The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-06
No ONE CRYING WAR
Still, All Would Feel Safer if
Quite Ready For it
so ALL HANDS TURN TO
Navy Yard and Army Post
Hum With Preparations.

washington, March 5.-The activity in
the various naval and military bureaus,
continued today without reference to the
work of the court of inquiry This activ-
ity had not taken the form Of any con-
certed or elaborate plan Of emergency
preparations but had been manifest main
" through comparative minor acts wnich
taken altogether had shown that the heads
f Of departments were not inactive in pre-
pairing their branches Of the service Tor
any requirements which it was possible
might be made upon them. a member OF
the cabinet stated today that there should
be no misunderstanding or misconsTuc-
zion of these steps. For instance all Of
the manifold movements, particularly in
the west, of war material, were declared
in the most positive manner simply 10 be
in execution Of plans long ago developed
bv the Notifications board for the defense
Of the coast. Thus at Seattle the war
department recently purchased tract Oh
Gao acres on Magnolia Bluff, point re-
aarded bv the board as Indispensable 10
me proper defense of Puget Sound. This
was now being put INFO condition for the
reception Of heavy guns and other ~eaD
ons. The work, it was saaG, tSyuId nave
been done long ago.
BEST BE READY, THOUGH.
However while it was stated that these
steps were in accordance with past plans
there was no concealment Of the fact
that the administration was impressed
with a sense Of duty in putting the go
war branches in the highest state of eff
cheney to meet any emergency. There
was no disposition to anticipate an emer-
gency Of 10 say that any situation would
develop which would call into use the
preparation now on foot. on the contrary
The highest authorities Of the naval and
military branches said they did not eX-
pect an emergency but were performing
the duty allotted to them Of being ready
for any result that might come, no matter
how unexpected it might be. These high
officials did not wish to minimize their
preparations or to assert that they were
merely routine, neither did they wish
these wise andsnaturaI precautions to be
construed far beyond their legitimate ex-
tent. and made the basis for alarming
reports of war measures.
In referring to this subject a member of
the cabinet said he felt that patriotic in
.uacts should inspire a just measuring
of the activity now evident at no more or
less than it really meant.
sEAMEN IN DEMAND.
The navy departmentwas somewhat en-
barrassed by the lack Of seamen neces-
sary to fill the complement of ships al
ready or about to go into commission and
in view Of the shortage the officials in
charge Of the recruiting stations at
League Island. Norfolk and New York
had been instructed to enlist such seamen
as might be available and not conine
themselves to persons who have hereto
fore been in the navy.
According to an official Of the construc-
ton bureau Of the navy it would be some
time before the Charleston, Yorktown and
Philadelphia now at the Mare Island
yard were again ready for sea service un-
+, less extraordinary measures We're taken
to hurry the work on them. The York
town and Philadelphia. it was suggested,
might be prepared again for sea service in
a very short time if they were not put
in commission, but if the latter step We're
resorted to it would require from six to
nine month to put them in shape.
PACIFIC COAST DEFENSE.
The war department is having some diff
Guilty in obtaining the title 10 sufficient
ground at Point Wilson, Washington. on
which il is proposed to erect fortified
tons. This is because Of the fact that
the owners Of much Of the land are scat
tered over the country and trouble has
been experienced in securing their ad-
dresses. The matter is now in the hands
Of the department. Of justice, which is do
Ing everything possible 10 settle the Ques-
ton. Tho nature and extent of the works
to be erected VIII depSad on the money
available.
1--WE are pressing work on forddcatons"
said an official of the war department to-
day. 'just as we have been since the
permanent system of coast defense was
inaugurated by congress about two years
ago We aim to spend all The money