Mesa free press. [volume] (Mesa, Ariz.) 1892-1901, 1898-06-03
WASHINGTON NOTES.

Arrangements have been completed
by which Newspaper Correspondents
Thrall and Jones will be exchanged for
Colonel Cortijo and Surgeon Julian,
Spanish officers now at Fort McPher-
son.
The war department makes public
the points of concentration of trrops
from the several states. The order is
taken to indicate that the movement
on Cuba will be undertaken with much
greater force than was originally in
tended.
The Evening World says the Comp
troller Of the Currency has received a
number of applications from presidents
OF banks in the cities Of the New
England coast, to be permitted to re-
move their deposits to interior banks.
Reports Of firing at sea have frightened
the coast bankers. The Comptroller
has invariably refused these applica-
tions.
A Washington special says: Should
Congress fail to move at once for
Hawaiian annexation, seizure will re-
suit, and that very quickly. At least
President Mckinley is having prepared
plans for the landing at Honolulu of a
regiment of infantry, and at least two
battalions Of artillery to hold the har-
Dor and protect it from entrance by
any foe.
A special from Washington says:
Havana is short of powder and shot,
1t is to supply Blanco with ammunition
for his big guns that the Cape Verde
fleet has been ordered to take all risks
to reach Cuba. Blanco, it is asserted,
wired to Madrid that he had not
enough ammunition for the guns Of
his harbor Notifications to last two
days, and that if he had to be divided
with the forts protecting Havana on
the land side, his powder and shot sup
ply would not last twenty-four hours"
The point is being discussed whether
communication between Havana and
Santiago de Cuba is by shore cable or
land wires. If by land wires it would
indicate that the Spaniards pretty eff
fectually control the whole island, else
the line would have been cut by insur-
gents. The Cubans have proved dis
appointing factor in the war so far.
The failure of the Gussie expedition,
and the indications that BlancO's tele-
graph wires are strung unmolested all
over Cuba, are cases in point. Army
authorities have about concluded the
coming campaign must be fought with
out reference to insurgents.
The war department is having built
number of steel tanks in which water
will be conveyed to Cuban ports. This
measure is adopted with the object in
view of avoiding the contamination of
the water supply in Cuba, and is in
tended to provide fresh and pure water
for the invading army. The base of
supplies for drinking water will be Key
West, where the navy department is
building large distilling plant capa-
BILE of producing 100000 gallons per
day. The water will be taken to Cuba
in water boats, and will be distributed
to the troops as long as they are in
convenient proximity to the coast. One
of the most serious problems Of the
campaign in Cuba will be the furnish
ing of drinking water to the troops.
Such a condition has not confronted
the military supply authorities of any
army The climatic conditions in
Cuba during the summer, however, are
such as to present many serious prob
lens to the medical and subsistence
departments. The greatest care must
be exercised in preserving the health
of officers and men.