The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1896-01-18
THAT FLYING SQUADRON
General Belief That Il will Cross
the Atlantic.
WEST INDIES LIMITED AT
Other English Quidnuncs Say 1t Is
Going In the Direction of vene-
zueh-TOne of Some English Papers
semi-Threatenlng TO United States.
Confiscation Of Trsnsyaal Property.

London, Jan. 1s.-The United Press has
repeatedly thrown doubt on the statement
that the new flying squadron, which went
into commission on Tuesday last, was ues-
tined for service In Turkish waters, as was
reported here, and 1t wasinut believed by
those who were closely watching the course
of events that their was any intention on
the part of the government to send the
fleet to Delagoa Bay in connection with the
Trapsvaal troubles. d1s
1t may be OF interest.t to American read
ers to again state here the composition OF
the squadron, for Notwithstanding the IA 1t
that 10 official confirmation can be had of
the report that the squadron will go to
Bermuda, there is scarcely a doubt that if it
does not go there, its orders will take it
to the West Indies. The squadron consists
OF the first-class bat,leshIps Revenge and
Royal Oak, the rirsi-.iass cruisers Theseus
and Gibraltar, the second class cruisers
Charyldis and HcrDione. and six torpedo
boat -destroyers.
ADMIRAL DALE'S FLAGSHIP.
The pennant OF Rear Admiral Dale is
carried on the Revenge. The Revenge and
Royal Oak are sister ships. Each has n
displacement of IA, $50 tons, and is OF the
following dimensions: Length, $50 feet;
beam, 10 feet; and mean draught OF water,
q feet 6 inches. Their nominal speed is
IT'S knots and the thickness of their pro-
tectiye armor varies from IS inches to 16
inches. Each vessel Is armed with four 81
ton guus mounted in barbettes fore and
aft, and a secoud battery OF ten 6-inch
quick-fring ana thirty-eight lighter guns,
besides several torpedo tubes
The two first-class cruisers Theseus and
Gibraltar are also sister ships. They are
built of steel, bat wood and copper she eat he'd.
Each vessel is OF displacement OF 200
TONS and their dimensions are: Length,
$50 feet; beam. GO feet. draught of water,
% feet o inches. The nominal speed is
1877 knots. These vessels each carry an
armament of two 22-ton guns, ten G-inch
quick -firers and sixteen lighter guns, be-
sides torpedo tubes.
Til. Hermione and Charybdis are OF the
largest type of second class cruisers. They
have displacement of 4 1850 tons and n
nominal speed of 1875 knots. Length, 800
feet: beam. 40 feet inches; draueht of
water, 10 feet. The armament carried by
each vessel consists of two 6-inch. eight
4.7-inch and nine lighter quick firers,
besides machine guns. They are also fitted
with torpedo tubes
ITS COURSE TOWARD WEST INDIES.
Captain the Hon. A. &. Curzon Howe, c.
B., who viii be flag captain To Admiral
Dale on board the Revenge, has seen con-
siderable service, especially on the East
African coast, where as flag captain OF
the Boadicea and chief Of the staff to Sir
E. FremantIe, who then commanded the
East Indies station, he landed with the
punitive expedition against the sultan OF
i'm in 1870 anti al N Of h.. Glen
patra in 1894 he landed a party of seamen
and marines for the protection af The in
habitants OF BlueIields. Nicaragua
Though the destination lof the squadron
cannot be definitely known until il is
nearing the point fixed by the sealed orders
under which II sails. ii is an accepted fact
aomng the officers OF the squadron that its
course will be towards the West Indies.
Some mixing OF Rear Admiral Dale's in
structions has certainly transpired. Re-
port says that the fleet will proceed to
either Bridgetown, Barbados or Port OF
Spain, Island OF Trinidad, which lies di-
rcctiy north OF Venezuela.
The officials at the admiralty when ques-
toned on the subject protest that they
are in entire Ignorance OF where the squad
ron will be sent. but II can he stated that
within the admiralty circles it is taken
that, as it has been decided 10 send the
vessels TO the southwest their course
will be somewhere near Venezuela. The
squadron is commissioned for three wears
and IL is not intended that 1t shall be
stationed long at any one point.
ISSUE WITH U. s. UPPERMOST.
As the trouble over the emperor's atti-
tude on the Transvaal question appears
to have been placated, the conservative
papers no longer associate the flying squad
ron with a demonstration against Ger
many, and they carefully avoid using the
word demonstration i'll connection with
the dispute with the United States. which
dispute has again become the leading
anxiety.
The Speaker SAYS: If the Congress in
dorses the new Monroeisln and The United
States government demands Great Britains
acceptance thereof, ii would be equivalent to
declaring war. for Great Britain could
never submit to make a virtue OF the sur
render of her possession in America
until she had exhausted all her resources
of resistance"
The st. James Gazette says: IF the
Americans insist upon the new Monroe doc
trine, rendering the United States the abso-
lutte and irresponsible arbiter or affairs
on a continent one third of which is British,
Great Britain cannot avert the consequences
by yielding. The issue of peace or war
lies with the Americans, not Us. II is mis-
leading optimism to pretend anything else"
MAY TREAT WITH VENEZUELA.
Sir Augustus Hemning, the new governor
of British Guiana, will sail for Georgetown
on February 20. He will be authorized to
negotiate with Venezuela for a settlement Of
the boundary dispute, ii the latter assents to
treat with him. There is reason to state that
prior to his arrival at Georgetown overtures
will be made through the Brazilian govern
ment to the government at Caracas, which,
it is expected, will bring Sir Augustus in
direct communication with the Venezuelan
government.
The foreign office ignores the Venezuelan
here in matters of diplomacy, so
the consulate. of course. knows nothing Off
cially OF what is going on. Nevertheless, it
can be stated on good authority that Lord
Salisbury IL endeavoring through a neutral
power to resume direct negotiations with
venezuela. and will propose disappointment
OF joint commission TO delimit the frontier. !
Should this commission fail to reach COM
plete agreement. the point in dispute will
be referred to third power for decision.
The Cabinet will not meet again until
early in February. when the queens speech,
to be read at the opening OF Parliament,
will be presented. The press infers that |
everything is smoothing down, forgetting |
that during the height OF the American and |
Transvaal crises Lord Salisbury did not |
deign to summon his colleagues. confirming |
his consultations to his inner cabinet. His |
work at the foreign office is unflagging. |
Almost daily he receives the French. Ger |
man. Spanish and Italian ambassadors in |
quick succession.
COMPLICATIONS IN THE TRANsvAAL- |