The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-05
PREPARING FOR DEFENCE.
CONTINUED ACTITITY IN MIIITART
AND NAVAL CIRCLES.

,,oae n Bnso or supplies - The Asiatto
.,,arop concentrating ut Hong konE.
xy,,,i, striking distance OF tho Philippines.
w,su,SuroS. March 4.-The preparations for
ree,ing whatever emergency may como from
,ho Maine affair or the Cuban question have not
hecn suspcnded, despite assurances TO the coun-
t,v that matters are more favorable to q con-
,inuance of peace. They arc being pushed with
. ,horoughnGss that shows clearly that the Adj
rinistration is by no means satisfied that the
aoci5ent theory will receive the support Of the
Cur, N, Inquiry. ConsulGeneral Lees declara-
,,on NJ belief that the explosion which sent
rho bnttlcship 10 the bottom OF Havana
hsrbor was external has had its effect on the
officials who will have to deal with the question
NJ redress, and while Gen. Lees testimony can
mt no accepted as II basis Tor representations
N spain, due weight has been given the serious
Abatement he has made. and 1t has naturally
been Construed as a warning Of what may come
from the Court OF Inquiry.
Officers OF the Government do not now deny
that the present activity in military and naval
circles Is due to the Maine disaster. although
they profess to believe that everything will BIO
ss,tled nmicably. One OF tho most prominent
membcrs of the Administration. a man who has
occupied. and still occupies. an extremely con-
,eryattvc position in the Maine matter, ndmit-
ted to-day that no time was being lost In max.
ing offensive and defensive arrangements. 1t
would not do. OF course. for an official of
the United states to publicly state that this
Government is making preparations for going
10 war with Spain, or even taking precautionary
measures TO guard its interests in the event of
b~ostilities with that country. Such q declara-
ton is considered by nations as ground for an
immediate resort to arms by the Government at
which 1t is directed, and Spain would be justi-
fed, according to precedent, in demanding an
explanation from the United States or striking
the first blow without any parley. Therefore.
nobody connected with the Executive branch of
the Government can be quoted as saying that
steps are being taken to fight Spain, and such
guarded uttersnces as are made are given with
the understanding that the names OF the per-
sons concerned should not be used.
Brig. Gen. John NJ. Wilson. chief Of army
engineers. has left Washington to visit Mobile.
Key West. and other places. The explanation
Of his departure for those important points at
this time is that he will inspect the progress of
river and harbor Improvement work there. II
Is understood in military circles. however, that
Gen. Wilson'S main business is with the de-
fences at Dry Tortugas, which the War
Department, as told in THE Sun this
morning, wants returned to its juris-
QlCtlOn tOt military PURPOSES AL btu-
dents Of military strategy recognize these
candy keys as an important base OF supplies in
war, and the Naval War College has prepared a
plan Of operations for that vicinity for land and
sea forces. Within n few hours sail of Havana.
and situated at the entrance to the sheltered
Bay OF Florida, where the vessels of the North
Atlantic Squadron have been conducting their
winter maneuvres, the Dry Tortugas fur
nishes a loQical-hase of operations and.
II strongly protected. an ideal place for
storing coal, provisions and other supplies
for war vessels operating in Southern
waters. Gen. Wilson will undoubtedly
make a personal inspection Of the present foru-
fcation with n view to submitting recommended
tions for increasing its efficiency. The transfer
o.: the Tortugas reservation from the Treasury
DEPARTMENT to the War Department has not been
made yet, but officials Of the military service
think there will be no difficulty in securing title
10 the property.
1t is now obvious that orders tele2raphed to
the commander of the Asiatic naval station.
Rear Admiral George Dewey. since the Maine
disaster, and mentioned in The Sun at the
time. In connection with similar instructions
issued TO tho commander Of the European sta
tion and the senior officer on the South Atlantic
station, provided for the concentration of
United States warships in Asiatic waters at
Hong Kong. The purpose of this concentra-
ton is that q strong squadron may make an
offensive movement against tho Philippine ISL
endS, the Spanish possession which was only
saved to the Crown by the recent purchase Of
peace from the rebellious chiefs who had been
causing the Madrid Government almost as much
concern by their active operations as the Cuban
insurgents. Manila Bay, on which the capital
city and principal port Of the dependency
10 situated, Is within o short sail OF
Hong Kong, and in less than two days
from tho time Admiral Dewey's squadron
would leave tho Chinese-English station 1T
would be drawn up In line of battle before the
town. With the arrival yesterday at Hong
Kong of the cruiser Boston and the gunboat
Concord. all the vessels under Admiral Dewey's
command are now there except the Monocacy.
an ancient wooden ship. which would be a
detriment instead of a valuable ally in offensive
operations. The other vessels at Hong Kong
are the flagship Olympia. the cruiser Raleigh.
anu the Runboat Petrol. which. with the Boston
and the Concord. compose a formidable feet.
To-day additional significance to the prepara-
IONS for seizing tho Philippines. II necessity
arises. was given by orders prepared by the
bureau OF Navigation for the Olympia and tho
baltimore to change stations between Hong
AohR and Honolulu. These orders. which tho
navy Department frankly admitted had been
Given, appear to indicate that the Asiatic sta
uoh Is to be weakened instead Of strengthened
ior the olympia Is a ship far superior to the
baltimore. The real significance lies In the as
seFtion. not so frankly given out. that the Olym-
pa Will stay at Hong Kong until the Baltimore
gets there. A change of the orders to the Olym-
pla, the best vessel under Admiral Dewey's com
maha' would leave the station augmented by
the baltimore, with the other cruiser still main
tanned as the Admiral's flagship. The Navy De.
paflment officials say it will take three weeks
before the baltimore can sail, on account of the
length OF time that will elapse before her orders
are received at Honolulu and in making prepa-
fat'ohs for the long voyage. and two weeks
more to reach her destination. Then. 1t
S explained, a week or ten days will be
consumed in transferring from the Baltimore
" the olympia a number of seamen whose
efuis OF enlistment have expired and who will
20 sent back to the United States. 30 that 1t will
W Blk or seven weeks before the Olympia will
oaNe Hong Kong. Within that period the Ad'
ministration will have taken whatever action Ia
vailed Tor by the findings OF the Maine Board OF