The San Francisco call., 1898-04-12
The Commander Returns From the San Diego
 Tour of Inspection.
Early Morning Conference of Army Officers at Depart
 ment Headquarters.
A BRIGADE OF VETERANS.
Ex Attorney General Hart in the Field-Colonel Mosby Gets a Let
 ter From General Miles.

The United States troops at the Pre- sidio are ready for action. The First Infantry, Iully equipped for field serv- ice, is awaiting orders to march. The sig nal to go to the front is hourly expected by the officers and men. The order direct ing that officers shall not leave the post without special permission from the com manding officer has not been modified or revoked. The report was circulated at the post exchange yesterday that Min ister Woodford had been recalled from Madrid The soldiers understand that the shooting will begin shortly after the dip lomatic relations are broken; hence their eager inquiry as to the truth of the re- port.
 General Shafter was at department headquarters early yesterday morning. He held a conference with Colonel Evan Miles, First Infantry; Colonel Wallace F. Randolph, Third Artillery, commanding the artillery forces at the Presidio; Mac Thomas M. K. Smith, commanding the First Infantry battalion at Benicia barracks, and Lieutenant Col onel Louis T. Morris, commanding the squadron of the Fourth Cavalry at the Presidio.
 The general was busy throughout the day. He said, in reply to questions, that the troops were ready for active service. He did not believe, however, that the First Infantry would be ordered to leave this department until war was declared. Speaking of the situation at San Diego. General Shafter said: '"The batteries to be placed in position there will be able to take care of that harbor. The channel Is so narrow that a ship must pass within a hundred yards of the guns"
 Concerning affairs in the harbor or San Francisco, the general remarked: "Every- lthing here is in first-class shape. In word, we are ready.
 dolph, Third Artillery, is now on duty at the Presidio. He has selected the com fortable house formerly occupied by Col onel Williston, and will be ready to re ceive" when his traps get here. The ar tillerymen of the Third are now engaged in mounting the guns of 1a0incS 1ae SecIfe rfia for the Fort Point Notifications IS on the ground near the emplacement, but the disappearing carriage IS somewhere on the rail. - . in the field as the organizer of a Cali fornia brigade of veterans TOT service l III the approaching war with spain. The story goes that General Hart took Pres ident Mckinley into his confidence on this subject and that the latter highly approved the plan of organization It is quite obvious to everypooy that the Onlon are going to take quite an active part in the conflict with Spain. The youngest of the veterans of the late war are over not y1 diminished their fighting spirit. but if is a ouestion whether their discretion has not been dulled. Men who fully ap- preciate the Iardships of an active cam paign fancy that the hardest young men will be needed for campaign in Cuba. It is a glorious thing for the old veterans to volunteer, but sensible soldiers doubt the wisdom of sending to Cuba column of enlisted men whose ages respectively eorrespond with the years of the young est veterans of the late war.
 The story goes that General Hart and his friends will supply the money to equip the brigade as mounted riflemen.
 The men who served at the front on