The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-01

1ngton aud is conferred with the troops
now advancing under 'ders from here
fand with our ships. The time of prepar-
alton has gone by and it remains only for
preparations to be married. into actual
effect A leading naval official pointed
to his desk, which was clear Of papers
and documents and remarked that all the
preparatory details were now well along
and that so far as the authorities hero
were concerned they had only to wait
Tor the execution of the preparations
hereafter matured. There will continue
10 be much routine detail in the main
Senance of the large military and naval
oroes. hut this is now in well-establshed
channels. The more vital features OF the
campaign itself, have been fully matured;;
10 certain extent the mill tary anu
hawai- operations will be directed from
Washington, and yet, with Gen. Miles IN
the South and Admiral Sampson ana
Commodore Schley in Cuban waters, they
will have most to do with the tlme ana
the circumstances of the attack.
: The commanders, military and naval
have been given wide latitude, as the
authorities here fully appreciate that bat
ties cannot be foughe in advance on paper.
All that has been attempted is to out
line a campaign and make the tullest
provision for adequate forces, ample sup
plies and the fullest cooperation by the
navy and army in the successful execu-
ton of the plans The real blows are for
the commanders to strike and in the eX
ecution of this part of the programme,
the authorities here can take little part.
The consular reports issued today con-
tain additional declarations of neutrality,
this time from Brazil, Japan, British
Guiana, ST. Lucia and Gibraltar. 1t is
noticeable that both Brazil and Japan go
out of the way of the usual formal pre-
amble to express regret at the outbreak
of hostilities between the United States
and Spain. Bermuda modifies her origi-
nal proclamation of April %, SO as to
make the rule relative to supplying pro-
visions, subsistence and coal to the bellig-
erent ships, conform. closely to the very
severe English rules on The subject. The
japanese proclamation is rather remark
able form the great eXaetness with which
it prescribeS the rules that are to govern
japanese subjects in their dealings with
The belligerents and the treatment that
will be accorded belligerent ships. The
proclamation evidently was prepared with
great care and may serve as model for
the guidance of diplomats of all nations.
The board of naval bureau chiefs is
trying to hasten the work of construction
Of the battleships authorized by the pres
int naval appropriation bill. The Illinois
type upon which the new vessels are to
De constructed will occupy three years in
construction. After a conference today
the bureau chiefs, presumably with
knowledge of the constructive ability of
the American shipyards capable of I'M
dertaking this work, resolved to reduce
the time of building of the new ships to
4 maximum of 81 months.
fine navy department bought another
yacht today-the Inquirer, at New York,
for use in the auxiliary fleet. by which
name the mosquito fleet will be design
ated in accordance with tine terms of the
recently enacted act on the subject. 9th
er purchases are in prospect, but the final
selection of the dozen vessels to be pur-
chased, from the eligible list of over 100
supplied by the examining board, has not
been made.
The torpedo boat Rowan, built at Seat
lie by Moran Brothers, has now been
reported for trial administrations were
sent by the department today to run the
trip off Friday. on Puget Sound.