The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-21
A SYSTEM Of BlOCKADEs
The Navy Will Bottle Up the
Troops Of Spain.
PURCHASE OF MORE SHIPS
Th, Naval Strategic Board Has Pre-
parcd Plan. of Defense and Of
feuse-A Proposition That spain
shall Fire the First Shot-Dispatch
of Soldiers 40 Cuba

Pending the deyelopmnt of SPANS first
| move on the chess board of war, as shown
| by the departure of her fleet from St.
| Vincent. the policy of the Administration
will be to execute its purpose of formally
| blockading Cuba and Porto Rico.
The first movement toward the block
ade may begin tomorrow, should Spain
| reply to President McKinleys ultimatum
by handing Minister Woodford his pass
ports and an impuden; reply to the Ameri-
can demands. or ii may not begin until
/ Saturday morning, should the Madrid
government regard it almost favorable
TO her interest to treat the ultimatum
with silent contempt.
The plan for the distribution Of Ameri
can men-of-war along the Cuban coast
and Juan. Porto Rico. has been carefully
drawn up and communicated to Captain
w. T. Sampson. commander-in-chief OF
the North Atlantic squadron, and Commo-
dore W. T. Schley. commander-in-chief Of
the flying squadron.
Declination by Spain to comply with
the Presidents terms or a failure to no
tice them will result in orders to the two
sduadrons which will result in the inn
Iltuidlt IbdNS siAipil VI Aht fANp'7N'
blockade.
Immediately after the commencement of
blockades, and when The authorities are
assured of it's effectiveness. a proclama-
tien will be issued by the President warn
ing neutral ships of the action taken; and
the representatives of the neutral powers
will be informed of what this Govern
ment has done.
1t is admitted i'm official circles that the
United States will not fire the first shot
If it can be avoided. The blockades will
therefore partake of the character of
pacific blockades.
There are innumerable precedents for
such action. France, Great Britain aud
Russia having Intellectually attempted
TO mediate between Greece and Tur-
key. Turkey resolutely repelling all
their effor 5. biockaded, in 1927, all the
coasts of Greece where Turkish armies
were encamDed.
This was stated by the three powers
to the Sultan to be a pacific measure.
but was not considered by him in tina;
light. since il paralyzed his armies. The
result was the battle of Navarino, by
which the Turkish navy was destroyed.
The latest pacific blockade was that
enforced by the powers in Crete las:
year, but 1t was not observed by this
Government, there being no occasion for
the United States to take action in the
matter, one way or the other. NOtWitn-
standing these precedents, the weight of
authority is that while as war meas
ure a blockade, when effectual would
be internationally respected, this will
not be the case with blockade institut
ed as a part of a system of pacific pres
sure.
a pacific blockade is declared by "a
very high International lawyer to be an
intermediate state between peace and
war.
II had been proposed by the Naval
Strategic Board to continue the blockade
i'm Cuba until such time as it seemed
advisable to take port at which the
Army could be safely landed. But the
coming of the Spanish vessels may ne
cessitate a naval engagement, after
which. if the American ships are sue
cessful. it will be much easier matter
to blockade Cuba and Porto Rico. and
force the Spanish troops on the island !
to surrender.
Should the Spanish fleet go to north
ern port. as is admitted to be possible.
then the ships of .the North Atlantic
squadron will have TO be combined with
Commodore Schley's force to give bat
tie.
The naval strategic board has prepared
a plan of defense well as offense. Both
Captain Sampson and Commodore Schiey
are advised of its features and are ready
to carry them out the moment they are
informed that such action Is advisable
Should Spain fail to fire the first shot