Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-06-04
THE INVASION OF CUBA.
The Plan of Campaign Outlined by
Secretary Alger. s4asssasS
THE LANDING OF THE TROOPS,

VIII BE Hurried Forward, and Our Sol
diers VIII Also Be Sent to Porto Rico
ut the Earliest Possible Moment.
Elaborate Preparations For Invasion
Washington, June 2--For the first
time since the beginning of hostilities
there appears to be something in the
nature of an official statement of the
plan of campaign Of the United States
government. This is contained in n
letter of Secretary Alger to the speaker
of the house transmitting certain rec
concentrations and statements of Gem
eral Ludlow, which disclosed the pur-
pose of the war department to send
1000 men to Cuba, 10000 to start at
once and the remainder just az soon
as they can be made ready for depart
ure Then there was an estimate for
establishing electrical communications
in connection with the army lin Cuba.
Porto Rico and the Philippines" show
ing for the first time officially an inn
piled intention on the part Of the gov
eminent to land troops in Porto Rico.
OF course all these movements have
been anticipated by the press, but
nevertheless a strong element OF doubt
existed, and therefore the official state
ment of the governments purpose,
made even in this indirect fashion,
created a profound sensation here.
A good deal of interest attached to
an order that was made at the war
department providing for the organi-
cation of the $4,000 additional volun-
teers called for. The order officially es-
tablished the statement heretofore
made in these dispatches that q large
proportion of the new men are to be
used to fill up the existing regiments
of volunteers, which are in most cases
deficient in numbers. According to the
plans already formulated $1,000 troops
will be required to recruit the regi-
ments of the existing organizations up
to their maximum strength, leaving
only $4,000 troops to be mustered in
for the organization of entirely new
regiments.
Several of the states and territories
have already furnished troops under
the first call in excess OF their quotas
under these calls and Adjutant General
Corbin is authority for the statement
that none Of them will at this time be-
called upon to furnish any additional
troops. The District of Columbia and
the following named states are included
in the list: Delaware, Vermont, North
Dakota. South Dakota, Montana Idaho
and Wyoming.
An evidence Of the elaborate prepar-
atoms that are making for the subsist-
ence of the troops modified and to be
sent to Tampa is obtained from the
fact that the commissary's department
has now on hand at that place 5000, 00O
rations. A ration Is one days food sup
ply for a soldier. On this basis there
is subsistence at Tampa for an army OF
SO, 900 men for hundred days, and for
a smaller army for a greater number of
days. The supply is being increased
daily, in view of the arrival of addi-
tional soldiers to be emptied in the
army of occupation of Cuba and Porto
Rico.
A statement from Madrid. in what
seemed TO be almost semi-official form.
Of the acuteness Of the financial strin-
gency there and the plain intimation
that the Bank of Spain, and conse-
quently Spain, were nearing the end
of their financial resources, is regarded
at the state department as of more
real significance than many Of the
stories Of battles on land and sea that
have been coming over the cables for
the past few weeks. The effect of this
notice may be to hasten the operations
against Porto Rico, lest the prize slip
from our grasp through a sudden and
unexpected termination OF the war.