Omaha daily bee., 1898-06-29
RAID ON SPANS COMMERCE
Flying Squadron Will Bring War Home
to the Dons.
HOPE TO GET A CHANCE AT CAMARA'S FLEET
Captain Mahan Was Not Long FOrmu-
latinS the Plans for ENpedi-
ton When Order WINS
Given.
HOPE TO GET A CHANCE AT CAMARA'S FLEE

NEW YORK, June 2S.-A special to the
Tribune from Washington says: That the
scope of the war, already involving Joint
military and naval campaigns against
SPANS colonies in the far east and in the
Caribbean, would be widened to embrace
a demonstration in force against the
Canaries and the coast towns of the Spanish
peninsula itself, have been more or less
certain since the war began, the recent
orders to prepare for action in European
waters were most unexpected. The two un-
foreseen chances which have made a cam
paign in European waters at this time not
only feasible but highly tempting have
been the blockade of SPANS most formidable
fleet under Admiral Cervera in the harbor
of Santiago de Cuba and the departure of
Admiral Camara's squadron, ranking next
in strength, on it's wild goose chase toward
Manila. No escape is probable for the San
tiago fleet, and, with SPANS home re-
sources weakened by Camara's diversion to
the east, a fleet would find at the present
no formidable enemy afloat in Spanish
waters and could without fear of attack
drive Spanish commerce to cover and
threaten the destruction by bombardment
of Spain's chief ports.
Even should Camara's squadron be ordered
back to Spain from Port Said, its fighting
strength is not considered sufficient to check
the operations of the force which the United
| States could send across the Atlantic, and,
Santiago having fallen, there would remain
no reason why the fleet chosen today as an.
ladvance guard in the proposed attack on
Spain should not be reinforced by a second
detachment of equal power.
Show the Spanish Something.
Its prospective departure is regarded here
as significant of the purpose of the ad-
ministration to push the war against Spain
with the utmost energy and to bring the
Spanish people as quickly and sharply as
possible to a realization of the futility and
costliness of a protracted resistance. The
naval raid against Spain, although for some
time under consideration, promises to be at
tended with all the suddenness of Mr..
Dewey's descent on the PHILIPPINES and the
landing OF General Shafter near Santiago.
If the Spaniards are disposed to regard the
announcement made today of Commodore
Watson's departure in the Newark as any
thing in the nature of a bluff designed
to hurry Camara back from the Suez, they
are doomed to bitter disappointment, for
the raiding squadron will be fairly across
the Atlantic before the end of this week and
before the middle of July the cities and
shipping stations of the Spanish coast will
be aware Of their presence.
The plan the president has had in con-
sideration for several weeks contemplated
the forming of a more formidable fleet than
| the one now under orders. 1t included the
Brooklyn and New York, of twenty-one
, knots; the Columbia and Minneapolis, of
twenty three knots; Cincinnati and Newark,
of twenty knots; the cruisers st. Paul and
St. Louis. of twenty-five knots; with the
Jnn.o anI nraunn nj GiyTpnn knots IN follow
as quickly as possible behind the flying
cruisers. 1t would have been necessary TO
bring the vessels north and clean them be-
fore starting them on a long trip away from
a base, almost inexhaustible, involving a
delay of several weeks.
The news of the American losses in the
skirmishes at La Quasina caused the presi-
dent to call Secretaries Long and Alger into
consultation, as to the best way to convince
the Spaniards of the hopelessness of their
stubborn resistance to the inevitable, and
within a few hours Captain Mahan, of the
Naval War board, had convinced the author
tiles that a thoroughly effective fleet, in
yolving all the elements essential to insure
success, could be dispatched to give the
Spaniards at home an object lesson.
Mahan Was Quick.
The captain readily drew up the plan pro-
viding for the immediate assembling OF the
frst-class hattleships Iowa and Oregon, the
recently modernized protected cruiser New
ark, with the auxiliary cruisers, Yankee
and Dixie, accompanied by three golfers,
which could not only compel an abrupt ces-
sation of SPANS commerce and lombard its
exposed seacoast cities, but would prove
more than a match for any fleet that coun-
try could hastily concentrate for offensive
or defensive purposes. The plan was
promptly approved by the president and tele-
graphic orders were sent to Commodore
John CTittenden Watson, until last week
commanding the north Cuban squad
ron, to proceed at once TO carry
the plans into effect. The col
Tiers are the Scandia, Abarenda and
Alexander, Commander w. 7. Burwell.
They are fine cargo steamers, the Scandal
on its last transatlantic trip having brought
to this country 1900 emigrants and 1000
tons of cargo, with a speed of twelve knots.
The vessels are now laden with Pocahontas
r a n