The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-13
SPANISH FLEET NOT YET SEEN.
opoERs SENT SAMPSON NOT TO AT
TACK PORTO RICO.

-. oepartment Now Almost Con-
.i,ced That Cape Verde Squadron
u,s sought a Home P0rt-Capture
Of Porto Rico Held to BE of No
Strategic Value Mt This Time.
samson Likely to BE Ordered
rack TO Cnba.
NV Yory, May 12-"Although no
od5,tional confirmation has been re-
osired Of the news from Lon
Am that the Spanish squadron which left
the capt Verde Islands two weeks ago
had returned TO Cadiz, the belief has
Greatly strengthened in official circles
tbat cruise to Cuban or Porto Rican
waters was never very seriously contem-
,lsted by Admiral Villami.'' says the
washington correspondent of the Tribune.
mo word has reached the navy depart
rrent from Admiral Sampson since the
Acct under his command was sighted off
the north coast of Santo Domingo, but
the failure of any of the swift scouting
cruisers sent in advance to discover any
traces Of the Spanish squadron and the
non-appearance of the Spanish men-of-
war at any of the usual coaling and sup
plv stations of the Windward group lave
almost convinced the naval authorities
here that the Spanish commander has
thought discretion to be the better part
of valor, and has actually sought the
refuge of a home port.
LAS to the capture of Porto Rico at
this time it has been held by the Presi-
dent and his advisors to be of little Or no
strategic Importance, complicating in
stead of simplifying the task of reducing
Havana and expelling the Spanish land
forces from Cuba, it has been virtually
decided as soon as the absence of the
Cape Verde squadron from West Indian
waters is definitely established, to recall
to Cuba the greater part of Acting-Ad-
miral SIMPSONS fleet.
"Cable dispatches instructing the Ameri-
can commander to make no attack at
present on San Juan, but to await fur
Their orders off Porto Rico, have been
sent to the various cable stations in the
Windward group, and will doubtless be
delivered within the next day or two.
There is, of course no immediate de-
mand for the services of the whole Key
West fleet before Havana. The smaller
men-of-war left behind by Acting Admit
raj Sampson are competent to protect the
passage of the landing expedition from
Tampa and TO cover the lodgment of the
invading army on the Cuban coast. But
should an effort to reduce
the fortidcations of Havana
from the water side he thought
necessary, the heavier fighting ships now
off Porto Rico would have TO be called
on to undertake the bombardment while
if the Vizcaya, the Almirante Oquendo,
the Maria Teresa and the Cristobal Colon
should, after all, have passed unnotlced
into the Caribbean sea and should ap-
pear Unexpectedly off the west end of
Cuba, the presence of the full Key West
feet in the neighborhood would be found
Indispensable to beat off the assailants
and maintain communication with the
American forces already landed.
Though Monday is the date now set
for the departure of the first division of
regulars from Tampa, 1t would create no
great surprise If the troops were detained
on Florida soil few days longer. To take
advantage of the comparative dryness Of
May prompt start and sharply directed
campaign against Havana are considered
advisable. But it seems certain that the
volunteers who are to follow the regulars
TO Cuba cannot be assembled on the Gulf
the next two weeks, so that actual opera
tons in, Cuba win scarcely be possible be-
b fore May %. BY that time, too all
doubts about the disposition of the Span
ish naval forces will have been solved,
and Acting Admiral SIMPSONS reunited
fleet can be employed to cooperate with
the American land forces in pushing the
siege Of the Cuban capital
mo serious weight is attached here to
the suggestion that Spain win send
fleet through the Suez canal to attack Ad-
miral Dewey's forces in the Philippines It
Is not considered likely that the Spanish
government would strip its home ports of
adequate protection in order to undertake
the re-conquest of a distant colony which
could be held only at the sacrifice Of ma
tonal interests in every other quarter of
the world
Moreover, with the government and
cablnet engrossed in a struggle for political
existence at home, Spain is scarcely in a
position TO pursue for the present any but
defensive and negative naval and militia
ry programme"