The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-19
General Miles Opposed to Beginning
the Campaign Before the SOL
diers Are tn Fighting Trim.
CRITICISM FROM SENATORS
WHO THINK MILITARY OPERATIONS
UNNECESSARILY DELAYED.
About $4,000 Volunteers Now Mus
tered In-More Army Nominal
tIOns by the President.
o The indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, May 1S.-Allowance must
be made for the unanimous newspaper pub
hcation that Cuba is going to be invaded
Immediately. The report was not authorized
officially. and It is not being denied officially.
The broadcast circulation of the proposed
determination of the government to under
take the conquest of Cuba right away does
no HARM while it may keep those quiet who
are disposed to rail about the delay in ag-
gressive action If Cuba is to be invaded
Immediately the War Office will have to
think" an army into the island, for there
Is no army ready at this time for the under
taking. nor is there prospect of an army
being ready for such a movement for weeks
and possibly for months to come. 1t would
be very pleasing If Aladdin's tactics of Gre
ating an army by rubbing an old lamp could
be adopted. and this army transported to
Cuba on magic carpet, but these meth
DDS, unfortunately, are no longer available.
Hence. the necessity Of delaying the inva-
sion until an army can be drilled, disci-
plined and QUILTED and arrangements per-
fected for feeding it after landing on hostile
territory. Equally pleasant would it be if
the Spanish fleet. now cruising somewhere
about the West Indies, could be thought
out of existence by an application of the
mental science principles. The announce
ment is gravely made. as part of this i'm
mediate invasion plan. that the President is
going to ignore the existence of this hostile
fleet and proceed with the transportation of
a. great army and the occupation of Cuba
as though this fleet was an unsubstantial
shadow and incapable of harm. Seriously,
however, the indications point to the con-
centration of large army on the Florida
edge of the country, where it will be con-
tinual menace to the Spaniards and where
1t can be thrown into Cuba almost as the
arrow is shot from the bow From the time
the soldiers reach the Florida rendezvous
until the end there will be constant activity
and evidences of preparations for invasion.
In the background there will be two great
reserve camps. at Chickamauga and Wash
ington. and when the hour arrives for strik-
ing vital blow it can be done without
warning or notice. OF course it may be pos
sible that great force of raw soldiers may
be set down in Cuba, but it is not probable.
Indeed, the statement can be made almost
without qualification or reservation that
there will be no immediate invasion of Cuba.
General Miles, in an interview this after
noon admitted frankly that the army is not
in shape for such campaign: He said that
II idCfAGu SOHlSltiliiS Oh everything ludI went
to the makeup and equipment of an army,
and that it would take an appreciate time
to put 100000 undisciplined recruits into the
proper fighting trim.
The general gave confirmation to reports
that there would be an additional call for
volunteers, though he was indefinite as to
time the call would be issued and as to the
number Of men that would be required.
Commenting upon the Philippine expedi-
ton, General Miles said it was the purpose
OF the War Office to give General Merritt
all the regulars that could be spared for the
purpose of "sandwiching them in" with the
volunteers, as he expressed it. He cordially
Endorsed the position taken by General Mer-
rift, who has insisted upon making a for
midable showing in the Philippines at the
outset and said that. in his opinion, rot
fewer than thirty thousand would be re-
quired eventually to successfully occupy and
maintain our supremacy on the islands.