Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-04-15
WASHINGTON LETTER
(From our regular Correspondent

there has been at any time since the
news of the blowing up of the Maine
was received. 1t was not the prob
ability of war that caused the ex-
element, but the fear that in some
way tricky Spanish diplomacy would
get the best of us without giving us
an opportunity to fight. That fear
existed more or less up to the mo-
ment that the die was cast by the
Presidents message asking Congress
to provide for immediate forcible in
tervention to drive the Spanish flag
out of Cuba. Although the official
announcement ofan armistice in Cuba
declared by Spain is generally be
ieved to be merely another trick, II
was feared that it might cause the
President to postpone his message or
to change his mind about sending it
in. Now, those fears are all past,
Gen. Lee and all the Americans who
desire to leave are safely out of Cuba
and the message is before Congress.
Consequently there is feeling Of
contentment because it IS known
that long deferred justice is about to
he meted ont to Spain by the United
States; vexatious delays are ever
Congress is practically a unit, al
though there are a few individuals
who would prefer proceeding a little
differently, and by the middle Of the
week the authority will be placed in
the Presidents hands to use the |.
s. army and navy to drive the Span
ish ont of Cuba, and before the week
closes Cuba is likely to be surrounded
bv the most formidable fleet Of war
ships this country has ever assembled
under one commander, and the steps
will have been taken that will send
the necessary troops to be landed on
Cuban soil to cooperate with our
ships. The plans are all made, the
ships have up steam and only await
the final order to start. The only
thing that can upset our programme
now is showing of the white feather
by Spain, but those who are thorough
lly conversant with the Spanish
character as well as with existing
political conditions in Spain think
that big bluff at making an agrees
i've war upon the United States will
be made and kept up until there Is
danger not only of Spain losing Cuba
but her other colonies and her entire
navy. Then she will, through the
European powers, sue for peace.
Meanwhile, it is known that the
Spanish programme is not to openly
fight our navy, but to try It's
fastest cruisers and torpedo boats and
torpedo boat destroyers to damage
our commerce and seacoast towns
and endeavor to keep out of the way
of our heavy fighting ships. They
will find, however, that this will be a
very dangerous sort of game to
engage in.
What a world of contrasts it is?
While Congress is listening to
message from the President that
means war, thousands of happy
children are gathered upon the
grounds at the rear Of the White
House engaged in the sport-pecul-
| lar to Westinghouse rolling Easter
eggs to the music of the entire Ma
rine band, which plays at the express
orders of the President to add to the
enjoyment of the little ones. There
can be little doubt that the President
rs he looks out over these Joyous
children finds far more enjoyment in
contemplating their play than he
docs i'm looking forward TO the war.
Some idea of the amount of work
that is now being done at the Wash
lington Navy Yard-not upon ships,
but upon guns, gun carriages and
ammunition-may be gained from
the fortnightly pay roll, which
amounts to $4,000.
In view of the war, now almost
upon us, the following opinion of
| Col. Jed. Hotchkiss, DIVA, who was
on Stonewall Jackson's staff, is in
teresting, if not important; 81 put a
very small valuation on big battle
ships. They are formidable in looks, !
but what can they accomplish? If
two of them fired at each other
simultaneously and both struck,
two ships would undoubtedly goTto
the bottom. One shot will settle
the business of the best one ever
built. They are too clumsy, too
slow to get away. The best fighter
is the one who can retreat quickly, !
and to do that there must be little
impediment, little weight. When
men centuries ago, sheathcd both
rider and steed in armor they thought
they had done something wonder
fully clever, but the steel-clad com
bination wasn't worth continental.
Our big war vessels | regard as :!
repetition Of that ancient blunder."
7. ebould no remembered that Col.