The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-01
Cuba or Porto Rico.


Up to Within the last two or three days
the belief was quite general that there
would be no attempt to invade Cuba until
after the rainy season. Even army Of
hcers of prominence expressed the opinion
that the unpreparedness of the volunteers
justified delay OF two or three months.
The volunteers, they said, should be sea
soued and disciplined so that they could
stand the Cuban climate and meet the
trained soldiers of Spain on something
like equal terms.
The whole situation has undergone
sudden change. Gen Miles passed through
this city yesterday on his way to Tampa.
lie would not have left Washington if an
onward military movement had not been
decided upon. II is fair 10 assume. there
fore that the portion Of the army at Tam
pa will be in motion within the next day
or two, if, in fact, the onward movement
has not already begun.
Whether Cuba or Porto Rico Is the OBJ
jechye point is a question which cannot
noIy be answered. The government is not
making its plans public When the troops
embark at Tampa they will not know their
destination. The commanding general and
those IN his confidence will alone possess
that information
The Indications, however, are that the
objective point of the expedition is San
taso--that is, if the dispatches which we
publish Ibis morning relative to the en-
gaeerent between Commodore Schley's
fleet and the Santiago batteries and the
Spanish squadron should not be confirmed.
The Spanish squadron is at Santiago and
the President ana his advisers may enter
tain the opinion that the capture or des-
tru' ton of that squadron together with
the Santiago garrison would go a long
way towards influencing Spain to sue for
peace.
All the country round Santiago is held
by the insurgents. 1t ought not, therefore,
to he difficult to effect a landing some
whore near Santiago. That accomplished
a comparatively small force, with such
guns as the expedition Will, In all proba-
bility, carry, would find it an easy task to
capture Santiago and get control of its
Notifications. The Notifications once in
possession of our troops the Spanish
squadron would have to surrender or at
tempt TO reach the open sea. If they should
undertake TO leave the harbor they would
encounter Commodore Schleys battleships
and would be quickly shot to pieces or
forced to surrender, They would have to
leave the harbor in single file, if they left
"a at all. on account of the uarrowness Of
the entrance. and each ship would be a
mark for the guns of our fleet
1t looks, therefore, as if The plan of the
government is to attack Santiago and de
stroy the Spanish squadron there. That
squadron contains about the best ships in
the Spanish navy. If Spain should lose
them all she would be so crippled that she
would be forced to recognize the folly Of
continuing the war.
1t is said that Gen. Blanco has 100000
trained soldiers in Cuba. Admitting that
he has that number though it is doubtful
if he have more than half of 1t, only a few
thousand of them are at Santiago, and he
cannot send any more there. He cannot
reach Santiago by land because the insur-
gents bar his way, and he cannot reach il
by sea because he has no ships, and if he
had our fleet would prevent him from en-
tering the harbor. Stirring news, therefore,
may be heard from Santiago within very
short time.