The Topeka state journal., 1898-04-15
BUT $4,000 MEN
Will Be Called Out by the Pres
ident
As Soon as the Intervention
Resolution Passes
OR PERHAPS SOONER.
Can Order Out 2 100000 if He
Wants To
Under the Resolution Pending
in the Senate.

Washington, April 15.-The question
of how many of the militia of the sew
eraI states will be called into service
for active duty when military opera
tions are decided upon is engaging the
attention of the president and the Of
ficials of the war department. The
opinion was expressed by one of the
latter today that when an order is is
sued, concentrating the regular army
at some southern point the president
will call for $4,000 of the militiamen.
This number, it is believed, will suffice
for immediate purposes.
Opinions differ as to the exact time
when the order for the regular army to
concentrate and the call for the militia
will be issued, some of the officials be-
leve they will come tomorrow, or the
day after and others when the president
signs the resolution declaring for inter
vention. 1t was suggested that the
administration desired to avoid tax
ing steps for concentration in advance
of the signing of the Intervention be-
cause it might be construed as a step
intended for actual hostilities. The
circumstances differed, it was said from
the case with the navy in which al
though Spain and the United States
were making active preparations,
neither had assembled it's fleet in the
waters of the other. Secretary Alger
was quoted as having said to some ViS-
itOrS today that if congress directed the
president to use the land and naval
forces in the case of Cuba, call by the
president for $4,000 volunteers (militia
men) would be made within 4S hours,
thereafter. The secretary declined to
affirm or deny the report, but it is fully
expected that such a call will be made.
Through the efforts of Assistant Sec
retary Meikeljohn, the department has
information bearing on the carrying ca
pacity and speed of every vessel en-
gagged in the coastwise trade, which is
of particular use at this time. Mr..
Meikeljohn desires the statement made
that. the war department Will not buy
any vessels for the purpose of which
these vessels may be put, preferring
to charter them in every case.
Orders have been issued directing
Gen. Wesley Merritt, commanding the
department of the east and Cen Gra-
ham, commanding the department of
the gulf to hurry work on the artillery
posts under their Jurisdiction. They
will avail themselves of all the facil-
tiles at their command to carry this
order into effect and will direct such
movements of artillery forces and men
as may be necessary.
Washington, April 15-Major General
Miles commanding the army, said today
that considerable miSapprehenSion ex-
in the event of war. He thought the
people should understand the situation
more thoroughly than appears to be the
case at present I'm the event of the
passage of the resolution reported by
the senate foreign relations committee
said Gen. Miles, ''the president would
have authority to call into the service
of the government, militia to the num-
ber of about 10000 900 men. The third
section of the resolution directs and en-
powers the president 'fto the entire
land and naval forces of the United
States and to call into the actual ser
vice of the United States the militia of
the several states to such extent
may be necessary to carry these reso-
1utions into effect"
Washington, April 15-Secretary
Long has selected names for the five
sea- going tugs recently purchased by
the government for service in connec-
tion with the defense of the ports on
the Pacific and gulf coasts. The tugs
C c.. Cole and Penwood purchased at
New Orleans and Mobile, respectively
will hereafter be known as the Choctaw
and Powhatan respectively. The tugs
Fearless, Vigflant and Active purchased
on the Pacific coast, will retain their
present names.