Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-05-10
PLANS OF CAMPAIGN,
Ex-SECRETaRY HERBERT TELLS
WHICH SPAIN RAY FOLLOW

Docs Not Believe IT Practicable For Spain
to lombard Our Ci.ics-IIis Opinion Is
That She WIZ Fight For Dominion In
Cuban Waters.
What will be Spain's plan of cam.
paign?
viii Sasasta send the Spanish ships
to Cuban waters and eudeavor to break
the blockade and relieve the Spanish
army:
If he does not do this, there are two
other plans open to him. One is to retain
the Spanish navy near home and wait
until it is attacked. To do this would
be not to fight at all. We Will be con.
tented, certainly for a time, if we can
capture Cuba and relieve the situation
there which has caused the war. Assur.
eddy Spain will not consent that tie
navy shall be idle.
Another plan, and Gre which it is
possible now that Spain will follow, is
to make diversion upon cur Atlantic
coast either by sending large feet tc
attack some of our seacoast cities or by
scattering the Spanish fleet, or at least
the swiftest vessels is has, to make a
raid upon cur commerce.
cannot believe it is practicable for
Spain to attempt to lombard any of Our
cities Unarmored vessels cannot do it.
because they couldn't Withstand shots
from the smallest of cur coast defense
guns, and Spain armored vessels have
not sufficient coal endurance to enable
them TO undertake such expeditions.
They have no coaling stations conysn-
lent. Their vessels could not carry sulli-
Gent supplies to justify such an at
tempt. ANY effort to bring US to terms
by raidirG our commerce would be fruit
less. Perhaps no war was ever yet &C.
clded by commerce destroying.
Cur transatlantic lines must no doubt
cease TO make their trips We cannot
spare men-of-war to convoy them. Our
swift vessels are needed, part of them
as scouts and part TO hunt and destroy
Spanish commerce destroycrs and priva-
teers. Nor will there be found, even in
our co2stwise commerce, any very tempt
ing bait fer priyateers. Not many OF
these ships will be able to capture YES
sells on our Atlantic coast and get them
safely iEto a Spanish port for oondemna-
ton as prizes. Certainly If We are left
alone III Cuban waters no Spanish Port
will long be open in Puerto Rico CT
Cuba.
The only other plan open 10 Spain is
to fight for dominion in Cuban waters.
This | believe she viii de- This opinion
is vcntUred simply because you have
asked for it. 1t may of course torn ont
that l am mistaken, a. an enemy always
undertakes to do just exactly what be is
not expected to do, especially when he
is inferior i'll strength, as Spain IN
doubtedly is to the United States. But
Spanish sentiment at home has impel.
led Spain into this unequal contest, and
1t is net easy to see how that govern
ment, in the face of that sentiment, can
refuse to fight for Cuba.
This is the subject matter of this
war. There is the flower of the Spanish
1dClC are anu the
sons of these people in obedience to
whose mandates Sagasta has taken up
the gage Of battle, and it is not believed
that he can afford to leave that army to
be captured and that island to be sur
rendered without at least one brave and
determined effort to relieve it. Spanish
honor, of which we have heard SO much,
will not submit to it.
Some time probably will be taken to
collect the Spanish naval forces, and
efforts will no doubt be made 10 scatter
our feet by diversions against our coast
line and our commerce, but it seems
probable that all these diversions will
have the one end in view of finally get
ting relief to Cuba by means of Spanish
fleets. There lies the heart of this con
test. Spain might as we'll give I'D all
thought Of making war against us as to
make no effort for relief on the island
-Ex-Secretary Herbert Of the Navy in
New York World