The herald., 1898-04-24

indicate that q food outbreak may be looked
for any day, says the st. Thomas cores
pondent Of the World. The laborers in the
interior have no work and consequently
no money to pay the prices demanded for
provisions.
State Department Commissioner Shand
has arrived on the steamer Alfonso Belle
with instructions to United States Consuls
In the West Indies to purchase coal and to
forward reports of the movement Of the
enemy.
Spaniards at Porto Rico are making
active efforts to purchase the existing coal
supply on the other islands. Several thou
sand tons are on the way here consigned
to Bronsted & Moron, who have received
different cables from the Porto Rican
agents of the Spanish government making
offers for the supplies. Other local firms
have received similar messages. The same
request has been made to merchants in the
Windward islands, whose supply Is mad
equate to cover contracts. The steamship
lines have also been offered high prices.
They have replied that their terms will be
cash at the wharf and have demanded large
figures on account of strike in the Car
diff mines and the high freights exacted BY
the English steamers, which are confident
Of a monopoly In case Of war.
Consul Vanhorn Is complying with his
instructions quietly and is securing first
option on all obtainable coal.
The Campaign Plan
NEW YORK, April 2s.-A special to the
Times from Washington says At about
the hour that Captain Sampson's Key
West squadron was making Its appear
ance Off Havana to carry out the plans
of the administration for blockading the
principal ports Of Cuba, the President was
issuing his proclamation announcing that
blockade and thus shutting out from Cap
tain-General BlandD and his forces the
provisions and reinforcements upon which
he must depend to be able to maintain the
fighting ability of his soldiers and to fill
up the ranks, thinned by disease and other
causes The blockade plan is but a
step toward the development of larger
plan yet to be unfolded.
A glance at the map of Cuba, bearing In
mind the words of the proclamation Of the
President, will show only that the block
ade is contrived to oppress Blanco and af-
ford the largest opportunity to Gomez and
his insurgent bands to assemble in force
and contribute their part to the driving
out of Spains forces. The ports on the
north sue VI AuDd, lIOIl SdTucHdS Oh the
east to Bahia Honda on the west and
Cienfuegos on the south, are also those
only by which Blanco can expect to Sc
cure aid from the sea.
The middle section of the island is that
in which the Spanish forces have been and
are concentrated. All of the far eastern
provinces and the extreme west Of Cuba
are substantially In the hands OF the in
ot~-~ h..A
The ports of those sections will remain
uncovered and aid for the insurgents can
run into them without molestation from
the vessels Of the United States.
The coast guard of Spain in Cuba is
made up of few small vessels, the pow
erful ships of war having been withdrawn
in order to carry out some plan of opera
tions at this time known only to the
Spanish naval officers This method Of
warfare will 60 on until the United States
land forces can be made ready and the
opportunity reached for cooperating with
the fleet. Time would be lost that can
now be employed to advantage If the vol
unteers that are to be called into service
should first be required to be fully organ
lied before the blockade was fully es-
tablished.
According to our consuls and others, al
most absolute dependence has been placed
for supplies of meat and other provisions
for the army Of Spain upon the foreign
markets. The stocks on hand are low and
will be speedily. exhausted. The spirits
of the army will be lost as soon as starva-
tion is added to failure to pay. When
weakness is added to illness and dissatis-
faction. the. fresh troops. .of, the United
States would''be' an Unequal match for
troops poorly discipllhed and worse fed,
even in the most 'propitioiis .of times.