Morris tribune., 1898-05-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From The Tribune's Regular Correspondent.
- WASHINGTON, May 20.

fact before now had not the move
ment been held up with the expecta
tion that the Spanish feet, now some
where in West Indian waters, haC
crossed the Atlantic with the inten
tion of seeking a fight with our war
ships, is to go ahead regardless of thu
movements of the Spanish fleet, i
having become apparent, that the
Spanish feet is seeking toavoid rather
than to fight our fleets. Owing to the
desire of President Mckinley to keep
the news of the movements of oul
army and navy from reaching the
Spaniards, as it has heretofore done
a more specific statement cannot be
made in advance But it can be stated
without violating any confidence, and
without giving the enemy any point
ers, that the fastest ships in both Ad-
miral SIMPSONS and Commodore
Schley's fleets are going to chase that
Spanish fleet around until it is found
and destroyed, and that the invasion
Of Cuba is going to be pushed with
out waiting for the Spanish fleet to
be whipped.
*** %..-
OUR naval strength in Cuban waters
has been increased by the safe ar
rival of the battleship Oregon, the
Marietta, and the dynamite cruiser
Buffalo, which the Spaniards had
been trying to intercept in their long
voyage. :.. Il
~ -.
UP TO this time Gen. Blanco has
had free cable communication with
{ Madrid, as we'll as with the admiral
of the Spanish fleet, but he will not
have it much longer. In fact, it is
doubtful whether he has at this time.
There are five cable lines from Cuba,
two to the United States, two to
Jamaica, and one to Haiti. Orders
have been given to cut the three last
named. That will break Blanco's
communication. as he cannot send
messages over the two cables to this
country, both being now under gov.
ernment supervision. Gen. Greeley,
chief United States Signal officer, has
advocated cutting these cables from
the first as war measure.
*** "
IT is the desire of Pre- sident McKin-
ley and Secretary Long that the med
ais voted to the officers and mon of
Admirals Dewey's squadron by con-
gress, in commemoration of the great
victory won by them in Manila har-
Dor, shall be of the very best design
that can be obtained from the best
American artists. Assistant Secretary
Allen, of the Navy Department, has
been chosen to be chairman of the
commission charged with the honor
Of selecting the design for the medal.
1t is likely that all American artists
will be invited to submit designs.
*
The majority report from the House
committee on Foreign Affairs, in
favor of the joint resolution providing
for the annexation of Hawaii, is one
of the strongest documents of it's
kind ever presented to the House.
It says of the proposed annexation:
There is no undue pressure on the
part of the United States as greater
power; no surprise of anyone; no pos
sibility of objections by other govern
ments. 1t is simply the obvious re
suit of the natural course of events
through a long period of years thus
completed with the cordial consent Of
the sovereign powers of both govern
ments. The sonly question involved
is whether the proposed possession of
the Hawaiian Islands would be ad-
vantageous to the United States"
The report concludes by saying:
''The acquisition of these islands does
not contravene our national policy or
traditions. 1t carries out the Monroe
doctrine, which excludes European
powers from interfering in the Amer
ican continent and outlying islands.
but does not limit the United States;
and this doctrine has long been ap-
piled to these very islands by our
government" Ill.,
-. *** IL =.
WHILE there is a disposition on the
part OF some esnators and represent
atives to think that the open speech
by Hon. Jos. Chamberlain, member
OF the British government, in favor OF
an alliance between Great Britain and
the United States, was made to serve
England's purposes in Europe, they
all agree in regarding it an almighty