The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-07-01
A DASH FOR SPAIN.
An American Squadron May Soon
Be on the Spanish Coast.
The CADIz FLEET EASTWARD BOUND
Admiral Dewey Thought to lie Wen Able
to Resist an Attack by Admiral
Camars, as He Is HACKED by
Merritt's Troops.

Merritt's Troops.
WASHINGTON, June %. The war is
to be carried into Africa, metaphoric-
ally speaking, If Spain is foolhardy
enough to send the Cadiz fleet through
the Suez canal to attack Dewey in the
Philippines. 1t is announced on good
authority that, before the last Span
ish vessel has passed through the
canal, an American squadron will be
steaming at full speed across the At.
lantic, straight for the coast of Spain,
to bring the war home to the Spanish
people. There is no doubt that Dewey
can take care of himself against this
Cadiz fleet, since his own squadron
will be reinforced by ironclads long
before Camara's ships sight the bay of
Manila and he will have the shore bat
teries with him instead of against him
in the struggle. But il has been con-
cluded by the administration that
nothing save the most severe measures
will suffice to bring the Spanish peo-
Pile to realizing sense of the hope
lessness of the continuance of the
present war, and even kindness, 1t is
which it is proposed to administer if
the Spanish persist in this last project.
After the fall of Santiago and the
capture or destruction of Cervera's
squadron Sampson will have an album
dance of vessels to spare for the task
set forth. Probably he will constitute
the attacking fleet in two squadrons,
the first flying squadron, to be com
posed of the swiftest vessels of the
fleet, such as the Columbia, Minneap-
oils, Harvard, Yale, st. Louis, St Paul,
New Orleans and such craft This
will be followed under another com
mand, either Sampson or Schley, by
the battleships, which Capt Clark's
experience with the Oregon has shown
can easily be counted on for voyage
across the Atlantic. With the Iowa,
Oregon, Indiana, Massachusetts and
Texas, all battleships, supplementing
the New York and Brooklyn, armored
cruisers, and the less powerful but
speedy vessels of the flying squadron,
the Spanish coast would be speedily
swept clear of all commerce, all Spanish
shipping would be destroyed and some
of the best ports blockaded or bonn
barded.
That the Spanish Cadiz fleet is pro.
ceeding steadily eastward is no longer
dou bted here. Trusted agents of the
government on the shores of the Medi-
terranean are watching every move
ment of the ships and availing them
selves of every reliable source of in
formation. So, when word came from
one of these agents yesterday that the
squadron was sighted off Pantellera,
the officials were bound TO accept the
statement as beyond question. BY
the reckoning Of the naval officers,
the squadron should be now nearing
Gambia, south of Greece. AT the rate
they are progressing, the squadron
should reach Port Said, at the en-
trance TO the Suez canal, about Mon
day or Tuesday. Beyond this point
it is not believed that the squadron
will go, for it is confidently felt that
the whole Spanish movement is
nothing more than spectacular dis.
play, gotten up to meet the irresisti-
bic demand of the Spanish populace
and particularly the clerical party,
that something should be done to save
the Philippines to Spain. There is a
question whether the canal author
tiles will allow the heavy Spanish
armored ships to risk the passage of
the canal, even if Admiral Camara is
willing to undertake it, Their draft
of water is so great that they might
easily ground in the cana! and thus
obstruct il TO navigation indefinitely.
But even ii all these expectations are
not well founded, the naval officers
are confident of Dewey's ability
to successfully resist an attack
by the Spanish squadron. Ac.
cording to their calculations, the
splendid double turreted monitor
Monterey is very near Manila, under
convoy of the Brutus, and her arrival
may be expected within two or three
days. When she swings into line with
Dewey's squadron, there is not an
ironcldd in Camara's force that would
care TO stand before her. Then il must
he remembered that, long before the
Cadiz squadron could possibly reach
Manila bay. Gen. Merritts troops will
be, in conjunction with the insur-
gents, in possession of all the forts
surrounding the harbor, and the
Spanish gums, being manned by Amer
lean artillerymen, will be expected to
give a better account of themselves
than they did when trained against
Dewey.