The San Francisco call., 1898-04-03
WhenWap Is Declared Our Warships Will Take
 the Offensive.
Three SquadrOns That Will Lose No Time RaZin9 the Cities
 of Spain's Colonial Possessions.

bringing the ships home until they have destroyed the Spanish naval force in
 the Philippines and wrecked the forti-
 fications. Then some of the vessels
 may be ordered to the North Atlantic l Coast to re-enforce the vessels operating
 in these waters, or to the Pacific Coast 1 in case it should be aScertained that
 the flying squadron has been sent by
 Spain to the slope to attack the cities there.
 Officials familiar with the plan of campaign prepared by the department believe that it will be executed with precision and judgment, because the
 men who will carry it out are officers Of experience specially selected to per
 form the trying duty, and the ships under their command are superior to
 those of Spain. Reports which have
 been received from Commodore Dewey are to the effect that the Spanish au- | thorities in the Philippines are mining the entrance to Manila, and other har-
 bors. The same precautions are being | observed in Spain as in the colonial possessions of that power.
 Commodore Dewey has under his command the protected cruisers Olym- pia, Baltimore, Raleigh, Boston and the gunboatS Concord and Petrel, which will be able to overpower the wooden cruisers and the four gunboats which Spain has in the Philippine waters
 The departure of the Vizcaya and Oquendo from Havana Is a matter of | sincere regret to the officials in the
 harbor of Havana. Captain Sampson would have been able to so station his
 ships as to have prevented their de- parture, and at the same time to make 1t apparent it would be foolhardiness for them to attack two battle-Ships,
 three double-turreted monitors, one coast defense
 tected cruisers, gunboats and torpedo boats which are under his command
 With the probabilities that the Oquendo and ViZcaya have gone to Porto Rico, it Is evident according t5
 the officials that Commodore Schley's squadron may be the first to engage the Sr3nish. It will be the duty of the fly
 ing squadron to take Porto Rico. T.. view of the absence of the Spanish tor pedo boat f1otilla, it is not expected this will be a difficult task. With Spains colonies in the West Indies in the pos
 session Of the forces of the United States, her possible basis of supply for
 opel ation against the United States
 will be gone; she will have to conduct
 me neuvers with the Canaries or Spain
 as her base of supplies.
 Appreciating that war is terrible the authorities do not anticipate the vic tories which will be gained by the fleets t,4eVo Dt1teo VIII uOl De paid
 for in both men and ships. The reduc-
 ton Of Havana is expected to take time for the defenses are in fairly good condition. The harbor will be mined
 and other preparations will be made
 which will insure a warm reception be-
 ing given the vessels flying the Ameri-
 can flag. In view of the prospects of
 stubborn resistance from sea, the au- thorfties have made arrangements. as the Herald has stated, for the capture
 of Matanzas. The army will be landed
 at this point, from which it will move
 upon Havana from the rear. By the
 combined operation of the land and sea
 forces it is expected that the city will | fall.