The age-herald., 1898-05-25
RUMORS OF BATTLE EXCITE WASHINGTON Headquarters much Dis'"rbed aud Await
 ing News Fro lpson. BELIEVE C0kS o OCCURRED
 $ F Cables to be Cc.x lriTins CsrTera from c'nnH 's With Madrid LONG SAYS THE OREGON IS SAFE Ships For the Philippines Will Have to Coal at Hawaii, and the Necessity May Cause the Annexation in
 a Few Days.

Washington, May 24-There was lapse into sensational war rumors in Washing ton today after a week. of comparative quiesude. The runio IFS ranged all the way from the capture of the little Mangrove, with crew of thirteen men, to the re. ported destruction of the entire Spanish fleet by Sampson and Schley's combined forces. They were circulated with persis;- ence, notwithstanding their denial a. soon as they eould be brought 10 the at .enticn of any official capable of passing judg- ment on their accuracy. As the day roll4 ed along the officials themselves became apprehensve as was shown by the fre- quency with which they called for the latest newspaper bulletins.
 At the close of the day, however, it was again announced in the most positive man. ner that the navy department had no news to warrant the reported engagement in the Windward waters. This did not specifically cover the West Indian waters but since the department has almost pledged itself to let the public know of anything in the nature of a general en- gagement, possibly the bulletin announce ment is sufficient to cover the case. 2
 MT. Long Had Heard Nothing
 When Secretary Long started for home after an exceptionally busy day he stated to group of newspaper men that the de- partment had received no information of importance. In respon-. t) an inquiry as to where the Spanish fleet was located, MT. Long replied that his belief was that it was still at Santiago de Cuba Con cerning the reported capture of the Man grove and the los$ of other ships the secretary dismissed those orles as purely conjecturtil, and not 'upportel by fa:.S.
 Word had come from the commander of the Mangrove since the time of the al- legged capture showing that the ship could not have been in the hands of the Span ish. MT. Long paid a handsome tribute to the war board and stated that there was no purpose whatever of changing the pres ent system whereby this board co-operates with him in giving in every possible incl dent and evidence mainly in the way information to the admirals.
 The office of the war board, he point ed out, was not to fight battles; that was exclusively the province of the squadron commanders The board acted merely in an advisory way and at no time had as- stunned executive functions.
 Spain Making Preparation
 The Spaniards appear to be making ready for something more than a defensive cam- paign at home or at least they are trying to create that impression by other means than news bulletins that issue almost daily from Madrid. The navy department now has through it's own reliable sources reports of the greatest activity in the Spanish navy yards and of the preparation for sea and for long voyage of two of the torpedo boat destroyers. It Is given out that they are to join Cervera immediately when his squadron enters Cadiz harbor. Possibly this statement is made with a deliberate purpose of misleading American sailors into the belief that Cervera has taken his way homeward.
 Oregon Reported Safe
 Inquiries as to the whereabouts of the Oregon brought reply this afternoon to the effect that the battleship was safe. Nothing could be learned of the location. It is probable that the telegrams said to have emanated from the vessel were really filed at Key West, but were brought to that port on some dispatch boat from the Ore- gon, which is cooperating with our fleets.
 The cutting of the cables at Santiago and at San Juan de Porto Rico, as reported to- day, was a military move of some im- portance. Blanco has yet one link left of communication with the outer world but the Spanish commander at San Juan now finds himself totally in the dark as to con- ditions in Spain or In Cuba, while the value of that port as a place of refuge for the Spanish flying squadron is materially diminished. It is safe to say that the re- maining cable to Santiago will be cut soon like the others, so if Admiral Cervera is misguided enough to have entered Santiago harbor he will be completely out of tolch With his home government, and equa " unable to communicate with Banco The Philippine expedition is now off in earnest. The sending of these ships will affect the Hawaiian question vitally.
 VIII Hawaii object?
 z.ike the Charleston, the transports must stop at Hawaii to replenish their coal bunkers from the great heaps of coal that Consul General Hayward has been piling up for months past If the Hawaians let us take this coal without the pretext that we are using 1t to make our way to our nearest home port, as is required by inter- national law in such cases, they will stand convicted of q gross breach of neutrality that in the eyes of the law of nations allies them with the United States in hostility to Spain. The taking. of coal by the American ships at Hawaii to make an extensive cani- paign against the Spanish possessions it is believed here will result in compelling the United States either to assume protector ate over the islands or to annex them at once.