The herald., 1898-05-12
SAMPSON STILL SILENT
BUT WORD Is SENT TO Him TO
CONE HOME
THE ATTACK ON PORTO RICO
Will Be Postponed to Some Date Not
Yet Set When the Cables
Won't Work
Associated Press Special Wire

AooOcldtcu ITeSS Special WITe
NEW YORK, May 11.-Although no ad-
ditional confirmation has been received Of
the news from London that the Spanish
squadron which left the Cape Verde islands
two weeks ago had returned to Cadiz, the
belief has greatly strengthened in OFF,
cial circles tnat cruise to Porto Rican or
cuban waters was never very seriously
contemplated by Admiral Villamil, says
the Washington correspondent of the Tri-
bune. No word has reached the navy de-
partment from Acting Admiral Sampson
since the fleet under his command was
sighted off the north coast of San Domin-
go, but the failure of any of the swift
scouting cruisers sent in advance to dis
cover any traces of the Spanish squadron
and the non-appearance of the Spanish
men OF war at any of the usual coaling and
supply stations of the Windward group
has almost convinced the naval authorities
here that the Spanish commander has
thought discretion to be the better part Of
valor and has actually sought the refuge
of home port.
AS the capture of Porto Rico at this time
has been held by the president and his ad-
yisers to be Of little or no strategic i'm
portance, complicating instead of simply
flying the task of reducing Havana AMI
expelling the Spanish land forces from
Cuba, it has been virtually decided, as soon
as the absence of the Cape Verde squadron
from West Indian waters is definitely es-
tabilshed, to recall to Cuba the greater
part of Acting Admiral SIMPSONS fleet.
Gable dispatches instructing the American
commander to make no attack at present
on San Juan, but to await further orders
off Porto Rico have been sent to the vari-
GUS cable stations in the Windward group
and will doubtless be delivered within the
next day or two.
There is of course, no immediate demand
for the services of the whole Key West
fleet before Havana. The smaller men-of-
war left behind by Acting Admiral Samp-
son are competent to protect the passage of
the landing expedition from Tampa and to
cover the lodgment of the invading army
on the Cuban coast. But should an effort
to reduce the fortifications Of Havana
from the water side be thought necessary,
the heavier fighting ships now Off Porto
Rico would have to be called to undertake
the bombardment; while If the Vizcaya, the
Almirante Oquendo, the Maria Theresa
and the Cristobal Colon should, after all.
have passed unnoticed into the Caribbean
sea and should appear unexpectedly off the
east end of Cuba, the presence of the full
Key West fleet in that neighborhood would
be found Indispensable to beat off the as
sailants and maintain communication with
the American forces already landed.
Though Monday is the date now set for
the departure of the first division of regu-
lars from Tampa, 1t would create no sur
prise If the troops were detained on Florid;.
soil a few days longer. To take advantage
of the comparative dryness of the season
sharply directed campaign against Ha-
yana Is considered advisable. But it seems
certain that the volunteers who are to fol-
low the regulars to Cuba cannot be assem-
bled on the gulf coast in fit condition for
field work within the next two weeks, SO
that actual operations in Cuba will scarcely
be possible before May 25th. By that time,
too, all doubts about the disposition of tine
Spanish naval forces will have been solved
and Acting Admiral SIMPSONS reunited
fleet can be employed to cooperate with
the American land forces in pushing the
siege of the Cuban capital.
No serious weight is attached here to the
suggestion that Spain will send a fleet
through the Suez canal to attack Admiral
Dewey's forces in the Philippines. 1t Is
considered unlikely that the Spanish gov
ernment would strip it's home ports of ade-
quate protection in order to undertake the
reconquest of distant colony, which could
be held only at the sacrifice of national in
terests in every other quarter of the world.
Moreover, with government and cabinet
engrossed in a struggle for political exist
'ence at home. Spain is scarcely in posi-
tion to pursue for the present any but de-
fensive and negative naval and military
program.