Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-04-22

has been received by the attaches Of the
| Spanish legation.
| 1t is conceded to be highly probable that
| the fleet will hasten across the ocean to
Porto Rico and Cuba to prevent by force
the ousting from the islands of the naval
and military forces of the Spanish govern
ment now there. .-
ships have gene to the Canary islands, but
| this is considered improbable.
| AS a result of information which the
are confident that the battleship Pelayo,
which was officially reported to have sailed
from Cadiz en- Sunday last, Joined it, and
that, Furthermore, arrangements have been
made for the reinforcement of the squadron
| by the armored cruiser Carlos v.
| Spains action in collecting such a for
midable fleet at st. Vincent has been a
subject of considerable anxious speculation
at the navy department, and it will re-
ceive consideration at meeting of the
strategic board.
The Carlos V. is perhaps the most effect
i've of Spain's men-of-war. She is an ar
mored cruiser of 5000 tons and a speed of
twenty knots. Her battery consists OF
twenty-six guns. The Pelayo. the only bat
tleship in the Spanish navy of any value.
was originally built twelve years ago. but
the changes which have been made in her
battery in France have increased her ef-
fciency TO great extent.
Such a fleet might be able to dispose Of
Commodore schley's flying squadron.
In consequence of the collection of such
| formidable force at St. Vincent's. one
| thing is certain-the flying squadron will
not be sent to operate against it until re-
| inforced by the battleships and cruisers of
Captain SIMPSONS fleet; and it is not at all
certain that this government will be hasty
| in dispatching its vessels to Eastern wa
| tiers.
The United States navy would naturally
| prefer that the Spanish ships should seek
| battle by sailing to Porto Rico or Cuba,
because at either point they would be far
from their base, and 1t Is in anticipation
of their coming that Spain has been gath
ering coal at Havana and San Juan.
Information which has reached the au-
| thorities shows that she now has at Ha-
vana 100000 tons of coal and at San Juan
25,oOo She is making desperate efforts to
increase her coal piles and dealers in Nor
folk have been selling coal to Spanish
agents at dollar per ton less than the
II Spain should use the Cape Verde ISL
ands as a base of operations in time of
war Portugal will be called to account by
the United States. The Cape Verde ISL
ands belong to the Lisbon government,
which recently informed the United States
that it had rejected propositions made by
Spain to enter into an offensive and de-
fensive alliance and proposed to remain
strictly neutral.
Portugal will be expected to carry out her
intention in this respect. Her neutrality
obligations will permit her to give to the
Spanish vessels only sufficient coal to en-
which in this case would be the Canary ISL
| ands. and once they have left that port they
cannot return for coal or provisions.
Il expect that the Spanish fleet will leave
St. Vincent Immediately after war is de-
clared.' said we'll known naval expert.
| land its destination will be unknown There
will be great scare in the United States
as it will be believed that they are en- route
for Porto Rican or Cuban waters, or pos
sibly for one of the coast cities: but in four
or five days they will turn up at the Ca
naries, and there. believe, they will re-
main to give the American fleet a warm re-
ception upon its arrival.
1T will be to the interest of the United
States forces to occupy one of the Canary
islands and establish coal supply there
1T looks to me as though Spain is gath
ering her forces in order to give the United
States good stand-up fighting. and If she
is defeated. she will rely on the squadron
at Cadiz as her second line of defense. I
do not think her men-of-war will come
| westward, for being far from their base
| they would be at disadvantage.
although Spain's second torpedo boat