The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-18
And Nothing May BE Done ON a Large
Scale Until After the Dreaded
Rainy Season Is Over.
PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS
LONG LIST OF ARMY AND NAVY NOM
NATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE.
Seventeen Major Generals and Thir-
ty-Seven Brigadiers Yet to BE Named
-92,5SO Volunteers Mustered In.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON. May 1.-THE boards of
strategy, tactical councils, ETC., which have
been acting in an advisory capacity in or
ganizing and conducting the campaigns will
have less to do in the future They have
done the best they could, but the multiple
ity Of counsel and infinite division of re-
sponsibility has resulted in great confusion
in the War and Navy Departments, and
power will hereafter be more concentrated.
In other words the President is going to
take matters into his own hands more than
heretofore and reIegate the town meeting
into the background. The various aggrega-
tions which have been sitting in their offices
and planning campaigns at long range will
still be called on, but will not have as great
an influence in the actual conduct of affairs.
The President will be, in fact as well as in
name, commander-in-chief of the armies
and navies of the Republic. No formal an
nouncement has been made of this deter
mination on the part of President McKin-
ley, but those in his confidence are letting
it be known that the town-meeting policy
of running the war has proved unsatisfac-
tory, and that it will be changed. 1t took
the first three years of the civil war to
prove the inpotency OF divided responsible
participant in that war, and has remem-
bered the lessons it taught.
"On to Cuba" is still the cry of the enthu-
siasts, and authorized" announcements
are made every little while that a great
army OF American soldiers is about to be
hurled upon Cuba. This sounds very nice
and tends to arouse patriotic sentiment
among those who do not think deeply, but
there are uaverfbalace flao bact oe raa,an.
for emphasizing the information previously
given in these dispatches that the invasion
for the conquest of Cuba will not be Sc
rlously undertaken before next fall. To re-
lieve the situation of monotony drives may
be made at exposed points in Cuba, but the
serious business of invasion on a large scale
is almost certain to be postponed until after
the rainy season The opinion prevails
among those who are best acquainted with
the facts and who are in the best position
to form intelligent judgment that it would
be a physical impossibiity to have an army
Of $4,000 to 1900 men ready to invade Cuba
before ninety days. That number of undis-
cipltned volunteers, with a few thousand
regulars scattered through them, might be
precipitated upon the island by the middle
OF June, but it is considered impossible to
make adequate provision for them after
rangements for the equipment and care of
the army after it has landed In Cuba, an
invasion could not hope to be successful,
except at the expense of reckless sacrifice.
The machinery for backing up an army
with necessary supplies can only be Gre
ated at the cost of considerable time. The
President feels that it would be unpardona-
be weakness in him to order an invasion
on Cuba and campaign by land until our
army is in proper shape to do the work as
IT should be done and until the undertaking
can be pushed with a. minimum risk to the
soldiery. Five or six months of prepara-
tion, such as can only be obtained in mill
tary camps, will be time we'll spent, and
will be an insurance of the greatest success
with the least cost of life.
Senator Morgan, in commenting on the
prospects of Hawaiian annexation, said to
your correspondent this evening that the
proposition is vastly stronger now than it
was when the treaty was under considera-
ton. He added: THE majority in the SEN
ate is so great that successful filbustering
against annexation will be impossible. An
annexation resolution, if one should come
over to us from the House, would be GER
tain to pass the Senate, and that, too. with
out prolonged debate" 1t is understood that
an agreement has been reached whereby
the annexation resolutions reported by the
foreign affairs committee this afternoon
Will soon be given a day in the House for
consideration. Chairman Hit is satisfied
the proposition will be favorably acted on
before the end of the week
OF the twenty-eight major generals made
necessary by the act for the creation of the
new army, eleven have been appointed, leav-
ing seventeen yet to be named. When the
organization is complete there will be sixty
three brigadier generals. OF that number
twenty-six have been appointed, leaving
thirty-seven to be named by the President
The brigadiers who have been appointed
thus far are entirely from the regular army
There may be stin other promotions from
the professional soldiery to the rank of
brigadier general. but probably the greater
number who are yet TO be named will come
from the civilian soldiery When completed.
the army as it has already been called into
existence. will be composed of seven corps.
twenty-one divisions and sixty-three bri-
gades If the President should issue another
call for volunteers, as IL Is understood he
will do in the near future, the list of major
generals and brigader generals would be
correspondingly increased. Chairman Hull
of the House committee on military affairs
is quoted as saying that the call will only
be for from forty thousand to fifty thousand
men. $"S
Gen, Lew Wallace Is spending a day or
two in Washington. He called on the Presi-
dent and made 1t his business 10 acquaint
himself generally with the war situation
az viewed from the Washington standpoint
The general has no patience with the popu-