Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-27
President Realizes Ii Would Meet With
Unqualified Public Approval.
BUT THERE ISN'T TO BE ANY WAR.
Best Opinion to Effect That Our
Preparation for HostiIlties VIII
Enforce Peace-Mr. Bailey Charmed
With Richmond-Other Personals.

army in the event of war with Spain. 1t
is stated on pretty good authority that
1T was the intention Of President Cleve-
land to make this appointment. under
the same circumstances, and Mr.. Nc
Kinley. feeling that 1t would receive the
unqualified endorsement Of the American
press and people. has determined to
make It.
OF course, Major-General Miles would
be Commander-in-Chief If Lieutenant
General Schofeld was not temporarily
called back into service, to assume COM
mand.
1t is stated that the appointment Of
would remove him from the political
field, but upon his retirement it would
also secure him the salary Of that office
for life. However this may be. it is GER
tain, on the authority of a member, that
this matter was discussed by the Foreign
Relations Committee Of the House, and
there is every reason to believe that In
the event of war General Lee will be
called into the service of the United
States army on the island Of Cuba.
WAR PREPARATIONS.
Beyond this statement about General
Fitz. Lee, which was told In confidence
this afternoon, but afterwards leaked
out. there was no war news to-day.
Every preparation, however, is being
made by the administration for war.
All the available naval vessels from
the North and South Atlantic squadrons
have been concentrated at Key West.
Orders have been issued to have 10000
additional tons OF coal shipped to that
point at once, contracts for provisions
are being quietly made for the expected
emergency, the ordnance department Is
engaged in sending ammunition 10 Key
West and Tortugas, recruiting is steadily
going on, and the militia Of the States
is being organized, and is getting ready
for service, should it be needed.
While all this looks like war. it is the
opinion Of the more conservative lead
ers here that there will be no war. The
extensive preparations for the conflict,
they say, will have the effect of COM
pelling peace Spain will, in their opin-
ion. pay any reasonable indemnity asked
for. and apologize, rather than go to war;
and this. Notwithstanding the opposition
of the Weylerites in Cuba and Spain.
MODERN WAR PROBLEM.
speakine or war, a well-known and ex-
perienced ex-Confederate naval officer
remarked to me: There is one question
have never seen agitateG in our news
papers. but l understand It is the one
that evokes the most serious thought in
hurope-namely, how TO provide and
keep either army or navy properly end
promptly supplied with ammunition tor
the rapid-fire guns, large and small on
shipboard or ashore"
lin the days when you and and others
went soldering, in the late unpleasant
ness, it would have taken several hours
TO shoot away as many cartridges as me
old-ftyle box contained, and which was
all the weight an average man could
carry, in addition to his gun, blanket,
and naversack, on a long days march.
Then each cartridge had to be torn or
bitten off. and rammed home, and the
musket or rifle capped after each dis
charge Now, however, with the new
magazine guns, a half pound OF lead can
be pumped out, and will be pumped out
by raw troops, for every cartridge fired
in the old days by well-disciplined SOL
diers. Under this new condition, will not
| the great problem be to keep them sup
| piled with ammunition, especially il
| troops should be called on to invade
Cuba. or any other country or section,
not directly adjacent to an arsenal?
THE same problem will confront our
fleets as to projectiles, both for heavy
guns and rapid-hre ordnance. This line
of thought has been suggested by the
experience of the French troops in Abys-
! ha in Afrisl.
Green troops there have fired away more
ammunition in one hour than our old
soldiers used to advantage I'm a whole
| days fighting, and the question Of keep
| ing them supplied is the most serious one
/ to be solved"
LONG AND BOUTELLE OUT.
Secretary Long has requested the Naval
] Committee of the House to introuce a
bill making provision for the enlistment
| Of 1900 men in the navy. Mr. Boutelle, Of
| Maine. is much incensed by the letter,
| and is determined that If he can possibly
| do so he will bury the bill in the com
mittee. II the bill ever reaches the
House it will have to be dragged out by
main force.
Mr.. Boutelle did not present the mea-
sure early to-day. as it was expected he
would and when spoken TO about It be-
came very indignant. His actions indi-
Gated clearly how greatly ne has been
mentally disturbed by the receipt OF the
| request.
The 1.5OO men asked for by Secretary
Long are required 10 man the vessels in
the navy notably the Columbia and the
Minneapolis.
What action the friends Of the navy
will take to force Mr.. Boutelle TO report
the bill is at present unknown.
EVANS'S CIVIL~SERVICE BILL.
The House Committee on Reform in 'he
! Civil Service held a hearing this morn
ing on the Evans BILL This bill provides
for f;ve-year tenure of office.
Hon. John r.. Proctor, president Of the
Civil-Service Commission, gave his views
| on the bill. He thought 1t return to the
| spoils system. Mr.. Proctor cited instances
| I'm which the civil service had saved 'he
government money in constructing public
buildings. He was positive that the COM
mission could hll any place with compe-
toni neople. He said that the adoption
Of the Evans bill would result in taking
| something over $1,000 places out Of the
classified service.
WISE-YOUNG CONTEST.
A significant thing to-day at the Capl-
,ol was the failure of the subcommittee
~ Elections Committee No. 3, which has
charge of the Wise-Young contest, from
| tho second Virginia Distict, TO meet in
response to the call or the chairman.
! ronreaentatiye Boutelle, OF Illinois, who
has lust returned was the only member
~ the subcommittee OF three who put In
-