The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-02
NO OFFICIAL NEWS.
Schley's Aggressive Move
Thought to Be Only the
Beginning Of q Wig
orous AttAek.

WASHINGTON. June 2, 1S9S.-H was
stated authoritatively at the Navy De-
epartment at noon today that net word
had been received from Commodore
Schley as to the engagement at Santiago
The officials express no surprise at this
delay and account for it on severa.
grounds In the first place, it Is SAID
that a fleet commander must wait until
an engagement Is completed before he
makes a report, and that the press reports
may give only the initial features of an
action without waiting for its compile
tion.
There are intimatidns that the press
reports cover only the first features of
Commodore Schley's movements and that
until these movements were developed
the point where the results in view
were actually achieved. reports you'd not
be made on incidental phases of the gen
eral movement Moreover, it is pointed
out that the fleet commander must COM
municate with all the commanders of the
ships making his fleet in order to learn
as to casualties, damages and all the
circumstances of the conflict. When thus
informed his report is made deliberately
and this in turn must be translated to
the naval cipher coole. When received
here there is another delay in deciphering
the code despatch Although 1t is said that
the care in preparing official dispatches
makes them about twenty -four hours be-
hind the press advices 1t was thought
that the absence of exact official informa-
tion might embarrass the work of the
war board, but officials say this has not
occurred.
The officftl intimation that the action of
Tuesday is only the initial phase of q
more general movement, Is strengthened
by the view that Commodore Schley
would hardly attempt an attack unless
he had some definite object in view This
object, it is believed, is to learn exactly
as to the number of Spanish ships now
within Santiago harbor and also to devel-
op the effectiveness of the fire of the
Spanish forts at the entrance Of the har-
: bor.
with these two points established be-
yond the slightest doubt the campaign,
military and naval, dDuld be executed
against Santiago with much greater GER
tainty as to the results While the Navy
Department has been satisfied for the
last ten days that Admiral Cervera's en-
tire fleet is inside Santiago Harbor, Com
modore Schley has not yet been able to
make an official report establishing this
fact beyond the shadow Of doubt.
OF course, the locating of this entire
Spanish feet, not excepting single ves-
sci, large or small, is of essential inn
portance to the complete and intelligent
formation of strategis campaign 1t
would remove the last element Of hazard
in sending troops from Tampa or jack
sonville and thesdanger Of their being har-
rassed in the rear by some Of the Span
ish ships. 1T is Of equal Importance that
the present strength sof the shore bait
terry, their location, number Of guns and
general effectiveness should be estab-
Nshed.
Thes points can be learned only by a
feint, which Will have the outward ap-
pearance of an assault upon the Spanish
defences. When completed 1t is felt that
il win serve as basis for more complete
advices as to the actual situation Of at
fairs at Santiago Harbor than have been
available at the Navy Department up to
f1,is time 1t is ii this light that Com
modore schley's movement e regarded as
important not SO much from the destruc-
tIve results achieved rs from the oppor-
ts3y.9