The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-06-03
THE MILITARY Invasion.
Apparently No Reason Now Why
the Movement of Troops on
Cuba Should Not Begin.
SPANISH FLEET CAN NOT M0LEST THEM.
The Navy Department Highly Gratified
Over the Assurance that Cervera and
His Ships are Safely Bottled Up at Sam
tiagO-The Torpedo Boat Destroyer
Terror at San Juan, Porto Rico.

| Terror at San Juan, Porto Rico.
WASHINGTON, May 3O.-There appears
to be no reason now why the military
| invasion of Cuba should not begin a:
soon as a sufficient number of troops
can be equipped for the campaign. Ii
was with deep qualification that the
secretary of the navy received mes
sage from Commodore Schley thai
| finally removed from the field of con
lecture any question as to the location
of Cervera's Spanish fleet
The commodore's telegram was
brief, but to the point. The text of his
dispatch has not been given out, but
the substance has been made public.
The commodore said that he had sight
ed the Spanish fleet in Santiago har-
Dor. The department construed his
| words to mean that the Off
GER had himself, with his own
eyes, seen Cervera's fleet, and as
near as can be learned this
gratifying spectacle was beheld by
Schley Sunday morning. He expressed
the belief that the whole feet was
within Santiago harbor, but he did not
actually see two of the big cruisers, the
Vizcaya and the Oquendo. Like the
commodore, the naval officers here are
confident that these two cruisers are in
the harbor, for they say it would be
very bad policy for an admiral in Ger
vera's position to divide his feet. Even
if it should prove to be true, however,
that the VIzcaya and Oquendo are at
large, they can do little harm unless
their commanders have arrived at that
desperate state of mind when they are
willing to submit their ships to certain
destruction for the sake of inf1icting
some small in jury on one of the unprO-
tected vessels of the American navy or
for the glory of running the blockade.
The navy department has taken note
Of the reported arrival of the torpedo
boat destroyu: Terror at San Juan.
They say she has made her last cruise
under the Spanish flag, from which it
is inferred that one of the American
cruisers is already on her way to bottle
her up in San Juan harbor.
1t is believed that Sampson, conf
ient of Schley's ability to hold the
Spaniards in Santiago harbor, is now
rapidly preparing to convoy the mill
tary expeditions, the starting of which
can not be deferred much longer.
Sampson has reinforced Schley's fleet
with some of the best iron-clads,
the Iowa for instance, SO that
there is no question of his overmatch-
ing the Spaniards in point of force.
rhe Cienfuegos blockade, which was
not abandoned, but was temporarily
~ inc Tho of Of
Of the blockading vessels from attack
by the Spanish flying squadron, will
now be re-established in all OF it's old
rigor.
No one who can speak authoritative
ly will say when the military expedi-
tions will start. Secretary Alger,
when asked the question, replied very
decidedly that it would be impolitic to
make any statement on that subject;
it would only serve to give the
Spanish in Cuba an opportunity to
mass forces at certain points, and
this would expose the American
troops to unnecessary danger. Gen.
Miles is prepared for instant departure.
The general himself refuses to say
when he will move, but there are signs
at army headquarters that indicate an
early departure.
Decoration day at the war department
was holiday in name only SO far as
the greater pact of the officials were
concerned, as they were at their desks
for a good portion of the day. The
department was technically closed, but
Notwithstanding this, large number
of visitors put in an appearance and
saw Secretary Alger and his assistants.
The secretary remained until about IL
o'clock, when he left the department
intending to go to the Arlington ma
cises there Assistant Secretary Mel
klejohn also intended to go, but was
detained because of the pressure of
business matters.