The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-03-11
WAR PROBABILITIES

Latest News from Washington
and Havana.
The S50'OOO.OOO Appropriations Passes
both Houses without Negative Vote-Con-
gress and President Stand Together-Pre-
fences Observation-Disclosures on New War
vesseI-WiII France or England Aid.
Special Correspondence of the CHRONICLE.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March Sth-
Washington ''enjoyed'' a fine Sunday
War scare, something that came about
as near the real thing as quiet people
want to see. 1t grew out of Spain's de-
mands, requests or suggestions, or what
ever particular diplomatic phrase was
used to convey Spain's desire that Con-
sui General Lee be recalled and that the
food for starving people in Cuba be car
ried to that Island in merchant vessels
and not in warships. The Presidents
action was prompt, courteous, and decid-
OQs IOI d GDdOO do
Spain had thrown down the gaunt-
let of war and that the United States
had taken it up. The former, however,
on receipt of the Presidents reply, with
drew its demand for Lees recall, where
upon the administration politely deter
mined to send the supplies for the Cuban
hungry in the Fern, which, though be-
longing to the Navy, is only a despatch
boat and not a fighting craft. So this
particular war scare subsided almost as
quickly as it arose.
~
Although the incident was closed
without delay it has nevertheless served
a good purpose. It has brought the
President and Congress together. They
now understand each other. Congress
has extended a vote of confidence
to the President. The bill to auth
orize an increase of the Army by two
regiments of artillery, which had al
ready passed the Senate and was hung
up in the House, passed that body also.
There was practically no opposition to
it, which would not have been the case
had it not been that an emergency exists
of sufficient gravity to make it the
part of wisdom to prepare for hostili-
ties. No one pretends any longer that
there is rs prospect of war. The signs
are too fragrant to admit the holding out
Of that pretense any further. There is a
prospect of war, but the very fact that
the executive and legislative branches
of the Government openly admit it
and have promptly proceeded to prepare
for it may possibly prevent it. At all
events that is the only way in which a
conflict can be avoided.
~
Now that two new regiments of artil-
lery have been authorized, recruiting for
them will speedily begin. The new
regiments are to man the seacoast forti-
6cations which are armed with modern
high power guns of enormous destruc-
tive force. They are complicated ma
chimes and to handle them successfully
intelligent men well trained are neces-
sity. The two regiments will require
the enlisiting of about sixteen hundred
men. A great many applications for en-
listment have already made. The Off
GERS in charge of tie various recruiting
stations will be very careful to select the
best of the men who offer themselves in
physique and character. There are al
ready five regiments of artillery in the
army. 1t is understood that in organic
ing the new regiments the plan will be to
transfer two veterans from the existing
regiments to the new ones for every five
recruits. It is believed that by this
method the new men can be trained and
disciplined more easily and quickly than
by constituting the new regiments alto
gether of recruits. The new regiments
will be differed from the regiments now
in existence and will be mostly strung
along the Atlantic coast, though it will
be necessary to man the Notifications on
the Pacific and Gulf coasts as well.
*x*
While Congress is engaged in passing
bills for the increase of the Army and
voting money supplies to enable the
Government to prepare for the emer gen
cy, the Administration is doing its part.
Casting aside the fiction that are rela-
tions with Spain are harmonious. with
which it has been sought to conceal from
prying eyes what was really going on,
Continued on Fourth Page.