New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-09
BACK TO CADIZ AGAIN.

Our special cable dispatch from Suez this
morning contains an interesting. though by no
means surprising, bit Of news. The famous
Cadia feet, under Admiral Camara Ia on its
way back to Spain. That at least Is the in
dubitable inference to be drawn from its action
at Suez Down to mid-afternOOn yesterday It
lay Mt anchor few miles beyond Suez, await
ing supplies Of coal, and apparently meaning
to go Oh toward the Philippines. Then 1t sud-
denly returned to Suez, and by this time Is
probably In the canal again. headed northward.
The reasons for this are not hard to divine.
The two chief ships the only fighting ships In
the feet. are VIGOROUSLY unseaworthy. The
PelayO broke down while traversing the canal
Her boilers and those of the Carlos V are In a
shockingly bad state. 70 60 on to the China
Sea In typhOon season would be madness
Moreover, Spain is Mt last convinced that Ad
miral Cervera's feet has been destroyed and
that there is nothing 10 prevent US from send
ing our whole fighting navy over to attack her
coasts, and she knows that with the Cadiz
feet away she has no ships left to protect a
single port. 1t is quite true, as Napier said
long ago, that the Spanlard Is 40 absurd that
1t is never safe to argue from his actions to
bis motives. But there are some things so
obvious that even Spaniard can scarcely miss
them.
1t may be Of interest at this time to review
the condition OF the Spanish Navy, or what Is
left Of it. 1t was not particularly form dable
at the beginning Of the war. but 1t did contain
some frst-rate ships. or ships that In other
hands-not more valiant, but more skilfu and
more generously supported by the Government
would have been 1rst rate. Such were the
four cruisers Of the Cape Verd fleet. They now
lie rended and burned on the Cuban coast
Three others almost exactly like them arc not
yet completed and cannot be put to USE A
fourth, smaller and less powerful, Is In the
same plight Two, somewhat more powerful
but out Of repair. are in the Cadiz fleet Two
Anticipated iron broadside vessels of no i'm
portance In a battle with modern ships remain
In Spanish ports, with one small and useless
monitor That covers the entire list Of Spains
armored vessels. OF unarmored vessels, seven
cruisers and three gunboats were destroyed at
Manila on May Day, and another gunboat has
been captured there since. One cruiser has
been destroyed at Porto Rico. There remain
ten ships Of that class, most Of them slow and
out Of date. and quite ineffective. There are
couple Of gunboats Of no importance There
are few torpedO-boats and torpedo boat de-
strOyers, but Judging from the way the former
broke down at the Cape Verde Island and the
latter had to be sent back from Port Said, and
were smashed up at Santiago, they are not to
be regarded seriously And that Is all there Is
of the navy.
The thing TO dc now is to make clean Job
of ~ by destroying this miserable remnant.
down 70 the last tug- boat. Admiral Camara
n apparently returning to Spain. Our feet
should quickly meet him there, and show that
what II did at Manila and at Santiago, that
can 1t do at Cadlz or Cartagena. The end OF
49, wax. whenever It comex should see not n