The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-12
FLIGHT OF THE DONs.
Army and Navy to Wind Up the War
on This side of the Ocean.

army ana Navy to Wind Up the War
on This Side of the Ocean.
New York, May IA special to the Tri-
bune from Washington says: THE naval
war board is convinced that the Spanish
armored flying squadron, better known as
the Cape Verde fleet, has returned to Ca
diz, and that Spain has abandoned all hope
of effective resistance to the loss of her
American colonies.
THE war in American waters at least
has, therefore, been reduced to a simple
matter, and its duration is expected to be
exceedingly limited. Arrangements have
been promptly made to bring back ADM
raj SIMPSONS feet to Key West to unite
it with the army in quickly terminating
Spanish rule in Cuba.
1T is positively announced that San
Juan de Porto Rico will not be bombarded
and that the island will be let severely
alone for the present at least, or until
Cuba as freed and an American military
government firmly established there 1t
is believed that this will be a matter of not
more than two weeks, and then the
heavier ships VIII be relieved for duty
against Porto Rico or for dry bookings on
the Atlantic coast preparatory for cruise
III 4OTct, augmented Dy the SHIPS IN COM
modore Schley's squadron against Cadiz
itself, unless Spain in the meantime sues
for permanent peace.
THE idea that the Spanish vessels would
run home instead of confronting certain
defeat near Porto Rico has been held by
the vast majority of naval officers since
the first Spanish squadron, composed
largely of torpedo boat destroyers, re-
turned TO st. Vincent after several weeks
at sea shortly before war was declared
"On that occasion grave concern was
manifested in Washington for some time,
and it was with decided relief that the
ward. For the last week the best experts
in Washington have agreed that the Span
ish ships If on an offensive mission, had
the battleship Oregon as their objective,
and when after ten days they failed to re-
port at Pernambuco for coal, the war
board reluctantly decided that they might
be attempting to enter the Caribbean by
the Barbados passage to come upon Porto
Rico or Cuba from the south.
1T was considered the better part of
valor to send Admiral Sampson eastward
where he could more readily secure an en-
gagement, at any rate before Cuba could
be reached trusting that definite informa-
ton would be secured the moment the
Spaniards approached the Barbados or
ST. Thomas.
This precautionary cruise of Admiral
Sampson, while probably disappointing in
the extreme to all the officers with him,
is believed to have been not without adj
vantage, as it permitted the retention of
Commodore Schleys ships at Hampton
Roads and thereby secured the Atlantic
seaboard against alarm for the safety OF
the chief coast cities and navy yards
1.-The return of the Spaniards to Cadiz
is gratifying in the highest degree to the
President and his advisers, who desire to
achieve a speedy termination of the war,
as much for curtailing the enormous ex>
pense it involves as TO relieve the demon
alization of business throughout the coun-
try which would be inseparable from
long continuance of the conditions of the
last month"