The herald., 1898-05-11
OFFICIALS ARE ANXIOUS
TO LEARN THE LOCATION OF
>sPAIN's FLEET :.
FEAR IS FELT FOR SAMPSON
If He Gets Away From the Strategy
Board Its Services Might Be
Dispensed With
Press Special wire

Associated Press special Wire
WASHINGTON, May 10.-Up to the time
Secretary Long started for the Cabinet
meeting at II o'clock today he was without
information from Admiral SIMPSONS fleet
or concerning any action. All inquiries
about the Navy Department were directed
towards the whereabouts of this fleet and
its prospects of a speedy engagement with
the enemy. While there is little doubt
that the officials know the proximate To-
cality of the fleet, it is quite certain that
nothing has been received as to the cruis-
ing and search for the Spanish ships. 1t is
felt that the next few hours will determine
beyond further question whether the
Spanish fleet which left the Cape Verde
Islands. did in fact come to Porto Rico, or
diverge northward back to Cadiz for a
formidable concentration of the strongest
ships of the Spanish navy.
In the latter event, Admiral Sampson
will have no Spanish fleet to fight save
those smaller craft in Cuban waters. 1t
will leave the course free to the Oregon
to make q juncture with the fleet and also
will leave Admiral SIMPSONS hands free
for attention to Porto Rico or Cuba.
Secretaries Long and Alger had a large
number of callers before they went to the
Cabinet meeting. General Woodford, our
late Minister at Madrid, spent some time
with Mr.. Long. Afterward he was asked
to break the strict reticence he has MAIN
tanned by giving his views Of Commodore
Deweys accomplishment at Manila, to
which he replied that cit would be gliding
refined gold.'
A party of prominent New Yorkers, in
cluding H. p. Belmont, Schuyler Cros-
by and Charles A. Moore, had a talk with
Mr.. Long for the purpose, it was UNDER
stood. of making gift of considerable
Importance to the government. 1t prob
ably will be in the line of ship, although
whether yacht or a larger craft was not
disclosed.
Senator Tillman offers the services of a
number of expert electricians now stu
dents at Clemson College, South Carolina.
At the War Department, it was under
stood that the assignments as corps COM
manders to the volunteer army will be made
very soon.
President Palma, head of the Cuban dele
cation, arrived here this morning from
New York and is expecting important ad-
vices direct from General Gomez. He re-
ceived dispatch last night stating that
courier from Gomez camp had passed
through Key West and was now on his
way to Washington with letters from Co.
mez. The courier probably will not reach
here before tomorrow at the earliest. In
the meantime Brigadier-General Nunez,
who is just back from heading a party
which made juncture with Gomez, will
arrive this afternoon to confer with ,Mr.
Palma. 1t is probable that the advices di-
rect from the Cuban commander in the
field will bring about further conferences
between the Cuban authorities here and
the officials Of the War Department.
Mr.. Palma today expressed his views on
the battle at Manila that 1t was important
as 1t furnished conclusive proof of fact
he had long known, that the Spanish Navy
was Z paper navy and utterly incapable
Of conducting modern warfare.
"In the first place, Admiral Montijos S
fleet was taken by SURPRISE" said he. 'That
Is a whole lesson in itself. We have heard
much from Spanish sources as to the lack
of discipline and crudeness in the Ameri-
can Navy. But here, at the very first prac-
tical test, the Spanish fleet committed the
very worst and most inexcusable offense
Of allowing itself to be taken by surprise.
And this occurred not only when war was
in progress, but when Admiral Montijo
knew the American fleet was nearing him.
In the face of this, the surprise and defeat
of the Spanish feet showed complete lack
of discipline and Of that keen alertness
which is the first essential Of a discipline
which insures Defense"
Senior Quesada, of the Cuban delegation,
added the statement that the wiping out of
the Spanish ships like so many cockle-
shells made plain the fact, well known to
those familiar with Spain's naval resour-
ces, that she had a lot of old wooden craft
which would suffice for dress parade in
times of peace and would give an outward
appearance of the possession of an actual
navy.
The Spanish naval officers, Mr.. Quesada
said, were about the best feature of the
Spanish ships, but they were powerless
as result of corrupt administration of
naval affairs at Madrid. The guns had
none of the modern mechanism and the
gunners were Impractical. All this had
served to place the Spanish ships at the
mercy Of the strong American fleet under
Dewey. Mr.. Quesada said the first re-
verse of this Paper navy" was simply
forecast Of what would follow when the
same class of worthless ships with worth
less guns and worthless gunners met Ad-
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