The herald., 1898-05-25

OFFICIAL INFORMATION rs
LOOKED FOB
If CERvERA HAS NOT FOUGHT
He will Be Forced to Battle or Be
Chased Home Across the
Atlantic

Atlantic
Associated Press Special Wire
NEW YORK, May ga special to the
Times from Washington says:
Letters from Key West arriving late or
becoming public to q limited extent long
after they have reached Washington con-
vey the information that about everything
that can steam, sail or be towed has been
forced into the service to assist Admiral
Sampson and Commodore Schley to box
up Admiral Cervera and force him to give
battle, If he has not escaped. Not word
of the elaborate preparations except by
way of roundabout hints has come from
Key West, the newspaper correspondents
having been put on their honor not to give
limitations of operations that can assist
the enemy in the slightest particular.
All the talk in the cabinet today indicated
the confidence of the administration In the
early receipt of good news from Admiral
Sampson. One cabinet officer who ex-
pressed the greatest eagerness to hear
from Sampson and Schley, and who has
no doubt that the news when 1t comes will
be great" admitted that the outside limit
Of time in which it was expected that the
vessels of the United States and Spain
must meet had passed and that official in
formation might arrive at any moment
either that Cervera was bottled up or that
his fleet was at the bottom Of the ocean.
II do not look first for unofficial informa-
tion," he said, "for the reason that the
commanding officer of the United States
forces has concluded that he can get along
quite as well and without so much POSSIBLE
ity Of injurious observation If he excludes
newspaper boats as he has done."
The administration is determined that II
Cervera will not fight but manifests de-
termination to get away and return to
Spain, to follow him up and kill" his fleet
before 1t can reach its own side Of the At
lantic. To do this might require the send
ing Of coal ships along with the United
States fleet for some distance, but II any
accident should happen to any of the Span
ish vessels, or the supply of coal should run
out, Admiral Cervera would have to run
the risk of destruction or else abandon a
disabled vessel in the hope Of getting off
with the others or perhaps be overtaken
by single ships until the whole fleet was
gobbled up. 1t is calculated by naval OFF,
GERS that the Spanish feet has now about
exhausted its fuel and that it cannot un-
dertake the difficult task of retreating.
The only honorable outcome for Spain Is
for Spain's ships to try conclusions at once
while the coal bunkers and food supplies
are not completely exhausted. .4
There will be no news from Sampson or
Schey until one or both Of them has tested
) nj; al, ffVyo NJ ~ O.
Naval officers laugh at the suggestion that
If Cervera should give the United States
ships the slip, the vessels Of SIMPSONS and
Schleys fleets would be again withdrawn
to Key West to be used as conveys to pro-
tect the transports in moving the army to
Cuba, leaving Cervera to stay in these
waters, or to return. as he pleased.
admiral Sampson" said a naval officer
Of experience and spirit. sis reasonably free
to move and act as he chooses. He has
the opportunity to carve place in our his
tory alongside that of Dewey. You will
not catch him coming back empty-handed
10 hear the jibes of disappointed people.
Explanations will be Of no avail II he does
not render good account of himself under
his instructions to seek and destroy the
Spanish fleet. If he does that, explana-
lions will never be asked for by anybody.
And think that tomorrow will bring the
opportunity for us to cheer Sampson and
Schley along with Dewey"
In addition to the beated policy Of CEN
sorship adopted In regard TO the transmits
sion policy Of reports OF naval movements
by telegraph 1t appears that the navy de-
partment has decided to dispense with the
attendance of newspaper dispatch boats
upon the fleet in Cuban waters.
The information reached here that before
the beginning of the recent operation of the
squadrons Of Sampson and Schley against
the Spanish fleet, notification was given to
all the newspaper boats which have been
watching and reporting the blockade that
they would not be allowed to follow the war
ships on their cruise. The notice was per-
emptorily 1t is understood, and its strict en-
forcement is supposed here to account for
the lack Of news from the fleets which has
amounted to famine for the last week. Had
the newspaper boats been with Sampson
and Schley on their cruise in pursuit of Ger
vera 1t is reasoned that the Geographic CEN
sorship at Florida points would not have
prevented the receipt Of information by
other routes from some one of the many
CADt6 SldtlOuS III tuc WCot 4HOlCSs
The permission given by the navy depart
ment to the dispatch boats to follow the
fleets on previous cruises has been very
seriously criticised here as inimical to the
best interests of the service and altogether
an undignifled proceeding. 1t has given
rise to considerable unfavorable comment
abroad also and has been the particular
butt of sarcasm from the German emperor.
who Is said to have derived considerable
amusement from the spectacle Of fleet of
warships attended by convoy Of newspa-
per boats. Whether these criticisms have
resulted in the decision of the navy depart
inent to exclude the boats is not known,
but the decision is generally commended
as wise one.
The presence of the newspaper craft may
not have done any harm, it is pointed out.
so long as the naval operations were con-
fined to peaceful blockade. but now that
q serious naval campaign is on, 1t is rec
ognizcd that 1t Is the part Of wisdom to
free the fleet from such espionage.
Too Much Married
SAN FRANCISCO, May A-The Call
says: On February of this year, Michael