The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-02
Money Asked Tor Establishing EIec-
tricaI Communication in Those
Islands and the Philippines.
NO NEWS FROM TRANSPORTS
MOVEMENTS OF THE INVADERS
STILL CLOSELY CENsORIZED.
An Order Issued Regarding the Sec
ond Call for VOIunteers-Genera
Miles and Stan at Tampa.

WASHINGTON, June 1.-For the first
time since the beginning of hostilities there
appears to be something in the nature of an
oficial statement of the plan of campaign
OF the United States government. This is
contained in a letter of Secretary Alger to
tain recommendations and statements of
General Ludlow. which disclosed the pur-
pose OF the War Department. to send sew
enty thousand men to Cuba, twenty thou
sand to start at once and the remainder
just as soon as they can be made ready for
departure. Then there was an estimate for
establishing electrical communications in
connection with the army '1n Cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippines" showing for the
first time officially an implied intention on
the part of the government to land troops
In Porto Rico. OF course all these move
ments have been anticipated by the press,
but, nevertheless, a strong element OF doubt
existed and therefore an official statement
of the governments purposes. made even in
this indirect fashion. created a profound
sensation here The three are to go to-
pines. and pass into the military occupation
of the United States troops.
Inasmuch as the secretary says that the
second contingent of troops is to go forward
az soon as they can be prepared. a good
deal Of interest attached to an order that
was made to-day at the War Department
providing for the organization of the 5000
additional volunteers called for. The order
officially established the statement hereto
fore made in these dispatches that large
proportion of the new men are to be used
to fill up the existing regiments of volun-
teers, which are in most cases deficient in
numbers. 1t is to be presumed from to-
days order that the volunteer regiments
collected under the first call will be detained
until they are filled up in thi@ fashion, so
that the order has some bearing upon the
plan of campaign.
The War Department received a dispatch
to-day from General Brooke, in command
OF the forces at Chickamauga, setting at
rest the reports as to inadequate food and
water supply there. When these reports
were circulated recently Secretary Alger
telegraphed an inquiry to General Brooke.
whose reply is as follows: There is no
reason whatever for complaint as to the
quality and kind of food furnished the
troops in this camp. Some regulars arrived
here with food rations only, but defects of
this kind are quickly remedied, and the
vegetable component Immediately provided.
The water question Is being solved as to
quantity, and it has always been good as to
quality"
The statement from Madrid. in what
seemed to be almost semi-official form, OF
the acuteness of the financial stringeney
there, and the plain intimation that the
Bank Of siaia, and. consequently, Spain
were nearing the end of their financial re-
sources. was regarded at the State Depart
ment 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 two 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 unexpect-
ed termination of the war.
An additional evidence that the actual
forward movement of the army and navy
has begun was given In the action of the
foreign naval and military observers. They
have been sojourning leisurely at Washing
ton for some time, but within the last week
all of them have started for Florida The
British naval and military attaches were
the first to leave. and now they have been
followed by the German, Austrian, Russian.
Swedish, Norwegian and Japanese observ-
ers. The government of Norway and
Sweden has no less than six military and
naval experts to observe various branches
OF the warfare. They include Commanders
Anderson, Dahlgren and Gade and Lieut..
Sechnuyden of the navy and Capts Web
ster and Stang, of the army. They left for
Tampa last night.
GEN. MILES AT TAMPA.