The evening times., 1898-05-11
A New War situation.

From various sources. presumably OF
a reliable character. the Government
has been advised and believes that the
Spanish squadron. which sailed from
Cape Verde under Admiral Villamil, os-
tensibly for the West Indies. has turn
ed up at Cadiz. The New York Herald,
whose facilities for gathering accurate
intelligence in all parts of the maritime
world are exceptionally good. today ex
presses some doubt as to the truth of
the report, suggesting that it may be
guerre." In all other quarters, appar-
emily. no doubt is entertained on the
subject. and we suppose that it must
be assumed to be fact.
In any case, il has served materially
to change the complexion of the war
situation With the Atlantic free from
Spanish naval vessels. with the eXcep-
ton of few scattered and unimportant
cruisers and gunboats, there is nothing
erations against Porto Rico and Ha-
vana. and they are to be undertaken.
Admiral Sampson will take on coal at
Samana Bay, and start in to reduce the
foItificatiors of San Juan. and a mill
tary force will be sent to cooperate
with him. Commodore 'Schley will be
on hand with the flying squadron to
lombard the works at Havana, while
General Miles. at the head of sixty
thousand regulars and volunteers will
attack the city by land. These things
are to BE- done at once. They ought to
have been done two weeks or more
ago. Havana taken, il is the under
standing that General Fitzhugh Lee
Will be named military governor of
Cuba. and make his headquarters in
the captain generals palace. where he
has received so many sights and af-
fronts at the hands of Weyler and
Blanco.
The return of the Cape Verde squad
ron to Spain raises some interesting
questions. According to Spanish Off
cial declarations, it is the intention of
the Sagasta government to send a
strong naval and military expedition.
by way of the Suez Canal, to retake
Manila and destroy the American Ash
attic squadron under Admiral Dewey.
Naval experts. while regarding such a
movement as physical possibility,
do not believe that it will be found
practicable as Spain is situated. The
SueZ Canal. to be sure, is open to the
war vessels of belligerents in time of
war, and a Spanish fleet would be al
lowed to pass through it. At its
terminus a full supply of coal
might be had on the plea that Manila
is the nearest friendly port, though that
might not work, as Manila is under the
American flag just now. Still. there
are other places in the same waters
where the sovereignty of Spain is yet
recognized.
The voyage would be ten thousand
miles long; the fleet would be burdened
with colliers. and it would take forty
days to reach the Philippines from Ca
diz under the .sost favorable condi-
tions. Naval authorities in England
assert that such an expedition could
not be made ready to start under thirty |
days, and, altogether. it is highly prob |
able that the project is blur de-
" piaNdlt oPoih5h SChtiIltIl ana
to confuse the hostile plans of America.
Even if it should appear that such a
thing was seriously under way, 1t is
believed that the flying squadron could !
get to Manila, by way of the Straits Of |
as soon as the Spaniards |
could via the Suez Canal
The threat of a movement of the
named has had the saIu-
tary effect of waking our people to the |
necessity for carrying the war into At |
rica. If Spain will not come over here |
With her ships and have 1t out, it is |
,ur obvious policy to go over there and |
make things tropical Hence, as soon |
Is Cuba and Porto Rico have been at
.ended to. 1t is said to be the intention
If the Government to capture the |
'anary Islands and make them base i
FOR operations against the coast Of
Spain. Before any Spanish armada
could be gotten ready and dispatched
% Asia there would be time for that