The true northerner., 1898-05-18
Quick Preparation.

From the Detroit Free Press
Whoever finds fault with the slownes'
of the government in preparing for thu
military invasion of Cuba, and wonders
why the troops are not more rapid,
moved to the southern seaboard, reveals
deep ignorance of the science and ART
of modern warfare. In reality the prep
arations have been going on with speeo
that would have been impossible but fol
the intense energy of the American peo
pie.
One month ago the task of forming and
equipping an army of one hundred thous
and men had not begun, but the tremen.
dous task has been undertaken and sc
far completed that within few days the
regular army and 10000 volunteers will
be in the field, fully equipped and ready
for active service, while the rest of the
volunteers will have been mustered in
and nearly prepared to be moved to the
south.
Probably none but the officials of the
war department or men who are expert
in military science know what all this
means. To begin with the mobilization
of the regular army, scattered in small
detachments over thousands of miles of
territory, was a big task. 1t involved
not only the transportation of men, but
the gathering and forwarding of equip
ments, ammunition, provisions, animals
and all the other necessities of an army
But the greatest task before the gov
eminent was the creation of an army OF
citizen soldiers, depending solely upon
the patriotism of the people for its con-
stituents. Without the employment of
any force whatever, simply asking for
volunteer action, one hundred thousand
men have promptly left their homes and
their business, assembled at the respect
i've rendezvous, voluntarily assumed the
hard duties of military life, submitted
cheerfully to the rigid discipline of a
soldiers career, and now stand ready to
march wherever a soldiers duty may
call them.
The first step in the creation of this
army was the willing response of the cit
izens to the presidents call for troops.
1t depended upon the patriotism of the
people and was easily accomplished
The remaining steps the organization,
subsistence, equipment and mobilization
of this raw material-these have been
stupendous problems for the authorities
to solve, particularly so because of the
n-military character of our govern
ment.
Take as an illustration the one item OF
subsisting an army. 1t not only takes
an immense supply of provision, b" I. if the
army is on the march the supplies must
go with it. 1t is estimated that force
of 10000 men and $1,000 animals requires
260 tons of subsistence each day. When
such an army is on the march a long
train of heavy wagons carrying food, am
munition and medical stores must follow
close behind it.
This subsistence the war department
has had to prepare, and when the army
of invasion embarks upon the transports
at Tampa or Key West, all that it may
require in order to subsist in an enemy's
country and away from its base of sup.
plies, must go with it. Consequently
the army wagon train must be at hand to
carry supplies after the troops are land
ed on Cuban soil.
In view of all the difficulties to be over
come, the countless details to be arrang
ed and the necessity of accomplishing il
all through a multiplicity of officials ano
agents scattered through so wide terri
tory, the only wonder is that the work o
preparation for invading the enemy's
territory has progressed to its present
stage so quickly; and when the history
of the Spanish American war is writer
we may well believe that the tremendous
energy with which the American people
have created, organized, and placed up
on Cuban soil thoroughly equipped and
disciplined army, will be referred to with
admiration and wonder.