Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-19
TO ISOLATE BLANCO.
A Probability That All the Cables Leading
From Cuba Will BE Cut.

From CUBA w III Be Cut.
Washington, May 1S.-The complete
isolation of Gen. Banco from the out
side world is now looked upon by lead
ing military and naval authorities as
an essential move to be executed at
the earliest possible moment. The
pressing need Of this has become more
evident within the last few days, since
Gen. Blanco is known to have been in
constant cable communication with the
admiral CT the Spanish squadron and
also with Madrid. He has thus been
an intermediary between the govern
ment and the admiral. informing them
of his own needs and advising them
on matters of policy. The authorities
munication to an end, and official in
curry has developed that there will be
little difficulay in isolating Captain
General Blanco if the necessary steps
are quickly taken, and energetically.
Havana's communication with the
outside world is carried on by means
of five cable lines. Two Of these run
to the United States and are OF course
closed against Gen. Blanco. The re-
naming three cable exits from Ha-
vana are by way OF Santiago, on the
south coast OF Cuba. Havana is con-
nected by two land lines with San
tiago, and also by one shore cable
with Santiago The actual departure
Santiago, two CT the lines running
thence to Jamaica and one to Haytl.
When a message has once left Cuba
by one of the three lines still open 1t
has no less than six different cable
routes it can adopt after leaving ia
maica or Hayti. From Jamaica one
route gees to Colon, Pernambuco, Cape
Verde Islands, and thence to Spain;
second route gees to Bermuda, Hall
fax and thence to Spain; third route
goes TO Venezuela, Pernambuco, Cape
Verde and thence to Spain; fourth
route goes to the Windward Islands,
Dutch Guinea. Pernambuco, Cape
Verde and Spain. From Hayti there
are two routes, one to Venezuela, Per-
nambuco, Cape Verde and Spain, and
a second by way of the Windward Is
,o,l. A. Drit;cb C,inoo
The authorities here have with much
labor figured out all of these various
means by which Gen. Blanco can keep
up his communications. They are sat
isfied that the three cables running to
Santiago are the routes from which
all these various branches spring, and
if this triple route is cut the entire sys-
tenn of communication between Cuba
and the outside world will be at an
end
Santiago is not a strongly fortified
town, and it is believed there will be
little danger attending the cutting of
the three cables at that point. The
right to cut these cables is not doubted
by the authorities here, although most
of them are British cables.
The chief signal officer Gen. Greedy,
first advanced the principle that in time
of war the right existed to destroy
property found in an enemy's territory,
and in the case OF cables that the right
existed to destroy them within the
three marine leagues constituting
SPANS jurisdiction. This principle
has now been accepted. and is the pol
icy on which the government is acting
When the cables at Santiago will be
cut is not disclosed. but there is
strong pressure toward having the work
done Immediately, for. until it is done,
Gen. Blanco maintains his communica-
tions and is thus enabled to embarrass
the operations of our military and
naval forces