The herald., 1898-04-22
S 10 FLEET
s---
tx TIE BsGiNNiNG Of WAR
WITH SPAIN
---s--~---
ACTIVITY Is INCREASED
IN MAKING PREPARATIONS FOR
gHE sTBUGGLH
THE NAVY IS STRENGTHENED
Arrangements Perfected for an Imme-
diate Call for Hundred Thou
sand National Guardsmen
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON. April 21.-War be- .
. tween the United States and Spain .
. is a fact, though not officially de- .
. clared SO by congress. The stirring .
. events of yesterday were succeeded
today with rapidity by others of
equal Importance, eliminating in the
Q afternoon in orders for the departure .
. of the North Atlantic squadron for .
Q Havana This practically is an act .
of war. SO that the war between this .
. country and Spain may fairly be said .
to date from today, April Il, 1885, Two .
. minutes after the opening of the state .
department this morning came word .
from Minister Woodford that the .
. Spanish government having nntici- .
. pated and prevented his intentions to .
present the presidents ultimatum, .
. he had asked for his passports. The .
Q administration, In public statement, .
. announced that 1t regarded the action .
. of the Spanish government as render .
. Ing necessary further diplomatic ac- .
. ton ON the part of the United States. .
. and further stated that 1t regarded .
. the course adopted BY Spain as one .
. placing upon that country the re- .
relations. .
With the actual beginning of war. .
. military and naval preparations were .
vastly stimulated today. The navy .
. bought ship and a number of yachts. .
1t secured some material for guns, .
. and renewed orders for haste in the .
construction of guns. Orders were .
. sent to the squadron to guard their .
&c nd ho irn a ri iec nf .
blockade were executed. In the .
war department all arrangements .
. have been made for call for 100000 .
. volunteers, to be chosen from the Ma
. tional guard. The strategy board of .
. the department looked over and per- .
. fectcd the plans, and efforts were .
. begun to provide for a sub-system of .
. coast patrol by the state authorities. .
. Movements of troops. begun day or
. two ago, were changed by direction .
of the department in some respects .
. to meet the conditions of the mo- .
mcnt at southern posts, but in gen. .
eral there are indications that the de- .
partment is acting with the purpose .
of concentrating no less than $4,000 .
men at the gulf ports within the next .
ten days, ready for embarkation to .
Cuba. .
Campaign Plans
Mr.. Woodfords telegram resulted in the
calling of special cabinet meeting to ar
range an outline for plan of campaign,
or rather to determine how to begin the
execution Of the plan of campaign already
prepared by the strategic boards of the
army and navy departments. The re-
suit was the immediate order for the At
lantic squadron to begin the blockade Of
Havana. How much further than this
the cabinet progressed In it's deliberations
1t is not possible to say, for the obvious
reason that the time has now come when
the interests of the government require
that the movements of ships and troops
should be guarded with the greatest care
from undue publicity in order to prevent
the enemy from taking advantage Of in
formation.
The North Atlantic squadron, under
Captain SIMPSONS command, is q splen-
did array of fine vessels, and this force is
quite competent to blockade all the ports
in Cuba, or at least all of the ports con-
Meeting by rail with Havana, and so likely
to be used to supply that place in the event
OF siege with food and munitions of war;
This statement Is to be taken with the
understanding that 1t does not contemplate
the coming to Cuban waters of the Span
ish fleet In such case, however, the
probable policy would be to abandon the
blockade and endeavor to force the Span
ish fleet to battle.
Minister Woodford's action during the