The times., 1898-02-24
STRAINING EVERY NERVE.
The Administration Continues Its
Preparations for War.

ernment in which there Is wanting the
active evidence of the fact that every
one in authority believes there will be
trouble and that It Is high time TO pre-
pare for it.
In the Navy Department there Is man
ifest the greatest activity. The intelli-
gence office Is working night and day ii
the preparation of data for the use OF
commanders of naval ships and plans o.
attack and defenss. and general sea
maneuvers are being worked out with a
view of successfully meeting every con-
tingency that NAVAL. warfare may pre-
cipitate. All of this, does not necessarily
mean war, but il does mean that the Ad-
ministration is not unmindful of the very
serious results that might grow out of
the relations with Spain, which the most
conservative individual is willing to pro-
nounce strained Both the President and
the Secretary of the Navy believe that
precautionary measures at this impor-
tant juncture are the part of prudence.
Every public and private communication
between the executive and Legislative
| branch of the Government now re-
echoes the words of Washington in his
farewell address, read in the Senate
Tuesday. that we should remember
that timely disbursements to prepare for
danger frequently prevent much greater
disbursements to repel 1t.
One of the earliest steps of the Navy
Department following, the destruction OF
the battleship was the issuance of an or
der to the commander of the European
squadron, calling all of his vessels out of
the Mediterranean Sea. 1t would have
been exceedingly foolish under the high
tension to which the public has been
, wrought by the news of this disaster t"
have permitted these ships TO have re
maned in that inland sea where they
might have been caught by the Spanish
navy at disadvantage and their journey
| to the home station made impossible.
! These ships will pass out of the Medfter-
ranean and rendezvous off the Portuguese
| coast in the vicinity of Lisbon, where
they will await further orders Ii is prob
able that they will at once be ordered to
proceed home
| In Pacific waters every available ship
mas been quietly but rapidly put in
| touch with the commander of the Asiatic
station, and If hostlities between this
country and Spain should break out. the
American Government now has on that
| coast squadron that is a match for the
! Spanish fleet, and which II is believed
| with the aid of the revolutionary party
| in the Philippine Islands would be able
To strike a decisive blow in that quarter
and wrest those islands from the Span
ish rule.
Along the Atlantic coast there has been
a judicious distribution of ships of war.
, the greater part OF them of course, now
being stationed in the vicinity OF Dry
Tortugas, from which point III case of
war they would operate in the campaign
against Spain in Cuba. All of the ships
in good condition that have been living in
ordinary at the various navy yards have
becen hastily put into fighting trim. and
Will soon be again put in commission.
The most notable instances Of this are
the monitors Terror and Puritan. coast
defense vessels, which are capable of
doing an enormous amount of damage
with their high power steel breech-load-
ing guns. The Terror will steam into
New York harbor tomorrow, where she
will be able TO keep an eye on the battle
ship Vizcaya, which is now at that port
on "A friendly visit Within a day or
two the Puritan will also follow and New
York need have no fear of any ''acci-
dental discharge from any guns Of the
Spaniard now riding at anchor in that
bay.
In addition to working at the problem
OF how TO distribute the ships of war to
the best advantage the Navy Department,
for several days, has also been consider
ing the question of transporting troops TO
the island. Some of the naval experts are
opposed to making the attack on the for
tifcatiOns of Havana from the sea as
the only means of assault. They point |
out the ease with which an invading army
coming up by land could attack Havana
and supplement the work of the fleet |
making the investment of the city a |
comparatively easy task, and accompa- |
MED by little loss of life. The department !
knows thoroughly how many vessels will |
be required 10 transport the number of |
men necessary to comprise the land |
forces. and within twenty-four hours |
after the order has been given these es- |
sells would be in the service of the United |
States such transports. Ii has been |
figured OFT that under a proper convoy |
of cruisers these men could be readily |
landed on Cuban soil, including cavalry |
and artillery, and put in marching order
within forty-eight hours.
MednWnlle. the military branch of the
Government is not idle. Orders have beer
sent to the various stations throughout
the country to the officers commanding
the infantry to have their men in shape !
for instant travel and a few of the COM
panies of the posts along the coast have
already been quietly moving eastward to
a point where they will be accessible IN
case of immediate need.
Every navy yard and gun factory is |
working night and day turning out high
class guns for the fortifications agreed
upon by the board some years ago. but
upon which work, owing to "A lack of
necessary patriotic stimulus had been
slowly. Factories under con-
tract with the Government to supply pro-
jectiles for these guns are rushing their
orders to the coast as speedily as trains
can carry them and contracts let some
time ago are being filled now in weeks
where before months We're required. In
the West, notably at Cleveland and Ham
ilton there are big manufacturing estab-
lishments that have for months been
gun carriages for use under the
general plan of fortification. These nave |
been turned out in the ordinary course of |
business at infrequent intervals. but two |
weeks ago orders We're issued to hasten |
the work as rapidly. as good and thor
1ugh workmanship would permit and | ,
-hese necessary equipments for modern |
guns are being turned out and shipped TO |
he sea coast cities concurrently with the
arrival of the guns themselves. At each
IF these ports laborers have been at ,
york putting up the emplacements where
IN these guns will rest and so rapidly has
his task been accomplished that the
Board of Ordnance and engineer officers
rat nIa iaH hnt nj