The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-27

/
naval war board Admiral Slcard, Captain
| Crowninshield and Captain Mahan. 1t is
4 stated by one of the members of the con-
/ ference the purpose was to go over the
! whole situation from the Philippines to
| Cuba and Porto Rico, and decide just how
J far the plans already laid should be modi-
| fed to meet existing conditions This in
| Volved a discussion of such important points
| as the propriety of the immediate advance
| of the military forces upon Cuba; the cred
! ibility Of the advices so far had touching
| the location of the Spanish squadron; the
| policy Of preceding the Cuban expedition or
| accompanying it, with one directed against
| Porto Rico and, finally, the extent of the
| military assistance to be sent to Admiral
| Dewey at Manila. AS already indicated the
| proceedings were rather in the nature of a
| consultation than of war council, where
| a full decision is demanded at once so that
| it is not probable all of these important
| questions were disposed of at the council.
| None of the members of the conference felt
authorized to tell what had taken place, but
| there are thought tc be patent indications
| of decision to embark military expeditions
in the course of the next few days, whether
for Cuba or Porto Rico can only be con-
| jectured.
III Iu6 TuSn OF ILlDldIy preparations the
War Department officials have not been
able to give much attention to the regula-
tions for the procurement of the 75 coo addi-
tional volunteers called for yesterday by
the President. 1t is still uncertain just how
| far the national authorities will go towards
recruiting these forces themselves, nor is
| it positively known that Independent organ
| izations, companies, battalions and regi-
ments raised by individuals will be accepted
| en- bloc if by so doing the department is
| required to accept the officers with the men.
| Indeed, it is now questioned whether under
| the law the department could If it would,
accept services of officers under such condi-
| tions, as the Governors of the States ap-
| pear to be the only persons authorized to
| issue commissions below the regimental
grade. There arr many other veXatious
! questions to be ssttled before the regula-
| tions can be promulgated but, fortunately,
in the Judgment Of the department officials,
due notice having been given to the people
| OF desire for more troops by the govern
ment, there is no occasion for haste in de-
| Gliding upon details in view of the fact that
| the full draft of men called for under the
first proclamation has not been secured.
| The department officials were engaged to-
| day largely with the execution of a new
| law providing for the organization of GER
| tain Independent forces, with the result that
| 1t was able to announce regulations govern
Ing the examination of applicants for COM
missions in the engineer regiments and or
ganization for the immune regiments.
| 1t seems to have been determined to fill
| to their maximum war strength the one
| hundred and more regiments of the voIun-
| teers already called for, most of which are
| organized at the minimum number allowed
| by law. This was permitted in order that
as great a number of National Guard or
| ganizations might come into the army as
| possible, thus giving an opportunity to their
| officers to hold their full rank in the volun-
| teers. The enlisted strength of most of the
volunteer regiments in many cases is far be-
| low the maximum prescribed by law, which
| is 1,06O men in the infantry Approximately
| $4,000 men or more will be required to re-
| cruit the regiments to their war strength,
| which, after all, will not leave such great
number to be obtained under the second call
in new organizations Alaska has several
| thousand who are willing to serve the gov
| ernment soldiers, as Indicated in a let
| ter recently received here from prominent
| official OF that territory. An opportunity
may be given them to come in under the
| second call. $50
'1t is not generally understood through
| out the country said an army official to-
| day that soldiers who re-enlist In the serv-
ice and recruits who enlist for the first
time may be discharged on their
| own application at the close of the
war The enlistment Is for a term
| OF three years, but ther" is nothing in the
law to prevent soldiers who are received
into the army while it is being organized
| TO It's war strength from being discharged
| as soon as the war is over. This state
ment should be made to correct a misap-
| prehension that exists in this regard
throughout the country. When the war is
over the officials will determine at just what
| figure the army is to be maintained and
/ am sure more men will want to remain
than there will be room for The enlist
ments in the regular branch are proceeding
at the rate of about one thousand every ten
days. so that necessarily some little time
| will elapse before the full war strength of
$1,000 men is reached
The regulations for the organization of
| the brigade Of engineers and the ten regi-
ments of immunes authorized by special
act of Congress were to-day formally agreed
upon by General Miles and Adjutant Gem
| erdl SOrDln- NOW InaL the qualifications
necessary for enlistment are known, re-
cruiting will be promptly begun, with
view to the utilization Of the men in the
army of occupation of Cuba The brigade
of engineers is to be composed of three reg
iments, to be designated, respectively the
| First Second and Third regiments of
United States volunteer engineers. There
| are to be three battalions in each regiment
| Of four companies each. For each regiment
| there are to be fifty-three commissioned
officers and JOG enlisted men, The officers
will be selected for their skill as military,
| civil, electrical, mechanical or Topographic
| cal engineers. An effort will be made to
| recruit the enlisted men from every branch
| of the engineer profession and of mechan-
ical skill Machinists, steam engineers,
blacksmiths, carpenters, plumbers, teleg-
raphers, topographers, draughtsmen, pho
tographers, railroad men, riggers, boatmen
and those skilled in the use of explosives
are especially desired
Volunteer engineer troops will be armed
and equipped as infantry. Their uniform
will conform to that prescribed for the use
Of engineer troops of the regular ramy.
The men composing the ''immunes" are
expected to be recruited largely from the
South. They are to be organized into ten
regiments, five of which will be composed of
whites and the other regiments of colored