The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-07
HOW We WILL DO 1T.
Method For Licking Spain Made AS Easy
As A BIC

HOW We WILL DO 1T.
Method For Licking Spain Made AS Eas.
AsABC.
Havana, via. Key West, Mar. CAS-
the conviction becomes settled that the
court of inquiry will decide that there
was a mine explosion under the Maine,
discussion among Americansnaval officers
and civilians here is prevalent as to the
warlike measures which it is believed the
U. S. government will adopt in case the
question of the payment of indemnity by
Spain is overruled.
A majority think that American troops
will be landed at some point east OF
/ Havana and the insurgents communica-
ted with, that the Spanish soldierly will
be defeated or captured in detail and
that in the meantime fleet of U. S.
vessels will blockade, if not lombard
Havana. No one seems to doubt that
the reduction of this city would be CON-
paritively easy. Four y inch guns.
west and east of the city, are the only
ones that are considered dangerous.
These are not likely to be well served,
while their emplacements are not
modern.
That some Spainards are of the opin-
ion that an attack on Havana would be
made is believed to BEL shown by the
abnormal activity displayed on board
the Vizcaya. This correspondent has
the best authority for the statement
that the Eizcaya is in state of readi-
ness for emergencies and that packet
boats are on the alert day and night in
side the harbor and outside. 1t is
pointed out that the men of war Vizcaya
and Almirante Oquehdo might be caught
in blockade and fall an easy prey to a
| u. S. fleet. The cruiser Alfonso XII is
without boilers and would he of no ac-
count. All this discussion of probability
of war among the Americans and Spain
ards proves nothing and only shows the
state of feeling here.
The conduct of the Spanish divers who
are investigating the wreck of the Maine
been down five hours in the aggregate
and show no disposition to make g
thorough inquiriry. Is is impossible to
learn the truth fully regarding the pur-
pose of the Spanish court of inquiry, but
it is generally believed that Bthe divers
/ were sent down for FORMS sake only and
that report will be made in accordance
with instructions from Madrid.
1t may be that the Spanish divers
have discovered that the whole
port side of the Maine forward is gone
and having so reported, further exami-
nation is deemed unnecessary. The
work of our own divers henceforward is
bound to be slow, owing to the pom
derous weights to be moved and the
safety nuts and rivets to be cut.
i Senator Proctor is likely to make g
speech in the Senate on his return thai
will have weight in determining the
future policy of the U. S. He is mucf
affected by the suffering that he found
in Matanzas and highly indignant a
what he calls ''Inhumanity of the course
pursued" During visit to Artemisa
he saw thousands of reconcentrados, who
refused to beg, though starving, They
were evidently Of the class accustomed
to make.its own living and unwilling t
become paupers. He saw thousands o.
! acres OF the best tobacco and banana
lands in the world reduced to waste
with trochas and garrisons at every vii
Iage and cross road. His drivers point
J inc to the mountains fifteen miles away
said: ''There are plenty of insurgen
camps there that the Spanish have never
discovered"
The work Of distribution of the Amer
lean relief under Miss Clara Barton, Mr.
Elwell and assistants is, in Senator Proc
tors judgement, carefully and effectivel,
carried or. The demand is far in exces
of the supply. The supplies expected a
Matanzas and Sagua LaGrande, to b
: brought by American cruisers, will at
ford unspeakable relief. Now that tn
} Almirante Oquendo and the Viscaya ar
living in the harbor the Spainards ex
ultingly declare that the city is safe
and it is given out officially in the news
papers that the new arrival is of TIN
same size, armament and compliment a
the Viscaya.
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