The times., 1898-05-16

II is possible that the Navy Depart
ment knows more about the present
whereabouts Of Admiral Sampson
than the public does. If so the infor-
nation is kept "incomunicado." We
are inclined to believe that important
advices Of some sort reached the
authorities yesterday. from the gen
eral aspect Of things in the State, War
and Navy building. But the Depart
ment announces itself as a sealed book
to the press for the present No one is
allowed to talk with q newspaper man
under pains and penalties, and only
such news as the officials choose to is
sue as bulletins is supposed to leak out
Under existing circumstances all pa
triotic journals viii cheerfulIy submit
TO this restriction If it is impartially
observed.
Meanwhile, the country remains in q
state Of anxious expectancy, hoping
now at any hour to hear that the great
naval combat has occurred Everything
else is the merest conjecture, but there
seems 10 be more than a reasonable
probability that our naval plans viii
prove eficacious to catch Admiral Ger
vera somewhere in the Caribbean sea
of the coast Of Cuba, between the
American fighting and flying squad
rOns.
The position and natural purposes of
the Spanish armada reasonably sug-
gest a movement to reach the harbor
OF Santiago de Cuba, at the south
east of the island a strong defense
could be made at this point, although
opportunities would not be found for
communication with Blanco as would
be the case at Cienfuegos. But, If the
latter should prove To be the Spanish
admirals objective, and if as it is un-
derstood our naval authorities believe.
he VIII spend two days in the Gulf of
Venezuela coaIing, then there is a pos
sibility that Sampson might head him
of by way Of the Windward Passage,
or that Schley might get there before
him.
In some way or other the strategy of
the moment evidently is directed to
the object Of getting him between the
two divisions Of our naval force.
Should that succeed. il can only be
question Of a few days when the battle
viii be Joined. II might happen at
any time from now on
There is every reason to hope that
the issue viii not be delayed. Every
day Of p0stponement of our invasion
Of Cuba assists Blanco to strengthen
the defenses Of Havana, and that
. H.
American lives when the Notifications
are attacked.
We can heartily sympathize with the
irritation OF the Army over the long
delay in making the movement Some
thing, Of course, may be said for the
Administration on the score of un-
readiness and the painful slowness
with which some OF the State volun-
teer quotas are being made ready for
muster. 1t is fact nevertheless, that
il would have been a comparatively
easy matter to have taken Havana
three or four weeks ago, whereas now
we may have TO sacrifice a good many
men to accomplish it. We have seen
already that the Spaniards fight wei
behind intrsnchmenIs
The necessity for securing the posi-
ticn of practical possession of Cuba
and Puerto Rico increases with the dai-
ly enhancing danger Of an attempt at
European Intervention. Not that the
American people would tolerate that.
but the sooner We get into the atti-
tude Of occupation following destruc-
+f,y, cf n n ,-sSfS+fver ,,op-a,. tt,o Io.~. ~:
bic we shall be to be called upon to
face international complications
On TO Havanai