New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-28
TIE MADNESS or SPAIN.

The worst apprehensions OF the friends or
Snaln and Of all rationAl-minded mon seem
likely TO he realized That Quondam Cadiz fleet
is reported 10 he actually going 10 the Philip
pines. or. still worse. to Hawaii and san Fran
cisco. If il goes TO the Philippines It will not
be to Manila hut to some other port. where
troops are 10 he landed 10 prevent or make
more difficult the American conquest Of the
islands or 10 make n pretence 10 Europe fhat
Spain still has actual possession. For that pur-
pose some few thousand troops are sent with
the expedition The feet. az our special cable
dispatch announced. arrived at Port said M
10 o'clock Sunday morning. 1t will try TO
get a great LOT Of coal N Port Said or Suez.
but is practically certain TO fail But IT ia
said also that there some Spanish golfers
there with supplies which the ships will take
on AT Suez after passing through the canal
After that all coaling will have 10 be- done Mt
sea from colliers accompanying the fleet such
seems to be the programme. II IS so fa'uouS
as 10 10 all hut incredible But in these days
not ~, that is mad on the part Of Spain can
b. rcckoned altogether incredible.
Ne have already described The strength. or
rather the weakness. of the fleet. II cannot hop"
70 fight that Of Admiral Dewey. No. bui II
is 10 execute great strok" Of strategy IN pro
ceeding 10 some other port than Manila. for then
Admiral Dewey Will be compelled either To
leave Manila unprotected and 20 out and meet
the Spaniards or stay nj Manila and LET the
troops land In peace. That is equal 10 Admiral
Ccrvcra's grand strategy Ia getting bottled up
at Santiago. Long before this madcap Meet u
near the Philippines General Merrlits army
will doubtless have captured Manila and. with
the Monterey and two or three smaller boats.
will be well able 10 attend 10 that place, s"tt nS
Dewey free with the Olympia and several other
crack boats To 20 out and dcmohsh Camara
feet in short order. So much FOR The Philippine
project The San Francisco and Hawaii project
would be- madden still The feet would have
chosen the longest way around and the one most
exposed TO observation. II IS about five thou
sand niles further from Spain 10 San Francisco
by the eastern than by the western route. And
what could such a feet do when II got there
And what chance would It stand OF getting
there when two or three Of Dcweys ships. sta
toned al Singapore or AZ the Sunda Straits.
could effectualy bar it's passage, and when the
feet IS not able to carry coal enough for such
q VOYAGE? II IS more than eighteen thousand
miles TO San Francisco 10y that route and the
fleet has not enough coal for ten thousand
The whole Spanish scheme is unspeakably
harehrancd. and would seem incredible were
that unhappy Government not already convict
ed Of some Of the grosscst focs on record in
human history. The present moment brings
10 hand shining example OF the stuff lbcrian
dreams are made OF or the Spanish popular
fancy feeds upon. II is sOennly announced
that Spain has purchased three armorcd cruisers
Of 423J. 1000 and 1900 tons, respectively,
and all OF % knots speed to form the nucleus
of third fleet. IT might ms well be said she
has purchased thirty or three hundred dupli-
cafes Of Jules Nerne's Nautilus. For. any
one who can read Fan assure himself in mo
ncnt If he does not already know H. there Is
not one single % knot cruiser In the world, If
the Madrid Government depends upon such
fabricatlons to placate the populacc and keep
itself in Office and the dynasty in place. one
wonders what the reckoning will be when the
Spanish people. amid the bitter dregs Of dis
aster and defeat. find ont how they have been
bcfOOlcd