| Show PREPARNG FOR THECONFLICT 1 CONFLCT 1 Secretary Roosevelt Replies to a Pointed Inquiry SPANISH CABINET J FEARS TH WORST J War With United States Popular With All Parties 1 Acting Secretary Roosevelt Says J The Work of the Navy Is Going iOn i-On a Rapidly as we Could Wish tj J Feeling I Havana Americans J leaving the City Patriotic Americans Amer-icans Proffer Services I Anticipation Antici-pation of Hostilities i New York Feb 26A special to the World from Washington says k Acting Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt velt when asked concerning the probability prob-ability of war and the condition of the navy in case of emergency replied re-plied I wish you would say to the World that while we do not expect war the navy department is simply making every preparation for it The work of the navy Is going on as rapidly as we could wish To get into an ideal condition of defense and offense will consume much time and a great deal of patient labor During the past ten days the labor of the department depart-ment has been multiplied No news of great importance to the public has been received today from Havana and like every one else we are patiently awaiting further developments develop-ments His words are susceptible of two interpretations in-terpretations both consistent with official cial reserve and caution Working night and day to prepare for war the secretary secre-tary may regard as the surest way to avert war I EMERGENCY PREPARATIONS A special to the Herald from Washington Wash-ington says Emergency preparations of the most important character yet made by the navy department formally decided upon and the necessary orders for carrying them out have been issued by Assistant Assist-ant Secretary Roosevelt These preparations prep-arations include First Orders to vessels in different parts of the world looking to their better strategic disposition SecondThe shipping of guns and mounts for auxiliary cruisers from tW the York Washington foundry to New navy yard where in a few hours they can be placed on board vessels of the International Navigation company Columbia Co-lumbia Steamship company Red D Steamship company and the New York Cuba Mull Steamship company ThirdThe collection of stores and the completion of repairs to the cruisers cruis-ers Minneapolis and Columbia the monitor Miantonomah and the ram Ka tahdin FourthThe shipment to the works of the Herreshoffs of torpedo tubes and I appliances and torpedoes for the torpedo tor-pedo boats Talbot and Gwin which will shortly undergo their steam trials NO IDEA OF SECRECY The authorities have relinquished all idea of keeping secret the preparations which are being made and while declining de-clining to go into details as to the orders or-ders which are being given it Is generally gen-erally known what steps are being taken ta-ken to put the country in a condition to meet any emergency that may arise I was not denied that orders had been issued to vessels which will entail en-tail their movements to different points I but what vessels are affected and where they will go are questions which the department officials decline to answer an-swer The Asiatic squadron is assembling assemb-ling at Hon kong COO miles away from I the Philippines WILL BE ORDERED HOI HO-I I is generally believed that before I any decisive action is taken by the administration ministration that the cruiser San FranCisco I Fran-cisco and gunboats Bancroft and Helena I Hel-ena will be ordered home It being appreciated I ap-preciated that these vessels would not be effective against the armored cruisers cruis-ers of the Spanish navy l The cruiser Cincinnati and the gunboat gun-boat Castine will probably remain at I the Barbadoes until the arrival of the I f fis I Brookyn at Santa Lucia 60 miles away when Captain F C Cook commanding the armored cruiser will communicate with Captain C M Chester senior officer cer commanding the Cincinnati and Castine and these vessels will then probably proceed to L Guayra where Vicksburg they will join and the Annapolis gunboats Wilmington |
