Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-24
POOR JUDO S1ENT.

Inc administration 5 cOnOuct OF the
war up to date has been character
ICED either by too 1nlch unnecessary
delay or too much tt osightless precipi-
tation. Dewey struck most effective
blow at SPANS dominion and power,
unprepared to back it up, was unpre-
pared even to rescue Dewey or any
portion of his feet had he not won
the overwhelming vict Dry he did. 1t
il, month since the attic OF Manila,
and yet only now ae refnforcements
and supplies started CT the way TO
our fleet Chance and good luck
alone have prevented this delay from
resulting most disas Jrously. Had
the Spanish reckoned on it long ere
this they would have had a fleet at
the Philippines probably capable OF
overwhelming Dewe3's small squad
ron and retaking the islands. But
the Spaniards evidently never sus-
pected for moment that cur govern
ment would be guilty of the unpar-
donable negligence of leaving Dewey
to his own resources for month
after his Manila victory, holding only
the outskirts Of the citadel with his
fleet in idleness. Indeed that negli-
gence, which borders on the Grim
1ta
men and military men.
Again, Sampson at San Juan struck
also a hard, if less effective, blow at
the enemy's entrenched position in
the cutter Antilles. A few fortifica-
lions were crumbled, to be repaired
presumably at the enemys leisure,
since Samp.on, unlike Dewey, had
other pressing business on hand and
promptly vacated the San Juan har-
Dor. Like Dewey, the commander Of
the North Atlantic squadron was I'M
supported by the military arm of the
at San Juan effective If an army of
occupation had been in readiness to
:5ke the city of San Juan when lis
defenses were crippled by Sampson s
ships, we would now be holding
Spain's most important base of sup
plies. With the Philippines and Porto
Rico lost to Spain and our navy free
to concentrate its attacks on the Ha-
vana Notifications and with another
ample army of occupation ready to
follow up the naval stroke, the war
would have been practically at an end
at this time instead of being prolong
ed until, with the enemy's increased
Notifications in Cuba, which the delay
has allowed them to build at their
leisure, tie end is not now in sight
Tbs truth is now plain that our
allegea strategists tackled the situation
at the wong end. We began hammer
ing at the extremjties of Spain's posi-
ton before we were ready to follow
up the advantages gained.
The American people will pray that
there be no repetition of this unreadi-
ness when our precious "strategists'
get ready to strike the final blow at
Havana-the blow that should have
been the first Of the war; but will
probably now be postponed for months
until fall.
1t is not a matter for wonder that
the Spanish governors of Porto Rico
and the Philippines keep up steady
stream of grandiloQuent adjectives as
they pen their cablegrams to the home
government that ''los Americana"
are being held successfully at bay.
We could hardly have expected more
than this. however from the material of
which McKinley's Cabinet is composed
While Sagasta the shrewd and forceful
Spanish prime minister is wedding out
the weak members among his aids and
advisors and girding Spain for vigorous
war the Cabinet at Washington dis
cusses tax measures, or rests on It's
oars after having called out an army ii