New York have been instructed
to enlist such seamen as may be available
and not confine themselves to persons who
have heretofore been in the navy Accord
ing to an official of the Construction Bureau
of the navy it would be some time before
the Charleston, Yorktown and Philadel-
phia, now at the Mare island yard, are
again ready for sea service unless extraor-
binary measures are taken to hurry the
work on them. The work on the Charles
ton, carried on in the manner in which it
has been, will require three months be-
fore she is finished. The Yorktown and
Philadelphia, it is suggested, might be pre-
pared again for sea service in very short
time if they are not put in commission, but
if the latter step is resorted to it will re-
quire from six to nine months to put them
in shape.
The War Department is having some diff
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