The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-05-19

WASHINGTON, May 1S.-Navy depart.
ment officials are beginning to show a
| little sensitiveness to criticism in the
matter of delay in bringing the Span
ish fleet into action, conscious as they
are that they have made all dispatch
compatible with due regard for the
safety Of our own ports as well as of
the lives of the crews of our warships.
Every day there is talk of change in
the naval plans brought about by some
movement of the Spanish squadron, but
what the latest phase Of the campaign is
nobody outside of the members of the
war board is competent to say.
The general impression yesterday was
that no particular effort is to be made
just now to pursue the Spaniards so
long as they keep within the confines Of
the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean
sea, but that Sampson and Schley in
combination will encircle the island of
Cuba, maintain the blockade and con-
voy troops across the Florida straits if
necessary, meanwhile simply keeping a
watch on the Spanish flying squadron
to see that it does not do mischief either
to the American fleet, or by escaping
into the Atlantic, to the seaboard cities.
By this plan the military and naval
officials might hope to silence the rather
severe criticisms that are being ex.
pressed because of delays in opening
the military campaign in Cuba itself.
Considerable pressure has come upon
the administrations from congressional
quarters to have the campaign fastened,
and there are thought to be signs of q
resumption of the plans of the military
leaders for the invasion of Cuba at the
| point where they were suddenly sus-
| pended by the announcement of the ar
rival Of the Spanish flying squadron at
Martinique. One sign of this was the
inclusion in the regular army orders of
! direction to Captain Alger to go to
| Tampa to join General Miles. At army
headquarters there was no sign of i'm
mediate departure, but, after all, in
view of the fact that three times at least
everything has been prepared for q
movement to Tampa, it may be pre-
sumed that everything is in train for
departure at short notice without open
manifestation of preparations.
Brigadier General Greely, chief of
the signal service, and in charge of all
stategic control of telegraph and cable
lines, has adopted energetic measures
to prevent the admiral of the Spanish
squadron from keeping posted on the
| whereabouts and movements of United
States squadrons and of our prospective
naval and military operations. He
| telegraphed to the New York manager
| of the Haitian Cable company forbid
ding the sending or receipt of any mes
! sages except official messages to and
from the United States government dis
! closing the movements of our fleets and
ships.
The manager answered that the inhi-
bition would be strictly observed If
| Admiral Sampson is in Haitien waters,
as is conjectured, then this cable re.
striction makes it impossible for his
movements to become known to the gov
ernment, or, if known, it is impossible
to send out the informatian except
through the government. General
Greely also telegraphed the Anglo
American Cable company renewing
their attention to the prohibition against
any messages inimical to the interests of
the government, and in particular for
bidding the receipt or sending of mes
suBOo bioSiOolhS lhO llONCluCuIo VI OuI
ships or prospective military move
ments.
ST. THOMAS, Danish West Indies,
May 1S.--It was reported here that on
Monday last, from noon until p M,
81 vessels slowly steamed westerly
north of Tortola island, 40 miles east of
St. Thomas. One steamer, which ap-
preached the land, showed the Spanish
flag.
New YORK, May 1S.-A special copy
right dispatch from Santa Lucia, West
Indies, says: A large, strange, war
ship was sighted lying off the west
coast Of this island. Others were also
seen to the northward of Santa Lucia.
These vessels rre believed here to be a
Spanish squadron watching for the
United States battleship Oregon, which
may pass close to this island on its way
to Kew West,