Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-04-02

If Uncle Sam decides to take an ac-
tive part in freeing Cuba from the
domination of Spain it will be a good
deal like a big boy whipping a little
boy. But under certain conditions
when the big boy has an abundance of
right on his side and the little boy is
all wrong, no one can criticise the big
chap for walloping the little chap,
particularly when the latter has been
stabbing baby in which the big boy
has fatherly interest.
Spain, however, must not be likened
too much to the little boy. In fight
ing men it is mid get compared to
the United States; in money, the bone
and sineWS of warfare, it is a pauper
by comparison, and in naval strength
it is pigmy. But it's very weakness
gives it the strength of desperation,
and therein lies the danger.
Already the Spanish leaders are
talking of the kind of war Spain will
wage against this country if the two
nations come to blows, and they say
it will be of the guerrilla order, both
open and fight a pitched battle with
strength against strength would be
certain destruction TO the weaker side.
Spain is too shrewd to venture into
that. 1t. will be a campaign of swoop-
ing down suddenly, do what injury 1t
can in the weakest places, and then
off again. 1t will be an Indian fight
on large scale.
1t has been pointed out that Spain
conquered Napoleon by a system of
guerrilla warfare, and if the emer-
gency arises, it hopes to do the same
with this country. 1t has planned to
fit out tremendous feet of speedy
destroying the maritime commerce of
the nation, and in fact sweep the At
lantic of American ships. This is big
talk by little power, but then the
average Spaniard has no idea of the
magnitude or resources of the Ameri-
can people.
1t only takes a glance at the naval
ness Of any hope it might have of
vanquishing the United States on the
sea. In armored ships Spain has
eleven vessels against thirty-nine
owned by the United States. Spain
has a great many unarmored ships for
use in the colonial waters, but they
can hardly be considered. The num-
Der is 140, and while the United States
has but tWenty-seven the guns of the
latter outnumber those of SPANS fleet
almost two to one. For instance, the
high caliber guns on SPANS fleet of
40 vessels number 139 and the guns of
the secondary battery number 155,
while the high caIiber guns on Uncle
Sans feet of twenty-seven vessels
number 239 and the guns OF the sec
ondary battery number 238. Thus the
feet of tWenty-seven vessels has al
most twice the fighting strength of the
feet of 40 vessels. Spain is we'll
equipped with torpedo boats, having
fifty-nine of the first class and seventy
of the second class, while the United
States has only eight of the former
and one of the latter. In all, Spain
has 935 guns on her war ships against
1885 on our fleet.
In regard to land forces SPANS
army has peace footing of 101, 209
men, of which 45,137 compose the in
fantry, 1922 compose the cavalry,
1927 compose the artillery, and the re-
mainder, 1858, compose the engineers,
camp, baggage train, etc. The war
strength is placed at 458643, as men
of the first and second reserve armies
number more than 100000.
The number of young men annu-