New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-02
THE MUSTER OF THE FLEET.
OPINION OF NAVAL OFFICERS.

THE PRESIDENT BELIEVED 10 INTEND hECo"NH-
ING CUBAN BELIIGERENCY-THE PREPARATIONS
A PRECAUnON, NOT THREAT
[Br rBLgGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSEI
WASHINGTON Dec. Livery officer of the navy
not on sick leave is now believed to be either at sea
or under orders to report on board of vessel.
which is RAPIDLY preparing for active service, and it
is the general belief among those who have received
these orders within week two that thirty days
from now there will be very few naval officers able
to do sea duty who will not be atiOat. Even those
who are in command Of these squadrons and
fleets, so suddenly put in readiness for active
service, profess entire ignorance IN re-
gard to the important service they are
expected to perform Some of them occasionally IN
dulge in conectures, however, and conversation
with number of them discloses the important fact
that the guesses of different officers are strikingly
similar There seems to be apprehension that the
country Is TO be plunged into war with SPAN, by an
unsatisfactory termination to the negotiations,
which Secretary Fish and Minister Cushing have
been conducting with the Spanish Government
during the past two months, since all information
that can be obtained here Mt Madrid leads to the
belief that those negotiations are making favorable
procrass. and that their result is more likely than
not TO be gratifying to Government At the same
time. our relations with every other foreign power
character our only serious troubles being upon the
Rio Grande at q point inaccessible to the navy.
Naval officers are therefore convinced that MIR.
Robeson's extensive preparations must be in view of
something that is likely to happen in regard to our
attitude toward Spain, and they very naturally look
toward Cuba for explanation. But there has been
no recent occurrence in Cuba to call for naval DEM
orstration upon that island. American citizens may
have been i'll treated there but no very aggravated
case of this kind has recently occurred So that the
present state of affairs in that island, considered In
connection with the favorable progress which our
negotiations at Madrid seem to be making, the
theory that war with Spain is likely to arise out of
the existing state of affairs to be promptly dismissed
One theory alone remains, and that Is that the
President intends either TO recognize the bcliger-
ency of the Cuban insurgents or recommend Con-
grcss to take some special action in the natter and
this is the theory held by many naval officers. II
this is the purpose of the President they say the
present extraordinary naval preparations might be
easily explained. Supposing our treaty with Spain
TO remain unmodifed such recognition would give
Spanish cruisers right, under the twelfth
article Of that treaty, TO visit and examine
all vessels bearing the American flag, concerning
whose VOYAGE and species of goods board of her
There shall be lust grounds of suspicion, IL is not
belieyed in naval circles that Spain wOuld consider
the recognition of tie Cubans by the United States
cdsus helG but it is believed that the officers of
her armed vessels would seek to exercise the right
above noticed, and that they might be tempted to
do so in an offensive manner, III cases not contem-
plated by the terms Of the treaty. In order to pre-
vent this, and assure himself that American conf
merce shall not suffer on account of the action of
the Government, oCr naval officers think that the
present preparations are making. These opinions
nav or may not be well grounded, but it is fact
that Others besides naval officers are beginning to
suspect that something Of this kind is in the Presi
dents mind.