The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-13
the SPANISH FLEET.
IL Is Expected That It viii He Found in
Home Waters.


New York. May 12.-Although no ad-
ditionsl confirmation has been received
of the news from London that the
Spanish squadron which left the Cape
Verde islands two weeks ago had re-
turned to Cadiz. IL Is believed in gov
ernment circles that a cruise to Porto
Ricsn waters or Cuban waters was
never very seriously contemplated by
Admiral Villamil. says the Washing
ton correspondent of the Tribune. No
word has reached the navy department
from Acting Admiral Sampson since
the fleet under his command was sight
ed of the north coast of San Domingo.
but the failure Of any of the swift
scouting cruisers sent i'm advance TO
find any traces of the Spanish squad
ron and the non-appearance of the
Spanish men-of-war have almost con-
vinced 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
a home port.
As the capture of Porto Rico at this
time has been held by the president
and his advisers To be of little or no
strategic Importance. complicating in
stead OF simplifying the task OF reduc-
ing Havana and expelling the spanish
from cuba. IL has virtually decided. as
soon as the absence of the Cane VERDE
definitely established, To call To Cuba
the greater part of Acting Admiral
SIMPSONS fleet. Cable dispatches in
structing the American commander IL
make no attack at present on San
Juan. but To await further orders of
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 de-
mand for the services of the whole
Key West fleet before Havana. The
smaller men-of-war left behind by
Acting Admiral Sampson are compe-
tent to protect the passage of the land
ing expedition from Tampa and TO
cover the lodgment of the invading
army on the Cuban coast. But should
an effort be made to reduce the forti-
fications OF Havana from the water
side. the heavier fighting ships now off
Porto Rico would have 10 be called On
to undertake the bombardment. while
IL the Vizcaya, the Almirante Oquendo.
the Maria Teresa and the Cristobal
Colon should. after all. have passed
unnoticed into the Caribbean sea. and
should appear Unexpectedly OF the
west end of Cuba. the presence of the
full Key West fleet in that neighbor-
hood would be found impossible TO
beat OFF the assailants and maintain
landed.
There is no day set for the departures
of regulars from Tampa. yet IL would
create no surprise IL the troops were
detained on Florida soil a few days
longer. To take advantage OF the COM
parative lateness of the season. a
sharply directed campaign against
Havana is considered advisable. But
IL seems certain that the volunteers
who are 10 follow the regulars To
Cuba cannot b. assembled on the gulf
coast in fit condition for field work
within two weeks. So that the actual
operations in cuba will scarcely Be
possible before May % BY that time
all doubts Of the Spanish naval forces
will have been solved and Acting Ad-
miral SIMPSONS reunited feet can be
employed to cooperate with the
American land forces in pushing the
siege OF the Cuban capital.
No serious attention IL attached here
TO the suggestion that Spain will send
a fleet through the Suez canal TO at
tack Admiral Dewey's forces I'm the
Philippines. IL is considered unlikely
that the spanish government would
strip its home ports of adequate pro-
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