The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-05
THE NEXT NAVAL BATTLE.

The next naval battle, if another occurs,
will be in Atlantic waters between much
bigger fighting machines and heavier guns
than those which participated in the battle
off Manila. Important and decisive as that
engagement was, and glorious as it will be
in the annals of the American navy, it left
the great forces of both navies still intact.
The bulk of our navy is still in American
waters, and the flower of the Spanish navy
is in the fleet which has been rendezvousing
until a few days ago at the Cape Verde
islands, and whose mysterious movements,
appearances and disappearance have been
recorded in many contradictory dis
patches If these fleets should meet there
would be a battle royal, Immediately de-
cisive of the war, because it would result
in another and more crushing defeat for
Spain from which she could not possibly
rally Although this engagement, if it oc-
ours, will be in Atlantic waters, it may not
be in American nor in Cuban waters 1t is
exceedingly doubtful if the Spanish fleet
will attempt to come to the relief of Cuba
and Porto Rico, thereby risking a fatal
battle with the combined squadrons of the
United States, well equipped and supplied
with coal, while the Spanish ships would be
badly off in this respect. not to speak of
their inferiority in numbers and weight of
guns. 1t Is quite possible the Spanish fleet
may try to intercept the Oregon. The fleet
left Cape Verde on April 20. At Rio de
Janero the Oregon would be about one
thousand miles from Pernambuco, Brazil,
the most eastern port of the con-
tinent where South America protrudes into
the Atlantic more than three thousand miles
to the eastward of Key West. From St.
Vincent, Cape Verde to Pernambuco is only
600 miIes-less than five days steaming for
the Spanish cruisers, which would then be
in an excellent position to waylay the
Oregon. This would result in desperate
fight, with the chances rather against the
American ship by reason of superior num-
bers 1t would be a fight of one armored
battle ship of 10000 tons against four
cruisers. the finest in the Spanish navy, of
1900 tons each. Another possibility is that
the Spanish fleet, after all its pretense of
sailing westward and desiring to engage the
United States ships, may have sailed from
Cape Verde back to the Canaries, where the
torpedo boats lay for a week or more in the
early part of April. This would be in ac-
cordance with General Blancos suggestion
soon after the blockade of Havana began.
that the Spanish fleet be kept ''at home
to scour the European waters for American
merchantmen. If that should prove to be
the Spanish plan of campaign decisive
naval battle could only be brought or by
the American fleet pursuing and attacking
the Spanish ships in their own waters. or in
the vicinity Of the Canaries That would be
a bold and brilliant move, but no more so
than the one just successfully executed by
Commodore Dewey 1t would involve less
risk to our fleet than the coming to Cuban
or American waters would to the Spanish
fleet. Thus far the latter has shown no
indication or willingness to meet our fleets
and it is very doubtful if they ever will
meet them except by accident or compul-
cio