The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-05
WITHIN TEN DAYS SAIL
The Spanish FlOtiIla Still a
Menace.
ITS ELEMENTS OF STRENGTH
Rumor nc the Navy Department That
n, uasIert the Cape Verde Islands.
Naval strategy at Least Nouid
Suggest More Activity en- This
Side.

To the mos casual observer ii is evil
dent that. what with the delay so gra-
ciously granted by the putty-spirited,
peace-aad-paresis party, and other cir
cumstances SO graciously permitted 10
exist. Spain is now in a position TO deal
q series OF severe blows at our sea-
coast and TO the veriest Nro in the tao
lies OF modern naval warfare the puer-
Tie policy of the Hannafied balk at the
helm of state. only makes it clear that
each moment Of delay but emphasizes
the advantage Of the dynamiting Dons.
The fact that the torpedo fotilla OF
Spain. to a certain extent. has. hal
meted out to il the same fate which
befen the Spanish Armada several hun
dred years ago. while it placed the YES
sells Of the enemy at temporary disad-
Vantage, yet allows of a naval coup
d'otat which possesses significant fea-
lures
BY remaining at the Cape Verde Isl
ands until President Mckinley summons
sufficient resolution 20 obey the voice OF
the American people and declare war
the flotilla can more readily effect
juncture with the powerful fleet now
straining at its cable in the harbor Of
Cadiz and then. proceeding together
across the Atlantic. the combined fleets
could join the Viszcaya and the Aim
raate Oquendo. now awaiting orders from
Madrid under the guns of MORO Castle
in Havana harbor. and present formid-
able front to the naval forces Of this
country.
The feet at Cadiz comprises the Infan-
In Maria Teresa. the Victoria. the Chris
tobal Colon. Alfonso Kill three pow
erfUl torpedo boats and three well-equip-
ped torpedo boat destroyers.
The combined fleets would possess
greater elements of strength than onr
Navy could Immediately group 10 com
bat them. and the result Of the feeble,
duly-dallying which has made the union
Of these vessels possible is easily antici-
pated.
Within Ten Days sail.
The Cape Verde islands are a group
about go miles from the mainland Of Afri-
ca. They are about a days sail from the
course usually taken by ships sailing from
Mediterranean ports TO the Western Hem
isphero. and making due allowance for
marine conditions and alterations in
course made necessary by stress of wealth
er. the track to Porto Rico would be about
:. 4e0 miles in length and while some Of the
vessels in the Armada are capable OF
greater speed, it As reasonable TO assume
that the feet would make about ten miles
an hour. and that would bring the sailing
ID y 10.
to about ten days. With every endeavor
TO attain greater speed. this time might
be shortened to nine days.
There is good reason to believe that the
fleets. once united and thus made capable
of meeting our ships under conditions
which could not but make the contest less
unequal, would effect juncture with the
Niszcaya and the Almirante Oquendo at
some point between the probable course
taken with a view TO strike at our sea
coast between Hampton Roads and Key
West. and then proceed north by west to
do watever damage lay IN their power un-
til such a time as the squadron npinG the
Stars and Stripes met them.
There was a rumor at the Navy Depart
ment this forenoon TO the effect that the
fleet at Cadiz had sailed. The story could
not be verified. IL is but fair TO assume
following out the plainest theory of ma
val strategy, that the fleet has sailed for
the Verde Islands, there to amalgamatc
with the flotilla there anchored and TO
await the word from the power at Madrid
which will cause every effort TO be made
to reach the coast Of the United States
with all possible expedition.
The rumOred move was viewed by men
acquainted with naval affairs as being
significant of a definite assurance from
the Spanish naval offices that il is made
reasonable by events which are antici-
mated there.