The San Francisco call., 1898-03-18
4 SQUADRON AT HAMPTON ROADS This Looks Much Like a Plan to Defend the
 Capital.
Reasons Given by Officials at ashington for the New
 Move.
There Will Be No Lessening of the Effective Naval Force at
 Key West
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House,

Washington, March F.
 Orders were issued to-day for the for nation of a new squadron of naval ves- sels to be stationed at Hampton Roads. The squadron in the beginning will consist of five ships, all the best of their types. Two of them, the battle ships Massachusetts and Texas, are withdrawn from the present North At lantic fleet at Key West and Tortugas. In ordering this movement the Navy Department is not animated by any purpose of yielding to representations or intimations that may have come from the Spanish Minister. On the contrary, the new squadron was brought about by purely strategic considerations, although 1t appears from the nature of the force so far under orders to rendezvous at Hamp- ton Roads that this strategy is of the defensive nature. The new squadron cannot be called flying squadron" because the association Of heavy battle ships with fleet cruisers like the Brook lyn, Columbia and Minneapolis reduces the available speed of the whole to the speed of the SloweSt vessel, and the squadron could not do much flying" in the naval sense. The indications rather are that when re-enforced by some smaller cruisers the squadron will con- stitute an ideal naval defense.
 For the past two months influences have been at work in the Navy De- partment about this change, and as policy board, headed by Captain Crown inshield, has been in frequent session of late at the department, it is believed that it has indorsed the plan at last. Although the other ships to be added to the squadron have not yet been de- finitely selected, it is surmised that they will include some of the other battle-ships at Key West and the ar mored cruiser New York, in which case Admiral Sicard, it is believed, will com mand the new force. In place of the cruiser New York the people of Key West will look upon the grim outlines of the big monitor Puritan, supposed ly the most powerful ship in smooth water in the world She will have to assist her on guard the double-turreted monitor Miantonomoh and the moni- tor Amphitrite The Puritan is now at Norfolk, almost ready for sea. the Miantonomoh is at League Island, quite ready, and so is the Amphitrite at Port Royal, $. C., so the order in the end will result in the gathering of
  ron at Hampton Roads. The place is said to be the best strategic point on the Atlantic coast. It is almost cen trally located and the ships from there can reach any portion of the coast in short order. Besides, the sec ond best navy-yard in the country is there to fall back upon for repairs to the ships There is plenty of the best coal at Newport News, there Is easy water to navigate, and finally the forts at Hampton Roads may serve as base of operations in case of need for pro- lection. These are the considerations which animated the Navy Department in making this new order.
 It is announced that the commander of the new squadron has not yet been selected, and pending that selection or the arrival in port of Admiral Sicard 1t is expected that Captain Higgfnson, the commander of the battle-ship Massa- chusetts and the senior officer, will hold the command of the squadron.
 Remaining at Key West after the de- parture of the Massachusetts and the Texas, Admiral Sicard will still have fleet of his own, when the spectacle will be presented of fleet and a squadron on one station, something not seen since the Civil War.
 The monitors which 1t is designed to send to Key West are said to be well fitted for the service. Owing to their light draft of from fifteen to sixteen feet, they will be able to navigate safe ly the shallow waters of the Florida coast and will not be obliged, like the Iowa, to lie six miles out at sea from Key West to secure enough water un- der the keel.
 The gunboat Helena reported to the department that she had sailed to-day from Funchal, Madeira, for Key West, to join the squadron. It is now said that it has been definitely determined to bring the battle-ship Oregon around South America to Key West.
 The Navy Department has issued or ders that such trial as may be made of the new torpedo-boat Rodgers shall take place while the boat is under way Saturday next from Baltimore to Nor folk. She will also go southward to join the f1otilla at Key West. The Co., lumbia and Minneapolis are still each 260 men short of their full quota, but 1t is expected that enough men will be secured in the course of few days to enable the ships to be sent to Hampton Roads to execute the orders issued to- 0av