Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-20
TRANSPORT TO CUBA
Arrangements for Carrying Troops
Being Made.
BIDS TO Be OPENED IN new YORK
Many Vessels Have Been Offered
to the Government.
TO CHARTER, NOT TO BUY

Arrangements are being made by the
War Department for the transportation of
troops from southern ports to Cuba and if
is expected that the will be perfected to-
| morrow or soon after. Acting under in
structions from the department, Col A. S.
kimball, chief quartermaster of the de-
rartment of the east. will open bids at New
York today for the charter of steam YES
sells for this important service. Core
spondence has already been had with sew
eral of the largest transpoI tation COM
panies on the Atlantic and gulf coasts,
from which it appears that the govern
ment will have no difficulty in securing a
| sufficient number of first-class steam YES
sells of good speed for the transportation
of the army to be sent to Cuba.
Among the companies which have offer
ed vessels to the government fer this serv-
ice are the following:
Iron Steamboat Company of New York
Clty-Taurus, capacity. 1000 passengers;
Cetus, Perseus, Pegasus, each with ca
pacity of 1850. Plant System at Tampa.
Florida-Mascotte, Olivette. Florida, each
with capacity of 1000 passengers. Cape
May and Delaware Bay Navigation Com
pany of adelphia-Republic, with a
capacity of 900 passengers. New York
ana Texas Steamship Company at New
| assas, each with a capacity OF 1000 pas
senSers. Southern Pacific Company of
New York city-Aransas, Gusse Morgan.
whitney, each with a capacity OF 1000
passengers.
To Charter Rather Than to buy.
The probabilities are that arrangements
will be made whereby the government will
secure most, If not all, of the vessels above
named, in addition to several others whose
nc
explained by Assistant Secretary Meikle-
john that the department has deemed 1t
advisable to char ter rather than purchase
all the ships it may need for the trans
portation of troops, and that all the vesseis
engaged will be assembled at the various
points on the Atlantic seaboard and the
gulf coast most convenient for the embark
alton of the troops. 1t is expected that
the contracts for the vessels will be con-
Guided and the vessels themselves assem-
bled at the designated points of embarka-
uon at least day or two before the troops
are In complete readiness to start on the
proposed expedition for Cuba
Calling for Volunteers.
The subject of most concern at the War
Department this morning was the calling
out of volunteers. This turns out to be a
much more complicated question than was
at first supposed, and the officials in des-
peration, are looking to Congress for i'm
mediate relief in their extremity There
are all sorts Of antiquities and conflicts
in the existing arms laws which, after all,
consist of nothing more than a lot of patch
work, dating from the beginning of the re-
public. 1t is recalled that even President
Lincoln was obliged to call upon Congress
to validate the calls he had been forced to
issue for troops, and, singular to say,
successful effort has been made since that
day to provide adequate machinery where
by the government might avail itself in an
m "A M ha
United States in the way of troops. One of
the difficulties that confronted officials this
morning. when it was supposed that the
way had been cleared in certain measure
for the use of the National Guard as
United States volunteer troops, was a con-
fiict between sections 1106 and 1915. Re-
viSed Statutes. 1t was the purpose of the
department, in Difference to the wishes of
the National Guardsmen, to allow them to
preserve their own organizations in the
event that they are called into the service
of the United States. But it appears that
the National Guard regiments all or
ganized on the three-battalion basis, and
each infantry regiment consists of twelve
companies, with three majors, battalion adj
jutants, etc. Now, the regular army or
ganization provides for one major and a
very much reduced staff of officers and ten
companies 1t is manifestly impossible,
therefore. to muster the National Guards
men into the army with their present or
ganization. and it is believed to be mex
pedient to attempt to reorganiZe the Guard
in so short notice.
Secretary Alger, with General Miles, went
over to the White House about noon and
spent some time with the President in an
attempt to find some way TO remedy this
condition of affairs. The impression SEEM
ed to be that it will be absolutely necessary
to request Congress to act Immediately
upon the bill presented yesterday by Sec
rotary Alger to the chairman of the House
committee to cure these defects and pro-
vide for the easy enlargement of the army
through the additional volunteer forces.
Ment Supply I'm Cuba.
A communication received at the War
Department from the president of the Lone
Star steamship line containing statistics OF
the imports of meat cattle into Cuba, gave
a good deal of solace to the War Depart
ment officials. 1t showed that Al $50 head
of cattle were imported last year, and
that at present the supply of meat on hand
is very short. This fact would seem to in
dictate easy accomplishment of the task
of reducing the island by process of block
ade and starvation.
Orders were sent this morning to the 18th
Infantry, under Colonel Burke. at Chicka-
manga to proceed to Mobile. Ala. and the
movement will be executed at once.
Identification of Soldiers
One of the questions confronting the mil
itary authorities relates to the means of
Identification OF soldiers who may be lost
in battle or on the march either by wounds
disease. 1t is proposed, SO far as pos
sible, TO avoid the sad experiences of the
civil war, where 1t was found impossible
in large number of cases to identify the