The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-13
MADE A GREAT RECORD
How the National Defense Has
Been Prepared For.
THE OREGON SENT SOUTH
VIII Await Orders at Valparaiso-The
Cabinet Discusses the Finances of
the Situation-No Report From
the Board of Inquiry.

of what can be accomplished by the ma
tion in short space of time under the
necessity to provide for the national
defense. Beginning with the appro
priation of $50 1000, 900 to be expended
by the president without limitation,
there followed rapidly the placing of
orders for enormous quantities of war
supplies; the institution of negotiations
for the purchase of ships abroad; en-
listment of men for the navy; creation
of two additional regiments Of artillery,
the commissioning of monitors. cruis-
ers and rams; the making of new posts
along the seacoasts, and finally the ar
rangement of the great military de-
partments to meet modern conditions
in military practice.
The sending of the Oregon, now at
Mare island, away from San Francisco
is an exhibition of the -sightedness
with which the secretary of the navy
is observing the situation of to-day.
The vessels orders are to cruise down
the Pacific coast, touching from time
to time at various ports where cable
connections exist. to receive any or
ders that the department have to give.
In this way. it is expected she will
work as far South as Valparaiso,
Chilli, where she will await orders. Val
paraiso is very much nearer Cuba and
to Admiral Sicard's fleet than Mare ISL
and, while if ii should be desired to
send the ship to the Asiatic station,
this can be done almost as conveniently
from Valparaiso as from San Fran
cisco. AT Valparaiso the Oregon will
| be where she can be most usefully
manipulated in case of an emergency.
The president held a long conference
at the white house about noon to-day
with Secretaries Alger Long and Gage.
1t is presumed that their subject of dis
cussion was the finances of the situa-
ton. a subject which could not be fully
treated at the cabinet meeting yester-
day owing 10 the short session. After
the conference. the statement was
again made, with the emphasis that
has characterized every utterance on
the subject by the presidents consti-
tutional advisers, that up to date the
adminstra tion has absolutely no
knowledge of the cause of the disaster
of the Maine, and that it has no report
of any kind from the court of inquiry
or anyone connected with it.
The board of naval bureau chiefs find
ii impossible to pass judgment in
Washington upon the fitness for naval
service of vessels that may be offered
for the auxiliary branch of the navy
at the various seaports, so they have
been aided in their work by the Gre
alton of a special board, which will un-
dcrtake to visit each of the ports where
ships may be offered and make care
ful personal inspection of the various
craft. The board will consist of Cap
tain Rodgers. Lieutenant Commander
Kelley. Passed Assistant Engineer
Dixon Naval Constructor Tawresy and
Lieutenant Sergeant.
Lieutenant Kelly, having been spe-
cially charged with the inspection of
the merchant vessels suitable for naval
H.
member of the board. The Nashville
arrived at Key West to-day, while the
M2rblehead arrived at Tampa. The
naval officials will not state the purpose
of the Marbleheads visit TO Tampa.
The war talk has had the usual result
of bringing before the war and navy
departments a perfect flood of sugges-
tions and inventions. Many of these
are most NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. flying
machines kites and the like. centipede-
like steamers with manifold propellers.
and torpedoes of fearful and wonderful
construction. All of them are given
attention and referred to the proper
authorities for investigation, but not
much is expected from them.
The department WILL on Monday,
open bids for one of the largest orders
OF shot and shell for heavy caliber guns
ever given, including armor- piercing
projectiles and piercing torpedo
shells. The number and character of
these follows: Nine hundred and thirty
nine Pinch deck piercing shells, weigh
ing 1000 pounds each; 1,241 12-inch
deck-piercing shells weighing 500
pounds each: 4S1 10-inch armor- piercing
shot. capped; 149 S-inch armor-piercing
shells: $50 S-inch armor- piercing shot.
capped. These projectiles are for the
heavy fortification guns now mounted
along the coast. The purchase is not
to be made under the fifty-million de-
fense appropriation bill, but is in anti
cipation of the fortification bill. which
grants s940, ,0G0 for a reserve supply of
projectiles and powder. AS the making
of the heavy projectiles will take con-
siderable time, the contract will be let
ahead of the passage of the bill, assur-
ances having been given from men in
congress that no question would be
raised as 10 the regularity of this pro-
ceeding. The entire amount is designed
TO give all the heavy guns now installed
and those to be put in place during the
coming year a full quota of projectiles
and powder. The Pinch shot are
among the largest made. The cost of a
single round of this class of projeetiles
is S5l1 Aside from the large order to
be placed Monday. the emergency bill
will permit additional orders to meet
the requirements of such fortification
guns as may be mounted for emergency.
The present order is for the actual needs
OF the guns now mounted, without ref
erence to any existing emergency, al
though il has been made all the more
imperative By the Spanish crisis.
The Spanish minister Senior Polo,
received a dispatch to-day from Cap
tain General Blanco stating the condi-
ton of the Cuban reconcentrados was
greatly improved. General Blanco
stated also that he had prepared full
data on this subject to be forwarded 10
Washington. 1t will he a timely cantri-
button 70 the official material on the
condition Of these unfortunate people
and is doubtless drawn out by the har-
rowing stories Of distress and starva-
tiou which have induced the sending Of
large relief supplies TO Cuba by Ameri-