The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-03-12
HOPING FOR
THE BEST,
Government Officials Are Actively Pre-
pairing For the Worst.
TO BUILD THREE BATTLESHIPS |
House Naval Committee Will So Report-A
Military Department of the South
Created Minister De Bernabe
Says Spain will Try to
Avert War.

the best and prepared for the worst
about represents the situation in the
war and navy departments these days.
The officials still profess confidence
that there is to be a peaceful outcome
of the present threatening difficulties,
but meanwhile prepare with serenity
to meet their duty If events should
shape themselves otherwise. The most
important and significant develop
ments of the day were the decision of
the house naval committee to place
in the naval appropriation bill a pro-
vision for three new battleships and a
conclusion on the part of the secretary
of war to issue an order creating a
new military department, including
within it's confines that part of the
country which would in all likelihood
be nearest to the field of hostilities in
case it should come to that.
The order which was issued this
morning, will create a commotion in
the south. The present department of
Texas Is abolished and the headquar-
ters, which has been at San Antonio,
Tex, for so many years, are aban-
doned In place of the old department
Is created a new one, the department
of the south General Graham, at
present commander of the department
of Texas, will command the new de-
partment This department will in
clude the states of South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana and Texas. All of these
states save the last are at present at
tached to the department of the east,
under command of General Merritt, of
New York. Headquarters Of the new
l. ~
For the first time yesterday officials
of the war department admitted that
they were straining every nerve to i'm
prove that part of the defenses of the
country confined to their care 1t is
without question the most unusual
mark of confidence In an executive Of
ficer to empower him to give orders
without limit for the purchase Of war
material, yet this is what the president
and Secretary Alger have done in the
case of General Flagler chief of ord
nance. General Flagler has instructed
every concern capable of supplying war
material, such as rapid fire guns, shot,
shell and ammunition, to go to work
at full capacity.
The navy department has now reason
to believe that it has secured the two
now building in England for Brazil. 1t
was stated at the cabinet meeting yes
terday by Secretary Long that the
naval attache at London, Lieutenant
Colonel Well, had almost completed the
negotiations for the sale. So far, how
ever the final notification from him
that his offer has been accepted has
not yet reached the navy department.
hoS cd hot
there shall be no wasteful extrava
gance in his department in the expendi
ture of the funds so generously pro-
vided by congress, and to this end he
has addressed the following letter to the
assistant secretary of the navy, the
colonel commandant of the marine
corps, and to each of the bureau chiefs
of the navy department, instructing
| them to incur no expense or liability
except after written statements and
estimates made by them and approved
| by the president and secretary.
| In anticipation of a rupture be-
| tween the United States and Spain,
many naval officers on the retired list
have notified the secretary of the navy
of their willingness and readiness to
perform any duty in the line of their
profession that he may deem suitable
| for them. The president has power to
assign any retired officer of the navy
to duty during the progress Of war,
but he can only assign him to the COM
mand of squadrons or ships by and
with the advice and consent of the sem
ate. There are army officers on the
retired list in the full enjoyment of
health and mental vigor, despite the
fact that they are over 62 years of age,
The statement was persistently cir
culated yesterday afternoon, and in
some cases the report came from those
whose sources of information should
be reliable, that the administration
| was in possession of information that
the result of the investigation of the
court of inquiry as to the cause of the
Maine disaster would show that the
explosion which destroyed the battle
ship came from some external agency.
A cabinet officer was even quoted as
making this announcement, and an
other report had it that the steno-
graphic notes of the inquiry were be-
fore Secretary Long. When the mat
ter was brought to the attention of
Secretary Long he pronounced the
statement as false in every particular