The sun., 1898-06-12
MAKING OF AN ARMY.
Difficulties Met When War Was De.
ella, ed on Spain--No Stores
Were in Stock.

One result of the war with Spain vii
be the disabusing of the popular mint
of that idea which has become so thor
oughly intrenched in the last half cent
ury, that the United States could pu
into the field upon a moments motto,
volunteer force sufficient to cope will
the organE sl armies of any of the ole
military nations
Enthusiasm, patriotism and readiness
never make an army, and right there lie
the difficulties which have confronted
the war administration ever since the
authorization OF Congress made possible
the taking OF steps for the putting OF q
force into the field. The food problem
is paramount for more reasons than one
1t is hard to believe that in this great
country it was not possible for com.
missary general of subsistence, sit.
ting in his Office, with telegraph wires
radiating to every great distributing
center at his elbow, to at once procure
the fulfillment of any contract for bread
and meat and vegetables that he might
see fit to enter into.
But it is true, nevertheless, that these
things were not obtainable at first.
Take, for instance, the question of hard
bread used for the emergency ration as
well as the regular one. There is not
in the United States mandatory pro-
ducing this class of subsistence which
has the capacity fitting it to enter into a
contract to feed or to furnish food for
10000 men in addition to its regular
trade.
| America is not q warlike nation.
America has never seen fit to build up or
foster manufactures which in time of
war would be called upon to fill these
necessities. As result, private capital
has been invested solely in those lines
where the returns are speedy through
daily consumption and demand, and,
when it became necessary to secure food
in plenty, it took time to get the great
bakeries into action.
Again, the question of roast beef in
tins presented itself and the office of the
commissary.general was thronged with
the great millionaire packers and their
agents, men whose money seems suf-
'ficient : to guarantee the fulfillnent of
any contract, and yet they were not able
to produce one-fifth the beef which was
wanted last week.
They will do SO very soon, but it was
the desire of Commissary- General Eagan
that when troops should be called to
move they would move with at least
three months rations, and, although the
markets OF the country were secured,
there was no such thing as securing the
food necessary. In other lines of the
same department there was some diff.
Guilty in filling out the rations' compon.
ents, but these two illustrate the great
difficulty which was met.
And then having fed the soldierit be-
comes necessary to clothe and shelter
him. The United States Government,
by reason Of its non-military character,
had never provided for extra tentage
and there existed in the storerooms
OF the Nation not more than enough |
canvas to cover perhaps DO, ZOO troops.
At once the warehouses and the mills
were approached and every yard Of can
vas suitable to make tent was bought
by the quartermaster-general, and yet,
when all was purchased, not more than
half enough had been secured, and the
factories were compelled, by running
triple speed, to manufacture now the
goods which, in country ever ready for
war, would have been in the depots OF
the government.
There does not exist in any store,
or sweat shop in the entire
nation ready-made uniforms to clothe
70, 600 men. Underwear, socks, all the