The record-union., 1898-04-21
PREPARING
The FORCES
FOR WAR.
No Action Yet Taken by
the President
Relative to the Expected Call
for Volunteers.
The (1upsiinn Mnrp enmnlieatpd
The Question More Complicated
Than at First Supposed.
Meantime, However, Regular Troops Are
Being Hurried TO Points Of
Mobilization in the
South.

WASHINGTON, April 20.-The topic
of absorbing interest in military circles
to-day was the expected decision of
the President and Secretary Alger upon
the question of how to place the vol
unteer forces at the service of the
Government No less than three con-
sultations were held to-day at the
White House on this subject, but it was
finally announced that it would not be
possible to issue the expected call for
volunteers to-day. The District of Col
umbia military forces have been Of
fered to the Government by General
HarrieS. and there is some expectation
that these will be the first of the mill
tary forces to be drawn into the Gov
eTnment service.
Other events of the day at the War
Department were the return to Wash
ington and the report of the artillery
expert who inspected the Southern
Notifications, and the appointment of
some aides on the staff of General
Miles. The Ordnance Bureau also made
another heavy requisition for funds.
The Navy Department was busy in
the preparations of signal codes, flags.
regulations. log books and a Thousand
and one things required for warships,
and for the large number of mercan-
tile vessels and yachts recently pur
chased. Many offers of vessels poured
in, but none were availed of to-day.
The notice of the arrival of the big
Spanish armored cruisers at Cape Verde
caused some disquiet at the Navy De-
partment, particularly the notice that
the Pelayo Joined the fleet. 1t is re-
allied that this constitutes a most
formidable naval force, in the opinion
of experts, equal to our crack flying
squadron now lying in Hampton Roads.
The department is a great deal dis
turbed about the torpedo boat Somers,
now lying at Falmouth, England and
is casting about for means to bring her
to the United States with safety, SO
far without success.
The military enthusiasm has spread
to the Capital, usually so undemon-
strative, <and to-day the city was
brilliant with the Stars and Stripes.
Chief Engineer Baird, who was ex-
amining recruits at the navy yard re-
ports that a very large portion of the
applicants for enlistment are Of Brit
ish birth, English, Scotch and Irish,
which he regards as significant of the
sympathy of that people with the Unit
ed States in its attitude towards Cuba.
The present expectation is that Gen
eral Miles, commanding the army, will
leave the city on Saturday for tour
of inspection of the points where the
regular army will be modified in the
South He will be accompanied by a
number of his aides Colonel c. r.
Greenleaf, Assistant Surgeon-General,
now stationed at San Francisco, has
been ordered to Washington for duty
on the staff as signal officer. The latter
has had considerable experience with
General Miles, and served with him as
signal officer in his Indian campaign.
Captain s. Y. Leyburn of the Tenth In
fantry also was added to the staff.
General Greely, chief signal officer,
has detailed Lieutenant J. E. Maxdeld,
stationed at New York, to take charge
of all matters pertaining to the ques-
ton of providing balloons for the use of
the army.
Surgeon General Sternberg of the
army has had applications for positions
by over 1000 persons in the medical
profession. The Surgeon-General, how
ever. thinks the regular army medical
corps is adequate for all present pur-
poses. In the event of the occupation
of Cuba. the department would make
an effort to obtain physicians who are
immuned to yellow fever for service
there.
Colonel William Ludlow, who has
been ordered to Washington as Chtef
Engineer officer on General Miles star
reported at army headquarters to-day
The Commfssary officer of the War
Department has issued advertisements
inviting proposals for furnishing SUD
sistence supplies for the army in sueh
quantities as may be called for, and
which will be regulated entirely by the
size of the army at the time the sup
plies are needed. The bids will De
opened at the end of the present month