Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-05-29
IF THERE WE'RE WAR
OUR NAVY COULD EASILY REACH
 CUBA IN SPITE OF SPAIN.

Admiral Bunce's Fleet Right at Hand.
 Spanish Fleet No Iaech For ours-Their
 Army Is Larger-The Insurgents Would
 Aid Us.
 Should the United States and Spain go to war the battles would be fought first on the high seas and afterward on the island of Cuba
 It is altogether probable that the war ships of each nation would attempt to lombard the great ports Of the other if the war continued for any time, but operations would begin, ill all likeli- hood, with an assault by the United States on Havana and other Gaban strongholds and the mobilization of Spanish forces for their defense
 Any suggestion that the United States would ever seek to send an invading army into Spain, or that Spain would attempt to send an invading army into the United States, seems too improbable to entertain
 It would be the navies that would first have to meet, and, so far as modern fighting ships are concerned, the United States has the advantage four to one. Furthermore, the pick of the United States navy are now where they could be quickly sent to Cuba.
 The most formidable fleet Of war yes sels ever brought together by the Unit ed States government is now gathering ill New York harbor and will soon all be here. This fleet, which is under the command of Rear Admiral Bunce, would be able to make quick work of the fleet which Spain has i'll Cuban wa- ters, and it would take Spain q eonsid eraDle time ta get another fleet there.
 First and greatest of the available American fleet is the battleship Indi- ana. Spain has only one warship that can in any way compare with her-the Pelayo-which has complete belted armor of steel, varying in thickness from 118 to 17.7 inches. The Indiana has a steel armor reaching ill some places IS inches in thickness. Her dis placement is 10, ,23l tons, and the dis placement of the Pelayo IS 9,900 tons. In speed the Indiana has an advantage of nearly three knots an hour.
 The armament of the Indiana IS far superior to that of the Spanish battle ship She has four 13 inch guns, two in the forward turret and two aft, arranged in pains; eight 8 inch guns i'll barbette and six inch quick firing 5000 tons, four z. 8 inch, six 4 and fourteen ma chine guns, with five torpedo tubes.
 The cruiser Reina Mercedes, 5000 tons, six 6. ?, two g. inch, thirteen rap i'd fire guns and five torpedo tubes, one torpedo destroyer and seven torpedo boats.
 In operations on the island of Cuba Spain would have all the advantage at the beginning, as she now has an army there of about 150, 900 men. She has standing army at home i'll times of peace of 120, 900 men and in times of war of 480, GOO men. Her colonial forces would add another 250, 900 to her total army strength. She has naval reserve, in which, as i'll the army, service Is compulsory, of more than 50, 900 men.
 The present regular army strength of the United States is only 20, 600 men. The national guard of the various states has a strength of 100000 men, but they cannot be called upon for serv- ice outside of the country any more than can any other citizen. In short, if the United States wanted to raise an ar my with which to invade Cuba it would have to be made up largely of volunteers or drafted men.
 But ill fighting Spain on the island of H--L. +bo TT1jfad Gto+nc an11ld rnlV op the aid of the insurgent armies now struggling there, and this would be most important factor. Speaking on this point, Dr. J. Castillo, Cuban delegate to this country, said:
 eff the United States should send fleet to Havana, it would naturally cause the drawing ill of the Spanish l lines. This would leave the country comparatively free, anaa within ten days I believe an army of 30, 900 patriots would be on the outskirts of the city ready to cooperate with the American naval forces. Within another ten days think that the numbers of the Cuban army would be increased from the prov inces of the east to about 50, 900.
 'Of course the Spanish army could not mass anything like its full strength at Havana, for there are other impor- tant points which would have to be pro- tected, yet it is certain to my mind that the appearance of United States fleet off Havana would result ill the break ing of the blockade generally, and 1t would be an easy matter to land all the men, arms and supplies needed by the patriots on the island.
 '.It is certain that if the United States did go to war with Spain there would be very large number of patri- ots now in this country whose services would be of special value who would volunteer. There would be pilots among them thoroughly acquainted with Gu ban waters, physicians skilled in fight inc yellow fever and other maladles