The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-04-16
THE MILITIA NOT AVAILABLE
Eill Take Tine 10 Get Them ia fighting
Regular Troops Mill units
With cubans Against Spaniafds.
GENERAL LEE WILL COM
MAND VIRGINIA VOLUNTEERS
AND RETURN TO HAVANA AT
THE HEAD or THE FORCES
FROM OLD DOMINION.

New York April Elf war should be
brought about within the next few days
the United States could send TO Cuba
not more than 1000 TO 1900 troops, says
the Washington correspondent OF the
Times The fighting strength OF the
standing army Is now about q 0OD men,
but al least 700 would have 70 man the
coast fortlhcatlons and the heavy ar
tillery which the militia that could BE-
used for other purposes could not han
die. Il Is estimated that Il would take
small force In Cuba. OF course Il would
take a much longer zine TO get together
an army OF volunteers Militia Is out Of
the question in the opinion Of army Off
GERS. Il would require several weeks 10
organize cl0the. arm and drill in the
necessary army evolutions body OF vol
unteers large enough 10 constitute an
effective lighting force in the island. The
plan OF campaign that will probably be
followed Is 20 form a junction with the
revolutionary armies. equip them by fur
nishlng them with arms and ammunition
and carry on joint attack on the Span
lsh forces By this way II Is thought
that some decisive advantage could be
gained over the Spanish. a foothold OBJ
tanned and held until the arrival OF re-
Inducements Of volunteers would en-
able the American and Cuban forces TO
sweep the Spanish arms out OF the Is
land. The regular army OF l5.OoO to 20.oOe
effective troops II is thought would be
ample for this purpose. II would be per-
fecty safe TO land them in Cuba. as all
Of the revolutionary soldiers whose
force and effectiveness would then be
doubled. and It is quite probable that
these forces alone would be sufficient 10
dslodge the Spaniards and free the Is
land. II Is estimated that the Spaniards
have l25.00o to 1870 and the revolution
lists between 1000 and 50,Ooo soldiers un-
der arms. A great disparity would re-
main even after the landing Of the l5,00
20 5000 American troops as the Span
iards would stil have more than 2 TO !.
But Gomez has said that he could put
100 0o0 men in the field II he had rifles
and ammunition lor them. Army off,
GERS are Of the opinion that II this coun-
try would furnish arms and ammunl-
ton II could at once raise in Cuba itself
an effective force OF from 5000 to 10000
men to operate against the Spanish arm
les, which together with the 5000 to 2O0OO
regular American troops ought to be
able TO clean the dons out OF Cuba in
very short order
The most encouraging element OF the
situation is found In the character OF
the troops with which Spain has sought
to subjugate the island. They are raw
forces, composed Of boys under 30 TO
large extent, and without discipline or
experience.
OF course any plan OF campaign that
the army Is considering involves the
most energetic cooperation OF the feet
OF Captain Sampson, or al least a large
part of il. The coast Of the island would
have to be swept clean Of Spanish patrol
and gunbo2ts. and the Importation OF
any Spanish troops be made impossible.
For the past month and a half Spain
has been pouring in troops for just the
emergency that is about to confront her.
II is said that some OF the last troops
sent over are regulars. but the number
Of seasoned troops now in the island Is
very small and 1t will not increase from
TINS time on.