The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-24

Washington, May 19.-With every
disposition or the part Of the executive
to make the present war short, sharp
and decisive, it is beginning TO be real
lied that the short cOmings Of u mill
itary service are 50 many that delays
are inevitable and that much work will
be necessary to put the nation in eff
cient fighting shape. Every day brings
forth some weak spot that has to be
strengthened or some hidden defect,
such as the discovery at this late mo-
ment that every regular army officer
who accepted a volunteer appointment
would forfeit his commission in the
regulars and 50 become liable to be left
out Of the service entirely at the end
of the war. Few officers cared to risk
their future in'that way; 80 a rush was
made toward ongres to secure the
necessary corrective Legislation. Again
it has been found that the equipment Of
the army, small as it is il comparison
with the great army Of the civil war,
Us sadly lacking. Nearly a month af-
ter the formal declaration of war the
war department. To-Day purchased d
lumber of shelter tents and it has just
secured the hammocks that experts say
are essential to existence in Cuba.
These preparations involve delay 50
that it is not remarkable that in spite
of the herculean efforts of the officers
of the army no positive start has yet
been made toward its goal by the army
of OCCUPATION. Probably it is this fact,
rather han amy u~nreadiness on the
pa rt 0f ~ "a ,onyyy tho n a rIcac tina % M
paign to drag in it's inception, for the
navy department has a
it stood ready at any to fur
nish V for the troops transports
provided they were started from one
point.
To maintain an army of 10000 men
for six months will cost $780,
prepared by Faymaster General
Stanton, and the leading off
cials are beginning to fear that hos
Utilities may run along beyond this Pc
TiOd. The reason is the growing cOnVlc-
ton on the part OF some Of the officers
that they must mot recNOn on any sub
stantial assistance from the Cuban
rebels in this campaign and moreover
must meet the Spaniards in Cuba in
their strongest sphere, that of the de-
fenSiVe.
Naval authorities are relieved of a
good deal of embarrassment by the
consent of French ;--thorities &C Mar
rtinqu to allow the scouting vessel
Harvard to remain in st. Pierre until
her repairs are completed. 1T was sup
posed at first that she. would be allow
ed only seven days stay and at the end
of that time would be forced out to
risk attack at the hands of some am
pushed Spanish cruiser, or torpedo
boat.
Work on three monitors Mahopac,
Canonicus and Manhattan at League
island has advanced so far that the
department. expects to have them in
service within a week or two. They
have been. supplied with ubulOu boil
ers in thelplace of the rusted outboilers
they have carried since the war. These
monitors will be a addition to
the coast defense ships.
NO NEWS FROM THE FLEETS.
The absence of official news Of n
character from the fleets at the navy
department today gave the widest field
for speculation and all sorts of stories
were afloat as Ito the whereabouts Of
the vessels and the imminence Of an
g ement. The report that came
from Madrid of the b~ombardment of
Santiago received some c~redence, mas
much as it seemed to show that Gen
eral Greeley, the chief signal officer.
has set in motion the machinery of the
navy to carry out his declared urpos
of cutting the cables that afford the
last connection between Havana and
the outside world and nus isolate
BlancO. 1T is not believed that the
bombardment amounted to anything
more than his.
PLANS FOR THE NEW TORPEDO
BOATS.
Judge Advocate General Lemly to-
day completed the circular defining the
chief characteristics of sixteen torpedo
boat destroyers and twelve torpedo
boats provided for by congress in the
present naval appropriation bill. The
destToyers are to be of larger type thai
any vessel Of that kline We now have
in the service, about 400 tons, but the
torpedo boats will be about the size
OF the average torpedo nov in use,
namely about $50 toms. Bidders are
left the widest liberty in the matter
of the original designs, but no bid will
be considered which fails to guarantee
d speed of at least twenty-eight knots