The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-14
THE V PREPARATIONS
INTEREST CENTRED ON THE PUR-
CHASE OF THE BRAzILIAN SHIPS.

H~sosrs-The Beard 10 Arrange for Securing
Auxiliary Vessels to ne In Thls City To-
Nay = THE sailing OF the Battieship Oregon
Deisycd-The Helena ana Bancroft Sail.
WASHINGTON, March 13.-Some conferences
to arrange war preparations woro held to.
day, but 30 far as has been learned none
OF them was Of striking Importance. Tho
greatest interest Of tho naval administra-
tion IL now centred In the question Of
whether there will bo q failure Of tho negotin-
tione to secure the two Brazilian ships built in
England, for which spot cash has been offered
by President Mckinley, through Lieut.. Colwell.
the naval attach6 Of the United States Embassy
in London. As the situation with regard TO the
almost certain purchase Of these vessels now
stands, all that remains is to obtain the formal
consent OF the Government at Rio do Janeiro. IL
was asserted to-day with some confidence that
the vessels would probably become the property
of the United States tomorrow night, or Tues
day at the latest. There Is q contingency con-
nected with the transfer of the Brazilian
cruisers TO the United States which may result
in some embarrassment 10 the negotiations.
Naval officials think. however, that nothing
will 90 wrong, and that the difhculty which has
appeared will not have any serious bearing on
the final result. The matter in question Is the
desire of the Brazilian authorities to secure
from the Armstrong;, tho builders OF the ships
which will probably be added to Uncle Sans
navy before the week is out, q promise that
they will construct two similar cruisers for the
Brazilian Government. Just how much this
will affect the negotiations for the change in the
ownership Of the Amazonas and her sister 10 not
known here. and the only uneRsiness felt on
accounto Of 1t is based on the notice Of the British
Admiralty to shipbuilders in the United King
dom that thev muat mt mnka nav rnnfFacfa
with foreign Governments without first obtain
ing the Admirnlty's permission. Brazil. how
ever. Is anxious to dispose OF the vessels in order
to got the bonus which tho United States are
willing to pay. and their transfer to this country
is likely to be made within tho next forty.eight
hours.
Tho Amazonas is ready to sail from Gravesend,
as stated in THE SUN this morning. II she is
purchased a crew of American b.uejackets will
probably be sent to England BY the fastest ocean
liner to bring her to q port Of the United States.
The sister ship Is not quite ready for service. She
is said not to be the Admirante Ahren, but tho
Admirante Abequella. Naval officers familiar
with the negotiations are very reticent on the
subject Of the efforts to secure these ships.
They are afraid that too much publicity may
interfere with the earnest attempt OF this coun-
try to augment its naval force, and prefer
not to give details until a sale has been made or
the negotiations declared of.
Nothing definite appears to have resulted
from the endeavors of Lieut.. Colwell and the
naval attaches to secure torpedo.boat destroy
ers. All that was ascertained on the subject to-
day was that nothing had been done to indicate
an arrangement favorable to the United States.
"A meeting Of the board appointed yesterday
and summoned to Washington by telegraph to
take eharEeyf the arrangements for securing
and arming and equipping auxiliary vessels
was held in the office Of Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt this morning. In addition TO Capt.
Frederick Rodgers. the President of the board,
and his colleagues, there were present Mr..
Roosevelt. Capt. O'Neill. Chief of Ordinance.
and Chief Constructor Hichborn. The plans ar.
ranged by Mr.. Roosevelt and the Naval Bureau
chiefs for forming an auxiliary fleet. which
THE SUN told Mt length In to.day's issue,
were explained 10 Capt. Rodgers and the other
members of his board. They left tonight for
New York. where they will begin immediate
negotiations for arranging TO charter or buy q
number of big steamships, tugs and steam
yachts. 1t il probable that they will open an
Office in New York to facilitate tho work. The
Navy Department will be kept fully informed
by telegraph II of the progress made, and will send
necessary instructions and prepare the legal
papers in relation TO securing control of the
craft which the board will designate as
suitable for auxiliary purposes. 1t was i'm.
pressed on the board at to-day's conference that
ocean.going tugs were wanted particularly to
act as pickets for the North Atlantic Squadron.
Vessels of this type selected will probably DO
chartered at once and sent to Key West. No
steamships will be impressed unless war Is Ger
tain. The board will also visit Philadelphia
and probably 90 to other ports on the Atlantic
coast.
The battleship Oregon. which will in all prob
ability Join Admiral Sicard's forces In the Gulf
OF Mexico. will not sail from San Francisco for
three or possibly Ave days, owing to some delay
in getting her ammunition. stores and coal
ABOARD. When she departs It will be to carry
ont the itinerary printed in THE Sun this
morning. The %steaming radius of the vessel.
| owing TO the limit Of coal supply carried by
battleships, will not prevent her from making u
! reasonably quick passage. although 1t will be
one OF the longest ever undertaken by q vessel
OF the battleship type. In round numbers 1t Is
l4,bOO miles from San Francisco to Hampton
Roads, SO by the time the Oregon has reached Key
West she will have covered fully ID. 900 miles in
taking the shortest passage through the Straits
OF Magellan. Her cruising speed will not be
above eleven knots on the way around, although,
like the Indiana and Massachusetts,, she il
capable of fifteen knots when pressed to the
limit. This speed can be secr-ed, however, only
by enormous consumption of coal. and at that
rate her bunker supply would not last a week
out of the Golden Gate.
Tho departure Of the Oregon leaves the Pacific
coast will two monitors aud the cruisers
| Charleston and Philadelphia to protect il. The
latter two vessels will be in commission within
four weeks. the Charleston possibly in three
weeks. A naval officer said this evening. con
corning tho advIsability OF having the Oregon
with the feet under Admiral Sicard:
There is not a ship in the Spanish Navy
which could be spared for service on the Pacific.
Furthermore. any two that might be sent there
would be well cared for by tho Monterey and
Monadnock, with the assistance OF tho Philadel-
phia and Charleston. Spain could not send
war ' essels against the Pacific, owing to tho
long distance theY would be from a base OF sup.
plies. She could not get a ton Of coal anywhere,
and it is questionable II her best fighters
carry sufficient coal TO enable them To cross
the Pacific. Furthermore, the presence OF
tho Oregon on this side might turn a whole
battle. Suppose tho Massachusetts, and Indiana