The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-05-12

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best authority for the statement that
the day having passed without a re-
port from Admiral Sampson, the navy
| department does not expect to hear
from it for several days. The authority
for this statement is fully acquainted
with Acknowledgements plans, and the
remark would seem to indicate that
the admiral having failed to find the
enemy at the place expected had
turned his attention to the alternative
project. What this is cannot be ascer-
! tanned. 1t is expected, however, that
| the department is under no apprehen-
sion as to the safety Of the admiraps
| fleet, nor Of any vessel Of the fleet.
| The war department saw fit to CRAFTY
| the universal desire and inform the
country through the press just where
the veteran state volunteer organiza-
lions are to be concentrated It is
the first time that any official state
ment has been made as to the points
of concentration themselves. The order
as published by the department is
| thought in some quarters to warrant
the assumption that it contemplates a
| speedy movement of the United States
military forces upon Cuba, and in
much greater force than was originally
planned. The war department officials
refuse to say anything on this point,
but there is every evidence that they
| expect short, sharp, conclusive
And Immediate Campaign,
such as could not be waged by five or
ten thousand soldiers. It is also to be
noted that preparations made by the
| quartermaster's department and the
commissary department, so far as it is
| disclosed by actual orders indicate that
provision is being made for mObilizing
and transporting and feeding many
| thousands of men outside of the Unit
ed States. With view to systematic
| ing the great work Of mobilizing the
forces and putting them in service, the
| war department has planned a scheme
which it is believed will very much
hasten the work of getting the men to-
gether and equipping them, while
| avoiding any congestion of the railroad
| traffic such as is always to be appre-
hended in cases of war. Instead Of
allowing all the troops called for from
| particular state to be assembled and
broken in at the rendezvous the de-
partment is instructing it's mastering
officers to complete the organization Of
regiments as rapidly as possible, and
| as soon as one is organized, to report
| the fact to the department, when the
regiment will be ordered at once to the
point selected for concentration. In
| this way the government will be re-
lieved gradually in the
Distribution Of Stores,
| which will be called for only as fast as
| they are needed. The men also will be
| more amenable to discipline when
quickly transferred to the concentra-
ton points outside their own states.
It is the expectation that the first regi-
| ments organized and reported from the
| states will be sent to Chattanooga,
| thence going to Cuba, via Mobile,
| Tampa, New Orleans and Galveston,
| for expeditions will be dispatched from
each Of these ports. The governor Of a
| state will have no hand in the designa-
ton Of the regiments to go to particu-
| lar concentration camps. The designa-
ton will be dependent upon the
promptness with which the volunteers
! are organized and are ready for trans
| portation. Probably about one-third Of
| the entire levy called for by the presi-
dent, or about 10000 troops will con-
| stitute the force to be sent South to
take part in the first Cuban service,
| following the regular army forces. An
| other third of the total call will be as
| signed to the defenses of the coast and
harbors, replacing the regular United
| States troops withdrawn from these
posts. When these are equipped the
| government will turn its attention to
| the third class, comprising the last
| third Of the $4,000 volunteers called
| for. 1t is the sincere
Hope of tke War f.
department. that it will not be called
upon to fully equip these troops before
| hostilities are at an end, but the work
| of preparation is proceeding on the con-
trary assumption. This third division
| will constitute the second reserve, to
be drawn upon for reinforcements
whenever needed, and it is possible
| that the men never will be called upon
| to leave their own states, unless the
| plans of thetwar department miscarry.
It may be remarked, by the way, that
out of the first class will come the
troops which will be sent to the Phil
| ippine islands. Gen. Miles has pre-
pared scheme changing the boundar-
les Of the present departments to ia
cilitate the working out of this plan,
and it is now, before Secretary Alger
for Improvement. The responses so far
received from the mastering officers
continue to be very encouraging. The
! following telegram from Gov. Clough
to Adjt. Gen Corbin shows the state
OF feeling in the West:
| State Camp, st. Paul, MINI. Troops
| all mustered in, and believe we have
three regiments that are second to none
the Twelfth, Thirteenth and -Four
teenth. All are anxiously waiting to
get to the front. Please do not over
! look Minnesota, the North Star State. s
Japan ranks sixth in population. being sur
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