The herald., 1898-03-03
A COMMOTION CAUSED
WHEN THE DECISION Is MADE
PUBLIC
THE MISSION ONE OF MERCY
The Vessels, Built for Purposes Of
Destruction, Will Garry Food
to the Starving
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire\
WASHINGTON, March 2.-The decision
of the navy department to send two ships
to Cuba with supplies for the suffering re-
concentrates caused some commotion in
official circles today, until the real purport
of the visit of the ships came out. The
cruiser Montgomery and the gunboat
Nashville were selected for the purpose
and orders were sent to Admiral Sicard to
put them in shape for the required service.
1t is explained at the navy department
that this action was taken at the instance
of the Cuban Relief association, organized
through the efforts of the state department
for the relief of the non-combatants in
Cuba. 1t was represented to the depart
ment that distress prevails among the peo-
pie in the vicinity of Sagua la Grande and
MatanzaS, on the northern coast of the
island, and that considerable difficulty Is
experienced in sending supplies there be-
cause of the infrequent visits Of merchant
ships. On this account and because Of the
immediate demand for supplies at the
points indicated the officers of the asso-
citation requested the secretary of the navy
to authorize the use of one or more war;
ships at Key West in the transportation
there of food supplies contributed by the
charitable people of the United States in
response to the appeals of President Nc
Kinley and Secretary Sherman. Secretary
Long conferred with the president on the
subject and 1t was decided to comply with
the request. The Montgomery and the
Nashville were selected as most suitable
for the service and the necessary orders
were dispatched to Admiral Sicard. The
Montgomery will go to Matanzas and the
Nashville to Sagua la Grande with the un-
6orStln6in0 that fhpV will rpy11ain N fhnQo
ports only long enough to deliver the sup
plies to the agents of the association for
distribution where they will do the most
good.
Although the mission assigned to the
warships will take both within short dis
tance of Havana, estimated at from two
to four hours, it is stated that neither ves-
sci will visit the Cuban capital
To remove the impression that had gotten
abroad to the effect that the relations be-
tween the navy department and the house
naval committee were not harmonious,
Secretary Long this afternoon gave out a
short statement on the subject. He said:
Congressman Boutelle has been misun-
derstood. The congressman, who is one OF
the most patriotic men In the world, Is 81
ways ready to do everything that can be
done for the navy.
"In his annual report the secretary rec
commended that 1900 men be added to tho
in the number of ships. The naval Gom-
miittee, of which Mr. Boutelle is chairman,
has already decided to grant this increase
in the regular naval appropriation bill.
Meantime. If there should be any immedi-
ate necessity for more men the same COM
mittee and Mr.. Boutelle. as it's chairman,
are ready to make provision to that effect
at once"
A cablegram came from General Lee
during the day to the state department,
but it made no reference to the Maine af-
fair, being devoted to the periodical state
ment of the amount of tobacco that is
being shipped from Cuba to the United
States ports, thus giving evidence of the
actual removal of the export prohibition
decree.
Captain Chester, commanding the South
Atlantic station, was also heard from, his
cablegram relating to the docking of the
gunboat Castine, now at Port-au-Prince.
The department has sent him the necessary
authorization and the ship will go into
the dry dock there
A commander for the monitor Miantono-
nah, which was ordered into commission
yesterday, was selected today in the person
of Captain Mortimer Johnson, who Is at
present on waiting orders.
Secretary Long says that the Miantouo-
nah, with the ram Katahdin, will remain
in the Delaware for the present at least.
With the commissioning of these two ves-
sells there remain only the cruisers Co
lumbia and Minneapolis on the Atlantic
coast for immediate service in case the de-
partment should decide to commission
more ships. The Atlanta at New York.
could be made ready in the course of three
or four months and the Chicago in isx
months, In case emergency orders for their
repair were issued. There are number
of good ships on the Pacific coast, however,
whose repair Is under way, such as the
Charleston, the Philadelphia, the York.
town and others, and the pay rolls of the
construction bureau at the Mare Island
Navy yard have now amounted to the large
total Of $4,000 per month for wages alone.
The navigation bureau is still busy with