The National tribune., 1899-10-12
CHAT OF THE CORRIDORS.

At the beginning of the Spanish war
Maj.-Gen. Wesley Merritt was in command
of the Division of the Atlantic, which en-
braced substantially everything east of
the Alleganies to the Gulf of Mexico, and
included most of the Gulf States. This
would naturally have brought him into
command of the forces and camps, ETC.,
of the army assembled for the movement
| on Cuba. But for some reason, about
which there has only been gossip, the
southern part of his command was cut off
| by tae erection of a new Department OF
| the Gulf" which comprised the States of
| South Carolina. Georgia, Florida, Ala
bama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Texas
was ut first put in also, but subsequently
withdrawn. 1t looked like a deliberate
purDJ5a to shut GCu. Merritt out of active
| participation in the war After Dewey's
| victory lie was assigned TO duty i'll the
| Philippines. but declined to go thither
| unless ne WIS assigned force commensu-
rate with his IDEAS. There was some
| hitch about this, but finally he got off,
though he showed no enthusiasm for the
dTty, and left Manila as soon as he could
cralitably. He went to Paris to meet the
Peace Commission and get married, and
| then returned to New York and the COM
| nand of the Department Of the East. Last
week the War Department issued an order
| restoring this to its former dimensions by
| the abolition OF the Department of the
| Gulf.
In spite of all their deliberation the Gov
ernmcnt engineers will make mistakes.
When the new Postoffice Building was
erected in Washington it was calculated
that it would give an abundance of room
for the City Postoffice in the first story and
| basement, and for the Postoflice Depart
nlcnt in the upper stories, with space for a
compile Of Bureaus that are now occupying
rented quarters. But when the Postoffice
Department actually moved in it was
found that there WAS not so much accom-
modation as iii the old building occupying
the s1uare between E and + and Seventh
and Eighth streets, to say nothing of room
for the two other Bureaus. In fact, the
clerks are very much crowded. five or six
having to occupy - room where two formerly
worked. Congress will have to come TO
the relief, and provide more quarters.
Admiral Dewey created n perturbation
in the Navy Department last week by his
recommendation that u number of heavy
vessels be sent at once 10 the Philippines
to enforce the blockade. This idea was a
new ore to the Department, as it has been
thinking more of small vessels that could
enter the shallow bays and rivers. But
the Admiral pointed out that the smaller
class Of gunboats would be exposed TO a
good deal Of unnecessary dargcr if they
were sent out. To carry out the plans for
ciItting the insurgents off from their sup
plies, these vessels must be scattered around
among the islands often without corsorts,
and thus exposed to sudden and over
wheiming attacks from the natives. But
these larger vessels that are now to be sent
will not only be amply bic to take care OF
themselves in such clScS, but may serve
as parent ships from which may be operated
n number Of small laucheS that have been
doing such good service IN the Philippines.
Furthermore, he probably said that, as
found by experience i'll the rebellion, it
would be necessary to have heavy, swift
ships. which would follow blockade-rimners
out to sea and run them down. His rec
ommeEdatlon, which was Immediately
acted upon, set the Department into a fever
Of haste to collect the suitable ships and
start them for Manila. The Brooklyn,
which it was intended to give Admiral
Schley for his flagship, had to be taken
away for the flagship Of the new squadron
to relieve the Baltimore, which has been
acting rs flagship since the departure of
the Olympia. The Brooklyn, which had
been ordered south, was accordingly met
at Hampton Roads by kilograms ordering
her back To New York TO prepare for the
cruise. Siclilar orders Were sent to the
New Orleans, and "A cablegram started
the Nashville from San Domingo via the
SueZ Canal. The Badger WAS starred
from San Francisco, and will probably
get to Manila ahead of the others. Other
vessels are under consideration.
Admiral Schley will take the Chicago
for his flagship. and assume command Of
the South Atlantic Squadron about Dec.
4A*
1t costs Uncle Sam 81 1884, All SO n year 10
run the big gestablishmentoyerb by the Monu-
ment, where his notes, bonds, and stamps
are printed, and the requirement Of Con-
gress that all the printing shall be by
hand-prcSses instead of steam, adds enor-
moqsly to the expense: The Superin-
tendeut of the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing estimates that the additional
expense of doing the work is fully so per
cent, but this seems unlikely.
The Secretary of the Navy has the cour-
| age of his convictions. He wants S73, ,O45,-
| 1873 for next year, an increase of S24 537, 1877
| over previous appropriations. He wants
| Sl2, S474 for Navy-yards. public works.
| etc; 81, ,021 900 for a new Naval Academy;
S22,9S3, l01 for armor, guns, and machin-
| ery, etc.
The Commissioners have issued ar order
prohibiting the sale and use in the District
| of cannon-crackers and dynamite tor
pedoc5. Hereafter the Washington boys
will have TO get the same amount of fun
| out OF less noise.
Recruiting returns received at the War
! Department up to Saturday show that
| 14,515 men have been obtained for the 12
volunteer regiments last called out. Five
of these rcgimeuts-namcly the 3Sth, 39th,
4ith, 4Jth, and 46th-have secured more
than their complement ard the excess will
be used i'll filling out the regiments where
i there is deficiency. The recruiting for
the remaining regiments is as follows:
AID, ,145; 43d, LOSS; 40.h, go; 47th,
!, ,253; 4Sth (colorcdD, 1,0S9, and 49th (col-
ored), 500. Recruiting for the colored
regiments did not begin until several
weeks after it had begun for the other
regiments.
Though at the time it was ordered. /
in common with most other friends of til.
Nicaragua Canal, regarded the lsthnIiar
Commission as "a mere device of the Pacific
railroads TO gain time and stave off action
yet it seems that the Commission has vel
improved the time. Admiral Walker is al
enthusiastic advocate of the canal, anC
being forceful man, makes everything
that he can influence work toward thu
advancement of the project. Immediately
after the organization of the Commission
he took his colleagues, Messrs Ernst
Morrison, Burr, Noble, and Haynes, wen
to Paris to examine the records of tn,
Panama Canal Company there, with
view to obtaining data to aid in the prose
cution of their Investigations on the ground