The sun., 1898-03-24
WAR DEPARTMENT BUSY.
ANOTHER MILLION ALLOTTED TO IT
FROM THE E1rERGENo FUND.

1
ne Purchased Abrond-Prcparatiens for tho
| nrov.,,.r,. os Troo,. 10 the ssnbosra.
|
| WASHINGTON, March 25'-Not since the eK-
traordinary preparations Tor possible war were
begun by tho Government has the war depart
ment been 80 busily engaged IN 'ne "ork Ot pre-
pairing for the worst as IL was to-day FROM Ihe
Secretary and the chiefs OF Important bureaus
| to the clerks Of lowest grade in tho department
all were occupied with duties OF reuouoiou mum
ber and Importance. several new pro1ects were
decided on, and the work along lines already
| laid out was prosecuted Win renewed actlVly'
| Secretary Aigcr had conference win the FreSi.
dent early this morning, at which tne noao Oh
! the War Department was authorized 10 spend
| $l,O56.OOO OF the oO,OOO,oOO tunn node aValf
able by Congress largo part OF tnIs Will DO
spent In coast detences'
conference was heid iater IN Inc morning oe-
tween Secretary AlRer ana AssletHnt secretary
| OF the treasury Spaulding' ana tne torn@i 'ranS'
Ter OF jurisdiction OF the Dry Aortusas ro'n
the Treasury department TO the war Depart
| ment was accomplished. Inc war DopaFtmeht
| has yielded, after strong urging, 10 the uemano
| OF the Navy department Tor iortihoationS 10
protect the projected naval coallne ana supply
station at Tortugas and Col. hoDerts' inc arm!
engineer in charge OF river ana harpor inproV~
ments In tlorin"' submitted oetaileu plahs ior
| '"o uoiS"o0 W SoSt -, ~ ,,,h. -.
SO es'a,a,S ~ ,h" W"rond Novv denart.
''s.. - S,a.ra,, 70 tho arr,v NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
| -.. a.. a.. -, ,hs, .h. Na,x Don,rtmsnt
consents to do all that the navy department.
| officials ask the Dry Iortugas VIII DO Ioruneo
at On expense OF nearly pl'VoOoVo. AS toi" III
tt"sos,s.s s -. .",ahIIsh ,,orr,sor a, rrortngas
I .s ~ -. .h,i;tato oId Eor, Iefysrson nm The
,",s,s 7. 20. so;a to-dov that both ARTILLERY
. ~ w. .aS. ia ho s,.tIonod ,h.ro
s es a.. -. ssS-;.on -ou,d he strong
M ~.'a 'u~s .,s.,Uo. ,,.nhahv - four or siy
.,ruIn. t. H.. M, besn dec,ded
| s -. Az or.,.1t nosta tba
| 80. Iii -. s..,,,, Tho nld hot,.rios ~ yups
"'Ipo T. - Ill, ~ s,,n,,ouortod ,vith n
| , ~ =. o...r -ortd.1r. coo.t-defence
nu ,n" 60 ~ ~ .ho a,,ns hon,ht IN FngIand
piooes Sss .,,i ,,,,oso
,a'. "eon VIZ ~ .o' s,,.,,oors and ord.
~ 30 ~ 80 20 ~. Fla ,,,,n. Irinr, ~
| Tart,,,..n oa, ho ,rorntod for eAectivc uso "a
short.ron,s won onons IN command tho channels
| ontering tho bnrhor at the naval station
| The docisIon of the War Department to forlify
49, ~. ,To.t,,,ra. ,,,. . narred copcession ON
| tbo ror, NJ the army administration. and was
| reached onlv after the Navy DEPARTMENT had
| ala hafors tho president and the War Depart.
r,.rt of,cjols IN the stroneest terms the desira-
bnitv ~ having n strongly protected naval sta
t,on IN rho island II was pointed out that there
| ,s M co.I,no station .itpated on a deep
| harhor h.twcsp Hamnton Roads and the
Rio Gropde and the extreme Importance
| of tho TortuRas project, in view of the
threatened war in southern waters, was enl-
! phasized. Gen. Wilson, the Chief of Engineers
/ of tho army, said THE afternoon that It was
| mistake to suppose that he was opposed to the
| scheme to fortify the Dry Tortugas His only
objection to the plan at any time was based on
| the lack OF funds at the command Of the de-
partment for tho purposes Of fortifcation. At
the conference Of War Department officials to-
morrow some details OF the plan for erecting
Notifications on the proposed naval station will
be decided on.
| In viev of the imperative demands of the pro-
| tected ooRst defences for heavy ordnance the
| Government has decided to make further pur-
| cbascs of large sca-coest guns in the foreign
market. A considerable portion OF the addi-
| tional allotment of more than 81 900. 600 made
| to tho War Department to-day will be used for