The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-21
THE WORK OF MARS
Busy Day In Preparation For the
HiSpan0-American War.
NO VOLUNTEER CALL YET
MUCH CONSULTATION OVER
THIS VITAL TOPIC.
Mules In Cuban Climate-Pack Trains
Instead of Wagons-Balloons For
Army Use-Surgeons Anxious to
Enter the Service-Subsistence
Supplies.

Washington, April 2O.-The topic of
absorbing interest in military circles
| today was the expected decision OF the
president and Secretary Alger upon the
question OF how to place the volunteer
forces at the service of the govern
ment. No less than three consultations
were held today at the White House
on this subject, but it was finally an
nounced that it would not be possloie
to issue the expected call for volun-
| teers today. The District of Columbia
| militia forces have been offered to the
! government by General Harries, and
! there is some expectation that these
will be the first of the militia forces
| to be drawn into the government serY-
| ice.
| Other events of the day at the war
| department were the return to Wash
! ington and the report of the artillery
expert who inspected the southern for
| tifications, and the appointment or
some aides on the staff Of General
Miles. The ordnance bureau also made
another heavy requisition for funds.
GENERAL MILES.
The present expectation is that Cen
eraI Miles, commanding the army, will
leave the city on Saturday for a tour
of inspection of the points where the
regular army will be mobilized in the
south He will be accompanied by a
number of his aides.
Colonel c. r. Greenleaf. assistant
surgeon general, now stationed at San
Francisco, has been ordered to Wash
! ington for duty on the staff of General
Miles. and Captain James Allen will
serve on the staff as signal officer. The
latter has had considerable experience
with General Miles and served with
him as signal officer in his Indian cam
paign. Captain S. Y. Leyburn of the
Tenth infantry also was added to the
staff
General Greedy, chief signal officer,
| has detailed Lieutenant j. t. MaXheld.
stationed at New York, to take charge
of all matters pertaining to the ques-
| ton of providing balloons for the use
! of the army.
| Surgeon General Sternberg of the
army has had applications for positions
/ by over 1000 persons in the medical
profession. The surgeon general, how
ever, thinks the regular army medical
corps is adequate for all present pur-
poses. In the event of the occupation
of Cuba. the department would make an
effort to obtain physicians who are i'm
mune to yellow fever for service there.
Colonel William Ludlow, who has
been ordered TO Washington as chief
engineer officer on General Miles staff,
reported at army headquarters today.
COMMISSARY.
The commissary office of the war de-
partment has issued advertisements in
viting proposals for furnishing suOsist-
ence supplies for the army IN such
quantities as may be called for. and
which will be regulated entirely by the
size of the army at the time the sup
plies are needed. The bids will be
opened al the end of the present month
in New York, Chicago, st. Louis, Kan
sas City and New Orleans.
General Wilson, chief of engineers;
has issued orders for the immediate
preparation OF the pontoon train at the
military academy. West Point, for use
in military operations in Cuba.
CUBAN CLIMATE.
Such information as the war depart
ment has been able to obtain from per-
sons familiar with the Cuban climate
has led them to believe that the pro-
posed pack trains are about the only
means available for the transportation
of supplies to an army in the field in
Cuba The regular quartermaster S
trains of fine four-wheeled wagons.
drawn by from six to eight mules, it is
said, would be absolutely useless in
Cuba during the rainy season, although
they may be awaited of should the war
last.
1.-The bottom drops out of the roads"
as they say in the west, during the
rainy season in Cuba, and pack trains,
therefore, will be used.