The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1917-03-17

In the latter part OF April 1879. con-
gress declared war against Spain. Mr.,
Mckinley resisted this step 10 the ut
most and worked as hard as President
Wilson has been working to avoid the
beginning of hostilities. The United
States was wholly unprepared for war
In 1898. but as II happened she WAS
to face a power whose navy was NOT
anything like as good as her own.
Some of the eastern cities along the
coast We're much concerned when the
Spanish war broke out lest they be
bOmbarded. There. was not the re-
hottest chance OF IL. and today III war
should come there Is comparatively
small chance that there will be any
great naval fights in American waters
The Spanish war was less than
twenty years ago, but rs one reads the
names of the members Of the two
houses of congress who were In office
at that time he reads largely u list
OF the dead or the retired. There are
some men In the present congress, how
ever. who had voice in declaring war
against Spain. hut their number Is
small.
Most Of Them Dead or Retired
! Thomas Il. Reed of Maine was
speaker of the house OF representatives
when the Spanish trouble broke. la
! the house at that time were Nelson
| Dingley of Maine, author Of The Ding.
ley tnriff bill; Jonathan p. Dolliver of
Iowa: William II. Moody Of MnssachiI-
! sets. later 10 become secretary of the
navy, attorney general and justice
| Of the Supreme court Charles A. Bou-
telle Of Massachusetts. who was chair
man of the committee on naval af-
! fairs, and John A. T. Hull of Iowa,
I chairman Of the house committee ON
military affairs.
! Joseph G. Cannon Of Illinois, who
stIll Is in the house Of representatives.
was in The Spanish war nays chairman
OF the committee on apprOpriat tons,
and II WAS under his committee rule
4 that congress in twenty minutes voted
/ To place S5O.0O.OOO in cash in the
! hands Of President Mckinley for the
prosecution of The war OF course II
cost This country much more than that
4 before the conflict was over.
In the senate M that time Nelson w.
Aldrich was chairman Of the commit
P! tee on finance. and cushman X. Davis
! of Minnesota was chairman of the com
S.ittee on foreign relations On this
latter committee ar that time were
! Frye of Maine. CullOm of Illinois,
! Lodge Of Massachusetts. Clark of Wy
oming and Foraker of Ohio. Lodge Is
/ still member of the committee. and
! Clark is still in the senate. Eugene
I Hale of Maine. who Is still living but
/ is out OF congress and n confirmed in
valid. was AT the head of the senate
4 committee on naval affairs. while Gen.
: Joseph Hawley OF Connecticut was the
! chairman of the military affairs com
Initiec.
Like City in War Time.
| All sorts Of rumOrs of outrages
against government property and Of
attempts 10 obtain knowledge OF
military and naval movements have
been circulated in Washington for
days. No matter. how substantial these
rumors mhy seem to he. no newspaper
man writes concerning them. IL IL
realized that II Is dangerous thing
and a most hurtfu thing TO cast suspi-
cion upon any naturalized citizen or
any unnaluraDized one without proof
positive that something besides mere
suspicion attaches. The effect OF
spreading suspicion. the officials know
would he TO arouse resentment aud
perhaps actually 10 make enemies OF
men Of a class which desires 10 bt
friendly.
Washington * like q city In the
midst Of war time except for the All
sence Of marching troops. II ought
to he understood that no one In Wash
I ington. whether he be Of the army or
OF the navy, or OF any other service,
wants war. When word Is written
which seemingly Is Il war word II
! should he studied carefully. The stu
alton has been that officials here be-
/ lieve war was inevitable. No one here
wanted war He simply feared that Il
must come.
Military officers seem TO think that II
may be necessary one day and perhaps
! Immediately to raise an army Of 800
600 men. This number they may get
/ II the need CONES. hut the great neces-
sity will he for men who have had
sufficient training to act as instruct
ors. II is nm easy enough thing to say
that the regular army's rank and file
! can he drawn upon for drill masters
/ and for tpnchers OF the more advanced
forms of military duty. but every man
In the regular army may be needed for
instant garrison service if not for
instant fighting service.
Civilians May BE Instructors.
There are In ihe United States thou
sands of men In civil life who have
seen service in the regular army. A
public appeal will he made TO those
men To come forward to serve their
country In it's stress time. The PIatts-
burg and the Fort Sheridan camp
men. or those of them who have shown
sufficient training. will. be asked 10