Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-05-14

They Decline TO right Sahnpsoh anu
Reach the south Coast of CubG-ships
on the blockade Not Strong Enough
to Fight and Too Slow to Get Away.
WASHINGTON, May IA complete
change has taken place in the offensive
plans of our government. The receipt
of the news from Sampson of his at
tack on the forts at San Juan and the
news of the actual presence OF the
Spanish flying squadron off Martinique,
only 500 miles away from Sampson, and
less than / 1000 miles from Havana,
caused the dispatch Of the flying squad
ron under Commodore Schley and the
delay of the army invasion of Cuba.
Tt is to the navy that the government
again looks for q battle that may end
the conflict The news of the Spanish
fleet revealed at once the possibility OF
a quick move on the part of the Span
ish fleet that would cut the line of com
municatlon by water between Cuba and
Kew West, exposing to great peril any
American landing force that might be
caught between a superior Spanish
army in Cuba and the sea patrolled by
Spanish cruisers.
1t became, therefore, necessary to de-
fer the departure of the military expe-
dition from Florida until the Spanish
fleet is met and crushed or driven from
West Indian waters. Orders flew quick
and fast from both the war and navy
departments The first checked the
movement ON Florida setting III from
all parts of the country and diverted
the troops toward the concentration
camp at Chiokamauga. The navy de-
partment wired Sampson information
of the approach of the Spanish fleet
ard directions what to do, and another
order flashed to Schley, who has been
eating out his heart at Hampton Roads
in his eagerness to get into the fray, to
start with his vessels at the earliest pos
sible moment.
The commodore took no chance of a
cancellation of these highly desirable
orders, but soon had put himself beyond
the reach Of any Geographic recall.
What is expected of him cannot be dis
closed at the navy department and nat
urally is purely matter Of conjecture.
Simpsons fleet is strong enough un-
aided to overcome the Spanish flying
squadron if he can ever catch it out of
the reach of Notifications His feet
however, is lacking in speed, as COM
pared to the Spanish vessels, and CO.
operation on the part of our flying
squadron would add very much to the
chance of cornering the Spaniards and
forcing the fight, which is believed to
be necessary to the success of the Cuban
campaign as now planned Some one
suggested at the navy department that
the Spanish fleet when last heard from
was at a point not very much more dis
tant from the great cities of the Allan
tic seaport than from Havan, but if the
Spanish admiral contemplates move
ment in the former direction he prob
ably will run full into Schley, who will
have his scouts well out in advance
when he moves southwark.
Much regret is expressed among naval
officers at the delays experienced in
communicating with Sampson, and it is
not to be learned yet at the navy depart
ment whether the admiral has actually
received, up to this moment, the inn
portant advices as to the movements of
the Spanish fleet that have been dis
patched to him. Doubt on this score is
founded on the experience the depart
ment has had already with the cables
received from the West Indies. 1t was
stated positively that no word had come
from Admiral Sampson save the one
telegram sent out regarding the attack
on the forts at San Jnan. 1t can be
stated that there is good ground for the
belief that the admiral has achieved all
that was expected of him or that was
necessary to carry out the plans of the
strategy board.
The purpose was to destroy Jan Juan
as fortified base that might form a
harbor of refuge for the Spanish fleet
and according to the admirals report
this has been practically accomplished.
1t was neither necessary nor material
that San Juan itself be occupied, all
that was essential being that the Span
ish fleet should find no more protection
there than it would in any harbor with
/ out substantial defenses and if the
Spanish flying squadron should have
the temer1ty now to enter San Juan
harbor they will fall easy victims to
SIMPSONS battleships and monitors.
Considerable speculation has been in
dulged IN the navy department as to the
prospects OF sea fight between Ad-
| miral SIMPSONS squadron and the
| Spanish Cape Verde fleet. 1t is believed
that he will be able to intercept them
should they make dash for Cuba, but
II they should get past his vessels they
would make it warm for our ships
Dn blockade duty off Cienfuegos, on the
sonth coast. They could not stand for