Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-05-21
MERRITT TO FOLLOW SOON
HE IS CONFIDENT HE WILL HAVE A
STRONG FORCE.


on his way westward from New York and
spent most Of the day In consultation with
the officials of the department arranging
the details of the expedition. Another
transport was secured to-day, and the de-
partment Is showing disposition to treat
General Merritt with the utmost liberal
ity in the equipment OF his force. 1t Is
expected that the advance guard. on one
vessel, under the command Of General Otis.
will sail out of the Golden Gate to-mor-'
row, bound for the Philippines.
Advices received at the war department,
to-day indicate that by tomorrow night
and supplies to Manila. will have started
on its way from San Francisco. Over 1000
men will be on board. Following the Pekin
will be the steamers City of Sydney and
Australia, which. the department was ad-
vised to-day. would be turned over to-
morrow. ready for loading. This work, 1t
is hoped, can be accomplished in a few
days. so that the second portion of the
expedition to reinforce Admiral Dewey will
be close in the wake of the first.
Assistant Secretary Meiklejohn to-day
chartered another vessel to be used for
transport purposes across the Pacific. This
is the Zealandia, of the Ocean Steamship
Company, which can carry 500 men. She
is S77 feet long, thirty-seven feet Of beam
and is Of 1900 tons burden. The Zealandia
is now sailed under the foreign flag and
Mr.. Meiklejohn has communicated with
congress with q view to legislation that
will give her an American register. .
General Merritt was at the war depart,
ment nearly all day, in consultation con-,
cerning the troops which are to be al,
lowed to him for the work he has In hand.
I'd to this time 1t has been decided to-
give him the greater portion Of the FIJI
teenth infantry now on the Pacific coast.
the entire Eighteenth and Twenty-thirdl
regiments of infantry, two batteries from
the Third artillery, and four troops OF cav
airy. The remainder OF the expedition will
be mode un Of volunteers. The depart
ment to-day gave orders sending the bat
TALON of infantry from North Dakota to-
San Francisco to Join the expedition. 1t ID
the expectation OF the quartermaster's de-
partment to send to the Philippines COM
signment Of the 1000 hammocks to be pur-
chased and which are regarded as essential
to the comfort of the soldiers in tropical
the president has nominated half q dozen
officers for positions in the signal corps
party which will accompany the expedition
under General Merritt. For. the rank and
file of the corps recruiting will be resorted
to In the Pacific states.
=. Mr.. william Howell, of New York, who
was private secretary to Former Assistant
Adoo, and later has been connected with
the strategy board, has been appointed pri-
vate secretary to General Merritt and will
| accompany him to the Philippines.
The naval strategy board, rechristened
Of late the war board, Is to lose one Of its
most active and valuable members Of the
person of Captain Barker. He leaves
Roads to take command Of the fine pro-
tected cruiser Newark, which has just
| been extensively repaired at the Norfolk
navy yard. 1t is expected that the New
1 ark will Join SIMPSONS squadron in the
| West Indies as soon as she can get there.
| 1t has not been determined who will sue
1 ceed Captain Barker as member of the
war board, place requiring the very
highest professional qualifications, and In
\ volving a knowledge of strategy as taught
scientifically. which Is not the possession
Of all naval officers. 1t may be that the
1 vacancy will not be filled at present
| though there has been favorable mention
i nj hn 0f Rop
| in that connection.
Another loss to the department will oc-
cur Tomorrow when Lieutenant Gibbor
| leaves to serve as one of Captain Barker's
| officers on the Newark. This young ON.
Ger has displayed the greatest energy ir
4 securing for the services of the navy the
| various naval militia organisations of the
states. and as an incident to that work
he was obliged to put forth his best ef
forts to secure the formation of new or.
gahizations where none existed. and ad
ditional battalions in the states that al
| ready possessed a naval militia. The grea,
value Of this work is shown by the fac
that many OF the vessels Of the auxiliar,
navy and most of the old monitors tha
have been commissioned for coast defens,
purposes are manned almost altogether
by the naval militiamen.
| "A beginning was made to-day towart
| the organization of the Independent volun
teer forces under. authority conferred upoI
the president by special resolution. Th,
national guard will have no part in thes,
organizations which win be made up o
engineers. immunes and electricians.
The staff assignments are coming on
rapidly in the general orders issued dali.
by the department. the appointments belnl
made generally upon the request OF til
major generals and the brfgadler gencral