New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-05
Army AND NAVY ACTIVITY.
BOTH DEPARTMENTS PUSHING PREPA-
RATIONS FOR HOSTILITIES.

THE TWENTY FIFTH INFANTRY TO CAMP AT
curcKAMAUGA. INSTEAD OF KEY wEsr-cRu1-
SER SECURED At BARGAIN-How TO Sc
CURE TRAINED SOLDIERS QUICKLY.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRBrNEl
Washington April 4.-The 10Th Infantry. when
! II reaches the Department OF the Gulf. will go
| into camp at Chckamauga National ParK IN
! stead OF following out the original intention or
/ garrisoning Key West The earlier orders re-
! gardlng the transfer OF that command from
Montana to Florida were modified to-day. large
! ly on account OF the inadequate water supply
/ ut Key West. which has already been taxed be-
yond its limit by the concentration which mas
| already occurred at that point.
! other accommodations for troops at Key West
are also insufficient. and fears are expressed
! that the presence there OF so large a force or
troops, fresh from the Northern border. might
! be disastrous to the health OF the command. In
! case no operations are begun against Cuba the
/ soldiers would. 1t is thought. be unnecessarily
! exposed TO an enterc fever epidemic, from
| which they would secure at Chickamauga. al
though quickly available for defensive or often
sive movement at Key West or Tampa. The
| idea OF sending the garrison to Dry Tortugas
/ has been altogether abandoned. When the
! Navy Department completes its coaling arrange
ments there. ana modern guns may De fnouhtcu
AZ Fort jefferson. battery OF artillery will be
sent to that post. This however. can hardly he
accomplished before autumn. unless IT is abso-
lutey indispensable an emergency measure
In the mean time.
Asan instance Of The celebrity with which coast
defence preparations may be completed under
pressure is shown in the works at Cape Fear
River which was reported 10 the War Depart
ment to-day. Since March 1. when the order
was issued to get ready for guns at that point.
the emplacements and platform for the battery
have been executed and pronounced ready for
! the disappearin rifles. which Will be shipped
tomorrow. Ordinarily this work would have
consumed six months
The War Department has been compelled 10
refuse all recent acquisitions from the Governors
Of States FOR materials usually supplied for fear
OF running short OF requisite articles for use in
war The rcques; OF the New-York militia for
an ambulance Of the Ohio Guard for tents and
/ Of other States for blankets and other equip
ments have therefore been returned with the
! inforrna ion that the Army has none to spare
at his time.
General Greedy has asked for funds for the
purchase II two var balloons with necessary
/ outfits for iumediate use at Boston. and at the
entrance OF Chesapeake Bay The two balloons
now owned by the Signal Corps started east
to-day from Denver. FOR use at New York, Tor
: observation ard signalling purposes. captain
Glassford and Lieutenant Maxieid. OF the Signal
J Corps. Will also be ordered east 10 superintend
balloon operations. .4
The Navy Department paid t4l.oO for the
/ cruiser Diogenes. bought Saturday In Eng
| land This vessel ia not great addition to the
/ Navy but IL said to be vastly superior 10 sew
eral Of the recently purchased yachts. which
cost larger sums. There is a question AZ the
/ Nayy Department what the armament OF abe
Diogenes is. or whether she has any enectlVe
} guns at all II she had any guns and they
were Included ir tho sum paid for her. Sl"o'2D.
| her excessive cheapness Is regarded as cause
/ for suspicion.
! The war Department IS considering a practi-
/ cal plan for determining the availability Of Ma
tional Guardsmcn who might leave their organ.
izations 10 volunteer for any service in time OF
! war which was suggested some time ago. but
| never put into operation on account Of lack or
funds. II is suggested that the National Guard
/ forces Of each Of the States likely L. be called
| upon I'm the event ~ war should he ordered into
| camps under actual conditions. and drilled In
| brigade formation. with which mllitamen are
generally unfamiliar. Inspectors from the Regu
lar Army would be sent 10 each OF these en-
| campmcnts 10 select tho men best adapted for
arduous service and In that manner muster rolls
could he secured ~ the best material In the
country FOR speedy mobilization I'm n crisis. with
an avoidance of risk OF getting volunteers who
would prove unequal 10 hard campaigning
II is claimed that in no other way could the
effective fighting strength Of the country for
proposed sharp short campaign be ascertaned.
| Al the present time. when there 10 more or less
| likelihood that tho United States may at any
moment decide To put force Of nifty thousand
volunteers In IN" Held Tor foreign INVASION, IN
the briefcst possible space Of time such
curate practical knowledge ~ the available
material would be almost Invaluable. II Ia.
however scarcely deemed practicable TO carry
out this plan this week. and everything depends
upon the events OF the next day or two. whether
decision Will be reached to order out the Ma
tional Guards Of all States east Of the Missis
sippi n week hence
II is known that New-York State could and
would furnish large force OF thoroughly
drilled and organized volunteers. promptly upon
a call from the President. but in that state. at
the annual cncampment. only one regiment
has assembled at one time. and all the men.
we'll as the officers who did not service I'm
the Civil War have never had experience In
large army movements. While they would
moro readily become good soldiers than green
men in n great campaign. n the Government
has TO depend on inexperienced men to make up
its armies a sudden hostile movement against
Cuba would be impossible. and every days de-
Law 10 perfect army would he not only OK
| asperating, but affect the decisveness Of the
campaign
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