The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-05-18
SUDDEN CHANGE.
It Comes Over the Plans of Army
and Navy Men.
The Proposed Invasion of Cuba is Tenn
porarily Abandoned and All Eyes are
Centred on the Squadrons of Samp-
son and Schley-They are Expect
cd to End the War by
Decisive Victory.

Washington, May 14.-A complete
change took place Friday in the often
sive plans of our government. The re-
ceipt of the news from Sampson of his
attack on the forts at San Juan and
the news of the actual presence of the
Spanish squadron off Martinique, only
500 miles away from Sampson and less
than 1000 miles from Havana, caused
the dispatch of the flying squadron un-
der Commodore Schley and the delay
by the army of the invasion of Cuba.
1t is to the navy that the government
again looks for battle that may end
the conflict. The news of the presence
of the Spanish feet revealed at once
the possibility of quick move on the
part of the Spanish fleet that would
cut the line of communication by water
between Cuba and Key West, exposing
to great peril any American landing
force that might be caught between
superior Spanish army in Cuba and
the sea patrolled by Spanish cruisers.
1t became necessary therefore to defer
the departure of the military expedi-
tion from Florida until the Spanish
feet is met and crushed or driven from
West Indian waters.
Orders flew thick and fast from both
the war and navy departments. The
first checked the new movement on
Florida and diverted the troops to-
wards the concentration camp at
Chickamauga. The navy department
wired Sampson information of ap-
proach of the Spanish feet and direc-
tions what to do, and another order
ordered Schley to start with his YES
sells at the earliest moment. The com
modore took no chance of a cancella-
tion of these desirable orders, but at
3:45 o'clock had put himself beyond the
reach of any telegraphic recall. What
is expected of him cannot be disclosed
at the navy department and naturally
is purely matter of conjecture.
SIMPSONS feet is strong enough un-
aided to overcome the Spanish flying
squadron if he can ever catch it out of
the reach Of Notifications His fleet,
however, is lacking in speed as com
pared to the Spanish vessels, and CO.
operation on the part of our flying
squadron would add much to the
chance of cornering the Spaniards and
forcing the fight, which is believed to
be necessary to the success of the
Cuban campaign as now planned. Some
one suggested at the navy department
that the Spanish feet when last heard
from was at point not very much
more distant from the great cities of
the Atlantic seaboard than from Ha-
vana, but if the Spanish admiral con-
templates movement in the former
direction he probably will run full into
Schley, who will have his scouts well
out in advance when he moves south
ward.
1t can be stated that there is good
ground for the belief that the admiral
has achieved all that was expected of
him, or that was necessary to carry
out the plans of the strategy board.
The purpose was to destroy San Juan
as fortified base that might form a
harbor of refuge for the Spanish feet,
and according to the admirals report
\ that has been practically accomplished.
Following is the dispatch from Ad-
miral Sampson. 1t is dated st. Thomas,
May IL:
"A portion of the squadron under my
command reached San Juan this morn
ing at daybreak. No armed vessels
were found in the port. AS soon as it
was sufficiently light commenced at
tack upon the batteries defending the
city. This attack lasted about three
hours and resulted in much damage to
the batteries and to portion of the
city adjacent to the batteries. The
batteries replied to our fire, but with
out material effect. One man was
killed on board the New York and
seven slightly wounded in the squad
ron. No serious damage to any ships
resulted