Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-16
u,nAyA AND 4 block AIDE.

1 ~
In the Geographic news columns of yes
| tcrdav's Dispatch reference was made to
| the testimony given before the Senate
| Committee on Foreign Relations by Com
mander Bradford. This gentleman is n
torpedo expert, and is on duty at the
government station at Newport. r. l. He
! was questioned by Senator Morgan as TO
/ the danger TO us from the Spanish fiotilla
or torpedo-boats and torpe6o-boat de-
stroyers. And in reply he said:
Under certain conditions they are no
doubt very formidable. Their chief value.
/ ina my opinion. is in preventing biockadeS,
! if i'm ports that are attempted 10 be
/ blockadod They choose their own time
/ of attack. and Of course. the most favor-
! able time. They are previously groomed
up for the occasion. everything in readi-
ness. and they slip out TO vessel outside
and try 20 get in their work. At sea
| with squadron they are so liable TO ac-
| cidcnt and so often dcranged that the
chances of being effective. i'm my opinion.
are slight. | understand that the present
notnla. crossing from Spain. has been
dismantled-that iS to SAY. the torpedo
tubes and guns carried on the upper deck
have been taken off and are being brought
over 10y the conveying steamer. which Is
converted cruiser That adds TO their
scaworthiness and stability. Without
those tubes and guns they are
completely helpless. shoin of any
power. The destroyers are supposed
10 be capable Of ramming the small
boats and destroying them that way.
II within the destroying radius OF
fleet of course. they can be used i'm the.
same way as i'm a blockade. For instance,
the port of Habaua is about ninety miles
from Key West or Tortugas. They have
high speed They can slip cut at night.
get I'm their work and return under cover
Of darkness and. vice versa our own
could do the same work We happen 10
have no desuoyers. and our torpedo
boats have found it rather rough work
crossing the Gulf stream between those
ports"
The present dilemma Of the Spaniards
consists in not having this fotilla AT Ha-
hama. According to the testimony Of Gen
eral Lee. given before the Senate Com
mittee, that city is poorly provisioned. 1t
is true that within the past few days a
big ship-load Of supplies has been bought
in New York by Cuban firm. and is now
on its way to the ccnsignees-the Spanish
Government. in fact-but ii would feed
the population of Habana only a few
days. The Cubans are beleaguering the
city on shore, and should an American
feet blockade the harbor, it would only
be a question of a few weeks when Ha-
bana would have to capitulate, whether
We fired a shot or not
If the Spanish torpedo fleet were in the
harbor Of Habana il would be no easy
matter for us 10 maintain blockade; but
it is not there, and we believe it TO be the
purpose of our government never TO let
it get there.
Doubtless. the Spanish Government sus-
poets this purpose upon our part. If SO,
il must cause it TO feel the gravest ap-
prehension as to it's ability to hold Ha-
bana.
But it may be said that the Spanish
feet Wa. be able to break up any block
AIDE that we may seek TO establish with
the view of reducing Habana. on this
point our government appears to be per-
fectly satisfied. and not without reason.
We are stronger in battleships than the
Spanish are; they are stronger in tor
pedo-boats than we are. SO, if the field
Of action be where they cannot use their
fotilla effectively. we would have them
al great disadvantage.
II we do not permit the Spanish hotilla
to get into Habana it will have 10 attack
our heet-if at all-upon the broad. open
SEA. II will have no rocks or banks be-
hind which to hide; no anchorage ground
from which TO dau forth at night, but
must take its chances on the ocean,
where of all places we could best watch
it and meet its attacks.
And so, upon the basis Of the evidence
OF Commander Bradford, we may con-
clude that the Spanish fotlla. formidable
as il is when favorably located and pro-
perly equipped for action, is not likely to
prove an obstacle to our thrashng the
Spaniards and taking Cuba. Nor need We
expect the present military and naval
status TO be much altered pending the
action Of Congress-unless indeed. Spain
wishes 10 preciptate hostlites, which
cannot end but in her discontinue.