The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-09
BATTLE MAY OPEN TUESDAY.
Another Defamation That Will Ring
Around The World.


New .ork. April 9-'If Spain does not
haul down her flag in Cuba there will be
war by next Tuesday" said an Army ON
Ger of prominence who came to this city
from Washington yesterday. He is in
close touch with the Administration and
familiar with inside facts regarding all
the prepare tons made and the tone OF
general feeling. He continued: Il am
confident of the date, and / fully expect
that hostiliteis will be declared. The war
should be short and sharp. / think it
will not last more than month Our
warships will start out at once and meet
the Spanish armored, vessels and the flo
ulla of torpedo boats. Our swift dispatch
boats with their rapid-fire guns will
disable the torpedo boats easily. Then we
will land an army of seventy-five thou
sand or eighty thousand men in Cuba
How can they defeat two hundred thou
sand Spanish troops there?" was asked.
We'll you must Judge the future by the
past We have seen a small force hold in
check that army, and / believe our larger
one can wipe It'll off the island in a short
time think the Washington officials.
believe that Spain will haul down her flag
at Havana and order her troops to evacu-
ate the city on Monday But If the Sa-
gasta government does not do this, our
Government will haul it down for her.
The War Department has everything in
readiness to mobilize the entire fighting
force of the Regular Army the governors
of the various States are ready TO call
out one hundred thousand militia, and
the President will lose no time in issuing
a call for volunteers which will be re-
LODI tn In fat la,se
have all our seacoast defenses manned
with militia, and the regular troops can
be moved to Cuba at once, to be rein
forced by the veterans and National
Guardsmen as fast as volunteers are or
ganized to fill the places TO which they
will be sent.
Everything possible will be done. and
the only danger to be feared is that
Spanish privateers will seize one of our
coaStwise vessels or attack and rayage
some of the small seacOast towns
which are undefended. In a fair sea
fight our Navy can easily get the bet
ter of the Spanish Dons. and on land
our troops can conquer the Castilian
rank and file one TO two. The war is
inevitable unless Spain recedes and re-
cedes promptly and gracefully"
Gen. Merritt was busy at his office on
Governors Island yesterday morning,
and came to town with Lieut. Mott I'm
the afternoon. In regard to the further
inspection of forts defending the har-
Dor. Gen, Merritt said: II intend 10 go
on with the formal inspection of the
forts as soon as | have time for the work.
possibly tomorrow. l have had a great
pressure of office business this week,
which has occupied my time and atten-
ton fully. l hope TO be able to thor
oughly inspect Forts Schuyler and Slo-
cum and the defenses at Willets Poin;
In one day. There is work in progress
at all of them, and the longer the in
spection Is delayed the more nearly viii
II be completed"
There were some huge coils of sub
marine cable, lead-covered, on the wharf
at Governors Island yesterday. which
will be sent today to the harbor forts to
add to the equipment in readiness for
the complete mining of the channels.
and their being put in such state Of
defense that no hostile vessel entering
would escape the fate which befell the
Maine in Havana harbor. The prepaTd-
tions are practically completed for in
stalling searchlights at each Of he
forts commanding the entrance to the
harbor and they will be ready for use
before they are reeded To detect invad-
ing craft, which may seek to get past
the runs under cover Of darkness.