The times., 1898-07-20
Our spanfsh Round-Up


There is an appearance Of dash and
energy about the way in which the
Porto Rican expedition has been prshsd
forward that it will not take Mr.. Nc
Kinley long to find out is highly salts
factory to the country. 1t has been the
lack of such appearances in connection
with preceding movements that has ex
| posed the Administration to the sus-
picion of vacillation and inertia. 1t Is
| beyond question that very favorable
comparisons are being made between
| the spirit shown in starting Gen. Miles
| for San Juan Immediately after the fail
| of Santiago. and the older policy o.
| pacific blockade and Sampsonian am
! munition wasting which created so
much discomfort some weeks ago.
The American people are fond of ac-
! tion, and impatient of red tape and de-
| lay. The methods that seemed to mark
the earlier days of the war did not ap-
| peal pleasantly TO their Imagination.
! They will forget their former annoyance
| if the recent victory of the army is fol-
| lowed up by series of sharp, hard
blows at the enemy wherever he can
! be found. The keynote of a American
war policy has been sounded again and
again by the hero Dewey He does not
wait and worry for fear his antagonists
open or under cover, may have some
thing in contemplation without notice
| to him in advance. AS he acted when
| he fed Admiral Montojo's ships to the
sharks, when he fired a shell at the
| German warship Irene, and when he
brought Admiral Won Diedrichs to book
in short order, so his fellow-cOuntry-
men want and hope TO see the Com
mander-in-Chief and all other Ameri-
| cans in authority act
We are greatly encouraged by current
| evidence that the President Il deter
mined to take a leaf out Of the Dewey
book, and press onward TO the end with
relentless force. Porto Rico should be
under the Government of the United
States before ten days hav pass d.
We are happy to think that something
else OF nearly equal importance may
happen within the same time. Tlcra
are indications that il is not for Porto
Rico alone that all the present activity
exists The War Department is g
creetly silent as 10 that, but ii is plain
/ that a mobilization Of troops and an
assembling of war material AM sup
! plies is in progress far beyond he
| probable requirements for single eX-
/ peditioG against a single island with
| a garrison and defenses Of only mCder-
| ate resisting power. The collateral OBJ
! ject may be the Canary Islands. the
capture of which would be cf the great
! est benefit to this country. Future op-
erations against the Spanish coast
would be thereby rendered twice as
effective and easy. We should have an
| ideal harbor and coaling station a. Las
| Palmas. and could even use the Ca
naries as a rendezvous for an army
destined for the invasion of the Iberian
Peninsula itself.
No doubt the plans for the Porto
Rican and Cadiz movements have been
| carefully co-ordinated.- The public viii
| look for splendid results from their ac-
compishments- 1t would have given
| greater satisfaction if fighting COM
| modore like the man who destroyed
| Cervera's squadron off Santiago had
been given naval command in the cJrn-
ing attack by sea on San Juan. instead
of his junior, the prudent and procras-
| tinating Sampson. But that cannot b.
helped now, and we must make the best
of ii. trusting that the favored iniiyid-
ual may rise to the spirit of the occa-
sion.
AS this appears to be a Sunday war,
it may not be improper to look for the
planting of Old Glory on the soil of
Porto Rico on the first day of next
| week. Gen. Miles has his chance now,
and seems disposed to make the most
OF it. If he should succeed in quickly
adding another bright gem to the dia-
dem of our colonial empire, he viii not
lack for honor and glory.