The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-25
ACTIVITY IN WASHINGTON
SAILING OF SPANISH TORPEDO FLO
 TILLA 4 SERIOUS MATTER.


 TILLA 4 SERIOUS MATTER.
 News of Its Departure From the Canaries
 Followed by an Earnest Conference Be-
 tween the President and Secretary Long
 -strategists Regard It as Essential That
 the Fleet Should Not be Allowed to Reach
 ceeded by Captain sampson-Report
 That Congress Will Receive the Courts
 Report on Monday.
 Washington, March 24-The last day
 before the arrival of the report of the
 Maine court of inquiry was one of
 unexampled activity in all official quar-
 ters. A dispatch came early that the
 Spanish torpedo flotilla had sailed from
 the Canaries for Porto Rico and from
 this moment the most energetic war
 like measures followed one another in
 constant succession. The movement of
 this fleet had been watched with the
 keenest interest as it was felt to in-
 volve serious possibilities which might
 compel the United States government
 to protest against the movement as of hostile character. Immediately upon
 the receipt of the dispatch from one of our naval attaches abroad, briefly an-
 nouncing the sailing of the fleet, the fact was made known to the president
 and an earnest conference was held between him and Secretary Long and Assistant Secretary Roosevelt. The se- riousness of the move was fully con- N sidered and the president was advised that naval strategists regarded 1t as X essential that tha torpedo fleet should not be allowed to reach western | waters. What, if any conclusion was S reached is not know1i. Later in the N day the Spanish minister Senar Polo Y N Bernabe called at the state department ss and spent some time with Judge Day Z It was naturally inferred that the ap- z proach of the Spanish f1otilla was one z of the subjects referred to. Whether X however, there was any suggestion # against the move was not disclosed by s either Judge Day or the Spanish min z fster.
 Long Issues Orders.
 The fioti1la announcement was fol- $ lowed rapidly by important news. v The first was this announcement by # Secretary. Long indicating the placing $ of our squadron and fleet on a war foot s& ing: Admiral Sicard has been grant, $ ed leave very much to the regret of sM the navy department and altogether on K account of his health. Captain Samp- z son has been made commander of the x fleet at Key West; Captain Evans has
 been ordered to take command of the y battleship Iowa. The orders to the E squadron in Hampton Roads have not & yet been issued" Althought the an K nouncement did not so state 1t soon " became known that Commodore w. S. # Schley was slated to command the fly # ing squadron" This announcement # was recognized at once es an unusual N importance at this juncture. Admiral # Sicard has been in command of the i fleet at Key West throughout the criti- # cal period of the Maine disaster. Cap- Z tain Sampson has been in command of S# the Iowa. but more recently has been f conspicuous before the public as presi- 6 dent of the Maine court of inquiry. x Captain Robley Evans Is getter known
 as Fighting Bob."
 M Another Important Move.
 s The next important move was a de- " termination to create a joint commits x sion from the war and navy depart
 ments so as to bring them into har- M monious action on all measures. Cap l tain Barker, the naval aide to Secre- { tary Long, was designated to represent f the navy department in this plan of fsSs otioyo raprocapto tot live of +J,a
 department was not yet been named It :, # will not be necessary for these two of- \ ficers to leave Washington, as they can ls best arrange a joint plan of action in
 conference with the bureau chiefs of X the two departments here. Then at the \ close of the day came an announce
 ment that the navy department had < < succeeded in purchasing eight steam < yachts and four steam tugs, presum- \ ably at and near New York for use in B # the auxiliary naval fleet. The boats \ 5 are about 400 tons each and in ar a emergency would be suitable as torpe- do boats. The yachts purchased are
 among the fleetest along the Atlantic
 coast and are said to be somewhat sim ls liar to the Mayhower recently purchas- aa# ed of the Ogden Goelet estate. This acquisition to the navy is regarded as
 an exceptionally valuable one at the present time, as the greatest need is }s z felt for small craft suitable as torpe. i do boats and dispatch boats. There N was an additional satisfaction at the
 navy department at the large number
 secured in single purchase. The Ak names of and the amounts paid fol
 the various yachts and tugs are not ss disclosed, as it is said this would prove an embarrassment to the government Sin promoting speculation on other craft for which negotiations are now pro.
 Aceeding.
 t4H Animation at the White House. tI38 Throughout the day the White house sH presented an animated appearance ts senators and representatives from botl z B4political parties calling to confer witt X kthe president. Among the callers wer, 4 3Senators Cullum, Fairbanks, Lodgs T kAldrich, Jones of Arkansas and Spoon ' Fer and Representative Bailey, the dem ' aocratic floor leader in the house. Tn,
 tpresident said to several of his visitors
 sthat he would do everything consisten
 swith the honor and dignity of tn
 scountry to avert war and he still be
 klieved war could be averted. He alst 4 J 1o ho1i