The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-04-28

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1t is reported from Spain that
the Spanish government will adopt
the policy of the badger. 1t is in
its house and it will stay there.
The United State are privileged
to drive it out if they can.
This is strong tactical posi-
ton. even if it is not altogether
admirable. 1t is the position OF
the weak as against the strong,
however, and is perfectly well
justified. The man inside the
house is difficult chap to dis
lodge. He has the advantage OF
possession which, physically speak
ing, is as big an advantage as it is
said to be in law. If he will come
out and fight he may be quickly
dispatched and his house taken.
But II he insists on staying within
doors nothing short Of a ridicu-
lously overwhelming force has
much of chance to force. him
out.
Today our navy is all employed.
There is fleet at the Philippines,
a fleet at Cuba and flying squad
ron. They all have plenty of work
to do and none of them can be
withdrawn to go about other and
quite as necessary work or even to
assist one another. Our present
naval resources are exhausted.
Yet there is plenty OF work to be
done had we the ships to do IT..
We ought to have at least one
other feet strong enough to put to
sea and fight the Spanish fleet now
at Cape Verde Islands, but
there are no ships to spare at
present.
1t is a great pity. The lesson
we shall have learned before hos
tilities are concluded is likely to
cost us a mighty high price. The
navy we have has only been de-
veloped against tremendous lot
of opposition. The West, that
has howled for war most vigor-
ously, has been in the past farthest
behind in building up the navy.
Today, with a third rate power
we are unable to make aggressive
movements, except in a very
limited area, and are compelled
to take steps where we should be
taking leaps and bounds. A ma
ton of the size and resources OF
the United States should have had
navy big enough to put squad
ron in every sea where there is
Spanish possession or a Spanish
squadron worth the taking. AS
it is, we have our hands full
tackling Cuba and the Philippines
and our own coast. The Spanish
warships may roam the ocean at
will, so long as they keep on their
own side of the water. The
Spanish cruisers and privateers
may sweep the sea of our mer-
chant trade. Our navy cannot mo-
lest them until the immediate
work in hand is executed. There
is no sufficient force to undertake
operations on a large scale and
strike a blow at half dozen inn
portant points at once, to round
up the enemy and bring the war
to a close with promptness. And
the loss of a single ship, or the
disabling Of any of the fleet means
further embarrassment and loss
of time.
1t is Spains privilege to make
waiting fight, keeping out of the
way OF our ships and lighting only
when driven into a corner. Her
ships may cruise unmolested just
as the Confederates did, because
our navy will be occupied up to
its whole strength as it was in the
sixties. Spain may lose Cuba.
She may lose the Philippines.
She may lose Porto Rico. But so
long as she has a feet on the sea
she is still in position to harass
us and work injury to our COM
merce and to our trade, manufac-
ture and business at home.
1t is too late now to better the
situation. The government must
proceed cautiously, step by step,
doing but one thing at time and
taking the greatest care that the
most OF the object attained in men