The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-21

but nothing more reliable being avail
able an interesting field for speculation

1
able an interesting field for speculation
is opened.
Starting with Cervera at Santiago,
and Sampson, Schley and Watson at
or near Key West, it Is evident that no
battle Is to be expected for some little
time. 1t is also evident that Cervera
can, If he is so disposed, and moves
promptly, reach Cienfuegos before he
can be cut off.
NO GREAT GAIN.
On the other hand 1t Is not easy to
| see what material advantage he has
gained If he is at Santiago, or can gain,
| in the event of his moving to Cienfue-
| gos. In either point he can be bottled
UP by a small part of the American
ships and held until the war is over,
OF until he is starved out. The Ameri-
| can ships may or may not attack the
| Spanish admiral while he is under the
protection Of shore defenses, but 1t is
absolutely certain that Cervera can de-
stroy his usefulness by lettering about
| Cuban port until the American ships
arrive and seal up his avenue Of es-
cape.
The alternative complication If Samp-
son and Schley are not at Key West
| and Cervera is not at Santiago, is also
interesting, but speculation in that
| case is idle, for there is nothing upon
| which to base even a guess.
While the administration officially is
disposed to credit the Santiago rumcr,
| it is not to be supposed, even If Secre-
| tary Longs statement is made in good
| faith, that any radical action will be
taken until the news Is authenticated.
This confirmation in ordinary course
must be obtained by scouting cru ser,
or come from some merchant vessel
| from the Cuban port. There are cables
| to Santiago from Hayti, Jamaica and
| Cienfuegos, but at one end all are In
| Spanish control, and will not be used
| to tell tales out Of school.
CHANGES IN FLEETS.
| The reported presence Of Schley,
Sampson and Watson at Key West
| lends color to the story that rear
rangement of the several fleets Is con-
| templated. The experience of the
| chase after Cervera has shown that
| changes could be made to good advaa-
| tage. The American squadrons as they
have been made up were too slow. Each
| has comprised speedy cruisers and
| heavy battleships, and each has been
handicapped by the fact that it's cruis-
ers alone were not a match for the
Spanish squadron, and that it's heavy
ships were sure to lose in the event Of
| a race.
Commodore Schley's force is a flying
squadron only in name. Two OF the
vessels composing it are battleships,
neither very fast. One of them, the
Massachusetts,, is not now capable Of
| more than fourteen knots an hour. The
! Spanish fleet under Cervera is an ac-
tual flying squadron. The four armored
ships are twentyknotters, and the
three torpedo-boat catchers are all in
speed what their name indicates
SPANISH SHIPS FLEET.
In addition to deetness, the Spanish
ships Of the armored cruiser class pos
sess formidability. They are heavily
armored and carry big guns. While
not equal to any of the United States
battleships in armor and armament,
their ability to maneuver quickly gives
them a considerable advantage. Samp-
| sons squadron, aus at present compoS-
| ed, could not run them down, and
even Schley would be unable to over
take them if Cervera attempted a
| dash.
The United States navy has only two
ships corresponding In class to the
Spanish armored cruisers, and none
of the destroyer type The New York
| ,NA 1oao
| ily armored as the Spaniards, are
larger and have better batteries. al
though the big guns of the enemy are
| of greater caliber, but fewer in num-
| ber than the rifles in the main bat
| teries of the two American ships. In
speed the New York and the Brooklyn
are equal to, if not a little better than
the enemy's vessels, and each is able
to cope successfully with the best of
the Spanish ships. No other armored
ships Of the United States are able to
run down Cervera's cruisers, but a
host of protected craft capable of good
speed are available for new flying
squadron.
GENERAL EXCHANGE.
By a general exchange between
Sampson, Schley and Watson, each
could be put in better shape to force
| things to an issue. With the New
York and the Brooklyn capable of at
tending to two of the four big Span
| iards the other two opponents might
safely be handled by half dozen pro-
tected cruisers. Some of the latter
might be sunk, but 1T is believed that
| toI, f,x
all of them combined. The fast yachts
recently purchased and converted into
| gunboats could attend to the destroy
ers, whose danger to big ships lies In
| their ability to take position rapidly
and discharge their death dealing tor
| pedoes, and not in defensive qualities
For reformed flying squadron there
are available the armored cruisers New
York and Brooklyn, the protected cruis-
ers Detroit, Montgomery, Marblehead
Cincinnati, New Orleans and perhaps
the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius and fast
converted gunboats. The armorclao
division, under Admiral Sampson, COM
posed of the battleships Iowa, Indiana
Massachusetts,, Texas and later on the
Oregon, with some torpedo boats and
few scouts, could follow the 1yine
squadron at pretty good gait. These
armorclads are more than a match fol
the Spanish fleet.
UNDER WATSON.
This would leave for the maintenance
of the blockade under Commodore Wat.
son the four formidable monitors, Puri.
tan. Terror, Amphitrite and Miantono.