The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-26
Report OF Sec
rotary Long.
STORY OF THE WAR.


| Washington, Nov 25.-The report Of
Secretary Long to the president, Which
was made public today, is a volumnous
document of over 1000 words, covering
in summarized form the part the navy
had in the Spanish war. In addition,
there is the report of the assistant sec
rotary and the several bureaus of the
! department. together with important
recommendations
In the opening paragraph, Secretary
Long says: "Since my last annual re-
port the navy has, for the first time
since the rehabilitation, been put to the
supreme test of war. Years OF patient.
persistent training and development
! had brought it TO Il point of high eff
! cheney, which resulted in the unparal-
Ileled victories at Manila and Santiago
| victories which have given the names
| of our naval commanders Worldwide
fame, and added an additional page TO
the glorious naval history of our coun-
In 1897, the secretary says that the
| condition of affairs in Cuba and the
| consequences to the United States and
| Spain made it evident that war might
come between them. The department
anticipated this fact by directing the
commander in chief Of the European
station to retain those men whose terms
of enlistment were about to expire.
| The secretary gives a passing men
| ton to the blowing up Of the Maine in
Havana hal'bor, February Is, quoting
| Capt. S1gsbeeS despatch to the depart
ment. In reference to the board of in
quiry's report, the secretary says;
Ion, !, D. 1
! the wreck, and after taking the testi-
mony of witnesses and Of experts, the
| board reported on the 21st of March
that the Maine had been destroyed by
| the explosion Of a submarine mine but
| that it was unable to fix the response
bidty upon any person or persons. 1t
was evident that the cause of the disas-
ter must have been from the outside"
Continuing, the report adds that the
lcommander-in-chief Of the European
station was instructed to attach the
/ Albany and New Orleans to his COM
mand and bring the latter, the other
unfinished to the United States. The
commander-in-chief of the Asiatic
| squad ron was ordered to assemble his
squadron at Hong Kong. The Oregon
was ordered to proceed on her long
voyage. The North Atlantic fleet was
concentrated at Key West, and the fly
| in squadron was organized, under COM
mand Of Commodore W. S. Schley, and
| AZ early az ADril "a The navy was
| ready- for war. and tho saoretar,-'e
| Statement anronoe of tbis is as fol-
| lows:
1.-THE COMMUNICATIVE chief of the Asia
tic station, and the cOmmander-in-ch chief
of the North Atlantic station. had been
! engag ed thoroughILJ preDarfns the units
! of fheir. cornma3ds for he test Of war
| The sC,uadro,s ehi,,s officers and crews
were In adnirable condition and train
ing had baen for months engaged in
| tactical ynanelIyers and eIlnnel-v prac-
| lice and We're STRENGTHENED bv the ad-
dition of the auxi1tarv vessels as ran
| idlv as converted The bureaus of the
| department had. by wise forethought.
nrer,a,,ad them With every facility in
| the way of men, supplies, ammuni-
| ton Information and drills, and as
early as April Is. four weeks before
waters the navy of the United States
was ready for the Outbreak of hostili-
tiess. The North Atlantic fleet at Key
West covered Cuba; the flying squad
ron at Hampton roads stood ready to
defend our oJyn coast, or to threaten
/ that of Spain. and the Asiatic squad
ron at Hong Kong only awaited infor
nation of the outbreak of hoStilitieS'
! In order to protect the Atlantic coast
hefween the canes of the Delaware and
Bar Harbor. the secretary says that
| the northern patrol squadron was or
ganiged. and placed under command
| of Commander j. A Howell, April 20.
on April 81 war was declared and
| April % Admiral Sampson sailed to
! blockade Cuban ports on the northern
coast of the island
The next subject treated by the sec
retary is the Asiatic squadron.
! He saws: "On the oath of April the
/ following telegram was sent by the
! department to Commodore Dewey, in
command Of the Asiatic squadron:
g rWashington, April a. 1898. Dewey,
Hong Kong: War has commenced be-
tween the United states and Spain.
! proceed at once to the Philippine is
! Lands. Commence operations at once,
! narfiruIarly against the Spanish fleet.
/ Yo,, must cantllre vessels or destroy
! Trse utmost endeavors.
q" Long
THE victory of Dewey. which fol-
/ loved at Manila saws the secretary, in
| addition TO fine confidence which it in
fI1aa5 t5roI1ebout fine country. removed
an Standardization for the Pacific coast.
soa,ato,.,l ta,,s mar the North Atlantic