The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-06-08
ON TO CADIZ,' THE CRY,
Many Officers Want That Span
ish Reserve Fleet Hunted
Down in Its Own
Waters.

Washington, June S.-If Camara and
that second, CT reserve, squadron do
not soon appear in West Indian waters
the administration will have a new cry
from congressman, naval officers and
the public to listen to. 1t will be "On
to Cadiz." That is the port where the
reserve squadron was Quitting the
last time authentic reports were re-
ceived. Naval construction officers
want a fight between first rate ships
before the war comes to an end for
purely professional reasons. They want
the products of their Hands, the battle
ships given a trial that will show their
weak places.
Dewey's vessels are all of the cruiser
class and fought against vessels of
their kind. That fight is not likely to
be of any great value to the construct
ors. No ship received as much damage
from the Spanish fire as was inflicted
upon the cruiser Columbia when she
was in collision with the British mer-
chant ship Foscolia a week ago.
Inasmuch as there can be no fight
between Cervera's and American YES
sells. the only hope of an engagement is
with the somewhat mythical reserve
squadron which writer for the Berlin
Tageblatt says the people of Cadiz call
1.-The armada" The battleship Pelayo
is the main part of the reserve squad
ron. There must be an engagement
with it if there is to be any fighting
between battleships. She is smaller
than the Iowa, Indiana, Massachusetts
or Oregon, but larger than the Texas,
so if there is ever a meeting between
battleshtps the contest will not be
equal terms That is a matter for re-
greet on the part of the constructors,
although probably not on the part of
most Americans.
1t is figured out by those who are al
ready talking ION to Cadiz" that Samp-
son. with the cruisers New York Brook
lyn and New Orleans, and the battle
ships Oregon and Massac husetts, with
four. or five torpedo boats and two or
three scout ships. could go over to
Cadiz and in about four hours after
arrival forever settle the question rails
ed by talk about the reserve squadron
They believe he could sail into that
harbOr and repeat the Manila exploit
performed by Dewey.
This talk among the younger naval
officers is inspired by the reports of the
unpreparedness of some of the ships of
the new armada" For instance on
May 9, the German newspaper quoted
above says the greatest activity was
around the very old iron 1000 ton ship
Vitoria. When the war came on pre-
paratiOns were made to rejuvenate this
''oId lady" First of all she was to
have new boilers. They were made and
hoisted aboard ready to be lowered in
to her hold, when. snap went the chain
and down went the boilers to the hold.
Now nearly the whole force of the navy
yard is engaged with a huge derrick
fishing the pieces of the wrecked boiler
out of the water.
Before the war it was the belief and
information here that the battleship
Pelayo was not a good sailor. She is
too tOphNaVy, said the experts. Since
the beginning of hostilities it is learned
that the Pelayo has never been out of
smooth harbor water. Even the usual
ly ignorant and incompetent Spanish
sailors, officers and men, know her
tendency to go to the bottom. top first,
Yet the CadiZ pOpulace regar ds this
ship with superstitious veneraton She
is a fine looking craft, but that is all.
Undoubtedly the younger set of
naval officers argue if this reserve
to the coast of Spain by Sampson the /
end of the war would be fastened
Inasmuch as this reserve squadron is !
now very much in the public eve the
criticism of its commander, Admiral |
Camara, in the letter written by Lieut. |
Carranza. published this morning, ex-
cites as much interest as its revelations !
as to the extensive spy system the /
lieutenant was trying to establish Car
ranza's criticism is that Camara is |
lazy, capriciOus and not willing to re- |
ceiVe advice from anyone.
The backwardness of the prepara-
tons indicated in the Berlin newspaper /
heretofore quoted, viewed in connection |
with Carranza's statement that Camara |
of affairs. That condition is altogether
satisfactory so far as ali except the |
young hOtbloOdS and naval constructors |
are concerned. Even if Camara started /
the day after the German reporter saw I
the Nitoria and the huge derrick he
would but now be getting into the West
Indies. All the ships in the reserve
squadron except the armored cruiser
Carlos V and Cardinal Cisneros are
slow sailers.
yof hT1f hoy IL