The leader., 1898-06-15
GREAT NAVAL SPECTACLE.
Great Fleet of Fifty Transports
Ready to Sail from Key
West for Cuba.
THE GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE NO RISKS.
at Guantanamo Bay The Real Object
of the Charleston's voyage to Secure
aCoalIng station In che Pacific by the
Seizure of the Ladrones.

of the Charleston's voyage to Secure
aCoaIIng station In che Pacific by the
Seizure of the Ladrones.
WASHINGTON, June 1I.-From the
maze of doubt and contradiction as to
the dispatch OF the first army OF inva-
sion to Cuba one thing stands out
clearly namely: That the government,
feeling strong in its present position
and plan, is moving cautiously and
with the elaboration which it be-
lieves will secure success unattended
with disaster. With this main pur-
pose in view, the army and navy are
cooperating toward the dispatch of
the troops, some - 900 in number, I'M
der escort of strong fleet of naval
conveys, made up of 10 war ships,
headed by the battleship Indiana.
Unattended by this strong fleet, the
troops might have left last Friday,
when one strong naval convoy was
ready for this service. Since then,
however, reports have come as to the
presence of Spanish ships in the north
Atlantic.
Realizing that nothing was to be
gained by haste, and that the war was
progressing steadily toward success, it
was determined not to take the one
small chance of having our troop trans
ports menaced by some scouting ship
of the enemy.
As result the troop transports have
not proceeded to Cuba, either yester-
day or the day before, as has been re-
pcatedly asserted. They are in readi-
ness to 90, but will not move until the
naval convoy is ready to accompany
them, assuring safe conduct from Flor
ida to the point of destination.
Whether that will be to-day or to-mor-
row the war department declines posi-
lively to say, and there is authority for
the statement that any reports pur-
porting to give the day or hour when
this formidable flotilla of invasion will
start is not only unwarranted, but
meets with the most vigorous official
condemnation.
The administration feels that the
time has come when it is of the utmost
importance that the precise move
ments of this invading fleet should not
be published in this country, and thus
heraldcd to the enemy.
The completeness with which the
transport of troops has been planned
is shown in the official list of trans
port vessels given out at the war de-
partment yesterday. OF this list "a
large steamships, varying from 41OC
tons down to 600 tons, are ready to
carry our troops to the point of inya-
sion. There are some - other craft,
including vessels suitable for convey
ing fresh water, stores, etc, and for
Tightening the troops and stores.
The entire transport fleet of about
fifty steamships, augmented by the
fleet of naval conveys, liz in number,
will make an imposing marine process
sion, exceeding in magnitude the no.
table spectacle of the naval review dur.
ing the Worlds fair year.
The first official confirmation of the
engagement at Guantanamo last Tues
day came to the navy department yes
terday, and was made the subject OF
a bulletin. The terms in which Adj
miral Sampson described the affair
tended strongly to take away the large
importance that had been given it in
the unofficial dispatches. There was
notable failure on the part of the
admiral to mention anything like a
landing, although statement that the
Marblehcad now holds the lower bay
by implication may carry with 1T the
idea that her marines are ashore.
The statement coming from San
Francisco to the effect that the real OBJ
ject of the CharlestOn's voyage was the
seizure of the Sp&lish Ladrone islands
has small basis of truth in it. Wher
it was decided to send the monitors
Monterey and Monadnock clear across
the Pacific from Mare Island to Manila
it was we'll known that this could no
be done without sending along col
Tiers, because of the insufficient Goa
supply of the monitors. 1t was no
deemed practicable to tow the big iron
clads the 1000 miles of the voyage tina
would have to be travcrSed by then
without coal, so it became necessary u
find places in the Pacific where they
could replenish their bunkcrs. A study
of the charts showed that there wer,
several groups lying between Hawai-
and the Philippines which might affort
harbor in which the colliers coult
lay along side the monitors and fill VI
their coal bunkers.
The officials do not deem it prudent
to name the particular islands chosen
for the purpose, but it is obvious thai
being barred by neutrality laws from
the possessions of natural countries
the first recourse of the navy depart
ment would be some of the Spanish
islands, such as the Ladrones or the
Carolipes. Therefore, it is assumed
that if the Charleston really goes tc
one of the former islands, it will bs
with the purpose of securing in adj
vance suitable harbor for the use o.
the monitors