The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-04-28

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was desirous that official recognition
should be given hostilities so that the
definition of the international states
of the United States as a belligerent
power may be made known and our
international rights maintained.
The formal declaration of war by
Congress is as follows
Be it enacted, etc.
First-That war be and the same
is hereby declared to exist and that
war has existed since the 2Ist day of
April, A. d., 1898, including said day
between the United States of America
and the Kingdom of Spain.
Secord-That the President of the
United States be and he hereby is
directed and empowered to use the
entire land and naval forces of the
United States and to call into the
actual service of the United States
the militia of the several states as
may be necessary to carry this act
into effect.
President Mckinley to-day issued
a requisition upon the Governors of
the States for I25,ooo volunteers.
These volunteers are to serve two
years unless mustered out of the ser
vice before the expiration of that time,
and are allotted to the different States
according to their population under
the census of 1890. The Governors
are requested to designate the organi-
cations of the National Guard to be
called out, and tc recruit from their
States volunteers to fill out their
quotas. They are to be assembled
at the points Of rendezvous in the
several States within a weeks time,
where they will be turned over to the
War Department and be rapidly hur-'
rie1 to the front.
In every case the Governors are
notified that the National Guard
where they now exist as efficient and
we'll officered bodies, are to be given
the preference over ununiformed and
uninstructed companies organized up
on the spur of the emergency. In
most States the National Guards so
mustered into service will take with
them their company and regimental
officers. 1t will, however, be neces-
sary for them to be reappointed by
the Governors before they can be
commissioned as officers of the ma
tional volunteer establishment.
The entire forces to be called into
the service sum up to ninety regi-
ments of infantry, five regiments of
cavalry, thirteen batteries of light ar
tillery, and twenty-five batteries of
foot artillery. This force will he Or
ganlzed into three army corps OF
twenty-seven regiments of infantry,
one regiment of cavalry and three
battalions of artillery each. The
part of the provisional force not in
clude1 in these corps will be the
Texas quota to be used IN guarding
the Mexican frontier and the troops
which will be needed to garrison the
coast left vacant in the West by the
concentration of the regular forces on
the Gulf
The following is copy of the tele-
gram sent to each of the Governors
of the States and Territories inform
ing them what will be expected under
the Presidents call for troops
"The number of troops from your
State under the call of the President,
dated April 23, 1896, will be
''It is the wish of the President
that the regiments of the National
Guard or State militia shall be used
as far as their number will permit,
for the reason that they are armed,
equipped and drilled. Please wire as
early as possible, what equipments,
ammunition, arms, blankets, tents,
etc., you have and what additional
you will require. Please also state
when troops will be ready for muster
to the United States service. Details
to follow by mail.
| (olSneu) 'NOooELL "A. ALGEK,
Secretary of War"
TUESDAY.
The President has issued a procla-
nation containing the declaration
of war and setting forth the regula-
tions that will be observed by this
Government with regard to Spanish
boats in American ports, to neutral
Gags and so on.
Secretary Sherman took his fare
we'll of the Cabinet to-day and Assist
ant Secretary of State William R.
Day was confirmed by the Senate as
Secretary, and John B. Moore was
confirmed as First Assistant. Senator
Sherman's host of friends express great
regret over his retirement from public
life though they generally agree that
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