The Portland daily press., 1898-03-21
MIGHT FORCE WAR.
sons why Spain Would Profit by an
Early Beginning.
rgexc1AL TO THE rREss.l

correspondent put to leading public
man today. The one Of whom this ques-
ton was asked is man OF large expert
ence and wide information in regard to
orr foreign relations. He has represented
his country abroad, and is on terms OF
Intimate acquaintance with the leading
dipInmatists at Washington, including
those of our own state department.. he
naused a moment, and then thougntfulIy
replied, 'tNot Immediately.
There are reasons for believing that
Spain wants war with US: her intein-
GENT statesmen may in their hearts de-
nlore the necessity. but as Cuba is GER
Iainly lost to them they may be forced TO
proyoke it in order to save the monarchy
on which the future of all the governing
GLASS depends. But the Spaniaras do not
want to appear to be the aggressors. They
hone that they may be able to force US to
omen the conflict, and that speedily, since
the longer we wait the better prepared
we shall be while time is not likely to
help Spain in her bankrupted condition.
Every move made by Spain in the last
few weeks has looked towards war. Ths
dispatching of her great men of war to
China. and above all the action OF the
Spanish government in starting westward
their really fine totilla of torpedo boats
and torpedo catchers means but one tnlng,
and that is that hostilities with this coun-
III
this the intimations tht General Lee was
offensive to thu Spanish government, and
more recently the intimations that, we
SHOULD move our fleet from the nelgnpor,
hood of Key West and that Spain VIII
nav no indemnity for the Maine, and tho
eonviction grows thas Spain has now
oolne to the point where she wants the
fight provoked as soon as possible. ztE3
DRY DOCKS AND TORPEDO BOATS
Our government will not oblige her If
the cooler heads can have their way. We
have too much preparation yet to make.
We have not nova dry dock on the At
lantic coast where we could repair hrst
GLASS battleship. And one of the most
important times in modern warfare Is the
week after the battle, for IN that time
damages must be repaired in order TO be
ready to meet the foe again. The dry
Jock at Brooklyn will be ready very soon
now. and perhaps might be used at once
in an emergency. So also the dock at
Port Royal is in way to be made ser
viceable soon by means OF dredging.
rbese two would accommodate us very
we'll: and would have to, for before any
more docks can be built the trouble with
Spain will be over in one way or announcer.
Ne are badly lacking in torpedo boats.
and especially in torpedo catchers. many
believe that these little boats are to play
in the future naval BATTLE part that
will nut the great armor clads on the
shelf as the little muSkeb in the days OF
old put aside the armor clad knlghg on
his armor clad horse. The fate OF the
Maine is q forcible object lesson on ths
mower of modern explosives when applied
10 battleship. 1t is one of the very rev
Lessons of this kind that the maritime
nations have learned by real experience.
The next naval battle between we'll
equipped and well manned fleets bids falr
nrK a
TO be revelation, ana may worH on. ds Et sa-0
a revolution as did the battle OF the Mef-
rimac and Monitor. Of course our gov
eminent in entering conflict wants. 20
be as we'll prepared as possible TO meet
all contingencies.
Few believe that the executive depart
n,ents of the government are in complete
iqnorance as to how the Maine was blown
m. and there is q very strong belief here
that fine report has been held back In
order that preparations for war may De
advanced as rapidly as possible wltnout
combinations arising from strong pop
ular sentiment for war.
PORTLAND IN NO DANGER.
II do not consider that Portland is in
any danger in case of a war with Spain,
said a member of the House today, who
is an acknowledged expert on naval
affairs and knows the situation of Port
land perfectly, having often visited the
Forest City s'Of course, theoretically, a
Spanish man -of.war equipped with mod
ern guns might lie thirteen miles out at
sea and bonn bard the city; but in practice
we know that that cannot be done. Inc
range must be less than thirteen miles,
although just how much less we do not
know definitely. You have already at
Portland Head a fine battery. A shot
from one of those guns will strike harder
than a railroad express train going at full
IL. of rrIIr c
strike a battleship and it would so shatter
her that she would begin to leak and be
out of the battle thenceforth. Portland
lies in SO pronounced an indentation, and
her dsfences are so far out, that she Is an
unpromising. city for fleet to attack.
But more important than this is the fact
that Portland would be out Of the area
of operations by Spain. If we were ex-
pecting a war with England we should
know that Portland would be In great
danger for it is near Halifax, and the
Grand Trunk railway makes 1t strategic
point wor5h possessing. But In war
with Spain the Spanish base of operation
must be in the South, at Cuba And on
no good military principle would her
ships go so far from their base to attack
small city from which little tribute
could be expected, while richer and less
strongly protected places lie nearer and
ara easier of access. 1t would be much
easier to attack Boston or New York than
to attack Portland, and the spoil would
be far greater. Boston is especially In an
unprotected state. No, do not regard
Portland as in the least danger"
A WAR MEASURE.
The same authority on naval matters
says that the recent order diminishing
the feet at Key West and adding the YES
sells Withdrawn to the feet at Hampton
1e-f a. and nOS D6aCe
measure. In case of war, Hampton Roads
is the most perfect rendezvous for fleet
that would lave as it's objective the pro-
estion of our coast and especially OF
New York, which would be the great oh.
iect Of attack.
or course, we should not rely entirely
on our navy for defense. Pitt used to say
in the days of the Napoleonic wars, that
England's first line of defense was on the
coast of France. So also would our navy
try to meet the Spaniard with portion
of our navy near his own rendezVous In
+oa Wast Trdiac C. H