Middletown transcript., 1898-04-30


issue of $500, ,000, 600 10 3 per cent
bonds, to run for twenty years, orto be
redeemed after len years at the option
Of the government, and authorizing
the issuing OF 3 per cent certificates OF
Indebtedness by the treasury for any
portion of 500, 600 that may ue
needed. Congress is responding 10 the
wishes of the President IN highly
creditable manner. |, promptly passed
the bill authorizing The formation of a
volunteer army, and The bill for reor-
ganizing the regular army, which
authorizes its incret SO lo 60, 600 men,
and as soon as tht P.rsiden asked II
il declared that state of war existed.
The blockade IF Havana and other
Cuban potts, of which notice was given
to the world in procla nation by the
President as toon as Spain virtually
declared war by sending our minister
away from Madrid, will be M sinta!ned
until Cuba is cap ured, but no land
operations further than the landing of
small force Of marines at some place
on the coast and establishing of base
of supplies for the Cuban army is con-
templated until the 125, 900 volunteers
now being mobilized, are ready for en-
barkation. 1t is impossible to say just
how soon that will be-some say not
more than ten days, while others whose
opinions are entitled to weight say it
will take at least a month to get the
new army into condition to te effec-
tive-but no time is going to be wasted.
The o. en- who are to have charge OF
the invasion of Cuba know their busi-
ness. They are not going TO move
until they know tn at they can make
short work of driving the Spanish out
Of Cube. They know that the men
can be trained and put into proper
lighting condition much better in the
United States than in Cuba.
Meanwhile the people must not
allow themselves to become impatient.
Our navy will while the army is getting
ready continue the work of blockading
and of picking up Spanish merchant
vessels, which has been SO suspiciously
started by the CAPTURE of valuable
ships. The blockading squadron Hill
not attack Havana for the present,
unle IS the forts there first attack them.
There are all SORTS of reports as to what
Spain is doing and is going to do with
her warships, but it looks as though
she is afraid to send her big fset of
ships to the assistance Of Cubt, and is
keeping then on the other side IF the
Atlantic, where their most dangerous
occupation until We have captured
Cuba will be the capture of the Ameri-
can merchant ships. Our Asiatic
squadron has orders which may result
in naval battle off The Philippine
Islands.
Hon. Charles Emory Smith, for
many years editor of the PhiIads lphia
Press, who was nominated and con-
| firmed as Postmaster General last
week, to succeed Hon. JONES A. Gary,
who resigned in consequence Of bad
health, took charge of the Post Office
Department to-day. Mr.. Smith needs
no introduction either 10 the people Of
the country or to the Republican party.
His selection was genuine surprise,
but the immediate unanimous confr-
nation of his nomination by the
Senate told that it was q plea ing one.
| Another change in the Cabinet has
been the resigna ion Of Secretary Shtr.
man and the promotion Of Mr.. Day.
Mr.. Sherman made up his mind
sometime ago to retire in favor Of
a younger and stronger man as soon
as the war began, but up to this
time President Mckinley has ROT
been able to obtain the consent oi
Judge Day, who as assistant Sec
retary has had direct charge ol
everything pertaining to Cuban ma.
1
ters, TO become Secretar y. Judge DAY
never had any desire for cfice, hay'
ing accepted assistant SecretaryshiE
personal favor 10 the President, and
with the understanding that it wa'
only TO be temporary arrangement
That he would prefer returning to
private life and The practice OF BIZ
profession is well known To his friends
but the persuasion Of the President
prevailed.
1 The y. s. will use balloons In actua
military service for the first time, IL
Cuba, although their usefulness ha'
been fully demonstrated some time
ago, by experiments In this country
and by actual service in Europe. Eact
| OF the two u. S. armies which will b
used for the Invasion Of Cuba will
have complete ball ,on outfits and .
corps OF experts TO work hem. These
balloons win be sent up high enough