The record-union., 1898-04-26
Or the Navy Department Kept
II Carefully Guarded.
Some Talk Of Establishing a Supply
Depot in the Philippines.
The War Department Notifies Governors of
States and Territories How Many
Men They Shall Furnish Under
Call for Volunteers.

WASHINGTON, April %. - There
was a dearth of news from the seat
of hosHlities off the Cuban Coast so far
as the Navy Department was con-
cerned. or if it was in the possession
Of information it was so carefully
guarded that nothing leaked out. A
few kilograms came from Key West
announcing the arrival Of the prizes
whose capture has been reported
through the press. Nothing could be
obtained as to the intentions of Com
modore Schley in so hastily rushing
away the flyers Columbia and Mime
apoIis from Hampton Roads, but it is
believed that their purpose is to shelter
the Paris or some of the liners from
attack at the hand of some Spanish
cruisers.
There was talk Of establishing a sup
ply depot in the Philippines to meet the
conditions in Asiatic waters. Our fleet
there now has no home, and under
neutrality laws the stay of the ships
at any port lis limited to a few hours.
This is unpleasant besides involving
the expenditure Of a great deal of coal.
so that it may become necessary FOR
Commodore Dewey to seize a port in
the Philippines and fortify it as base
of supplies.
The department to-day purchased
two more tugs, the Hortense of New Or
leans and the Mary Wnlick of Calves
ton.
The feature of interest at the War
Department was the dispatch to the
Governors of the States and Territories
of circulars notifying them how many
men they would be expected to furnish
as volunteers. how they should be ap
portioned among the three arms of the
service and where they should rem
devious in the United States Army.
A good many details remain to be ar
ranged in order to carry out the de-
partments projects for the mobilization
of the volunteers, but these are rapidly
being disposed of.
The department got notice to-day
that John Logan. son of the late SEN
ator Logan, had raised a cavalry regi-
ment which he offered to the Govern
ment under his own command 1t is
hoped that this can be accepted as
part of the quota of men to be fur
nished by Illinois.
John Jacob Astor of New York, not
content with offering the Government
free his splendid yacht Normahal, and
free transportation for troops and sup
plies over the railroads in which he is
interested. has come forward with no
tice that he has raised and equipped
at his own expense a battery Of artillery
which he desires to offer to the Gov
ernment under his own plans for SER
vice in Cuba This offer probably will
be accepted, although the department
has been deluged with orders to raise
volunteers in this way to the aggre-
gate number of at least J9.090 men.
AS the Presidents authority in the vol
unteer bill is to enlist only three regi-
ments outside of the regular quotas to
be furnished by the States, there is
not much opportunity to accept the ser
vices OF these patriots. The order to
the District militia to go into camp at
the Soldiers Home was revoked just at
the moment when it was in execution.
owing. it is said, to the fact that the
sudden calling away of so many en-
ployes from the departments without
notice threatened to cripple the Gov
ernment service.
The action Of the President in rec
ommending q formal declaration of war
was welcomed by officials in every di-
rectfon putting the present struggle on
a more dignified basis. and tending to
the avoidance of international compli-
cations.
Nothing is known at the Navy De-
partment Of the reported cutting Of the
cable connecting Cuba with Key West
by the Mangrove ten miles cut at sea.
There is a great deal of doubt as to the
accuracy Of the report, and it is he
Heved that the most that has been done
IN that direction has been the tapping
Of the cable for strategic purposes. The
United States is a party to convention
which binds all the signatories. most of
the marine powers of the world. to re-
frain from interference with cables N
the event of war. Perry Belmont. While