The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-11

| that no enduring peace can he secured
until the Spanish Navy has been dG
! stroved, and it now appears that TO 40
| this our sailors must make up their mhdS
! to 60 after the Spaniards, n task very
much more difficult than that of meet
| ing them near our own shores. Ii was
suggested by some of the members of the
| War Board that there was just n posi-
| bility that the Spanish squadron might
make Il quick passage into the Paclbc
through the Suez Canal and attack
Dewey at Manila 1t is said that, con
trary to the common understanding, me
Suez Canal is open to the war shlpS ol
belligercnt powers, so that if the Spanish
choose to take this course. they wouiti
have a long start of any pursuing fleet
from our side of the Atlantic. 1t IS
scarcely believed however, that The
Spanish are willing to take the great
risk of exposing to our attack their own
home ports by the withdrawal of so con-
siderable portion of their naval
strength as would be required to over
match Dewey.
Nothing was heard from Sampson to-
day but there is an expectation that i'm
teresting news will be coming from lls
squadron within the next twenty-four
hours. Whether this means an attack
on Porto Rico or not cannot be learned.
One effect of the retreat of the Span
iSh fleet has been to hasten the prepara-
tions already under full Roadway for the
dispatching of military expeditions Go
Cuba. it also has caused Il complete
change in the concentration plans. Time
is now believed to he the great factor.
There is no longer opportunity to indulge
in extensive drilling and practice ma-
uoueycring The regular army troops
do not need these and are to be thrown
at once into the fray. Many Of the reg
iments Of the National Guards. which
are entering the volunteer service. are
felt TO be sufficiently trained from mill
tary point of view TO follow the regulars
immediately. and the department indi-
Gated its purpose to-day Of dspatching
these volunteer troops directly to the
Gulf coast for shipment instead of send
ing them to Chicamauga This disp0si-
tion WAS shown by the changes i'm tho
new orders issued to the troops. although
there vet may hc a return to the original
programme of concentration if the plans
show signs Of weakness as they develop
The Quartermaster General has already
gotten under charter twenty-SeYen mCr-
chant steamers for the Transportation nf
troops and roughly speaking. these should
carry about 10000 men Others are he
ing procured as rapidly as possible. The
plan of the War Department is to have
these vessels assemble at the different
Gulf ports. Tampa. Mobile. New Or.
leans and Galveston to take on troops
which will be sent there. The N.VA
Department is expected to furnish con
voys for these transports, which w0uld
he absolutely helpless against Spanish
attack. AT this point there arc signs
Of friction. First the transports will i,
obliged to await Admiral SIMPSONS re
turn in order to secure proper convoc
| and secondly the navy objects very ,lc
| cidedly to undertaking the task of con
yoying number of transports. 1t in
| Sists that To assure the safety or th5
convoy of the troops all of the trans
ports should be gathered in one apei
TO start from Tampa and the NAVY !,
likely to prevail in this.
Now that Major General Sewell h1,
been assigned to command this concen
| trati0n camp Mt Falls Church. prenoro.
tions are being rushed to put the ground,
| there into shape for the reception of thC
volunteers.
WAR SHIPS RETURN TO SPAIN
Washington, ID. c., May 1O.-Tbs
| State Department gives ont the follow
| ing.
Officially information has been re-
ceiyed that four Spanish cruisers onf
three torpedo boats destroyers have re
| turned TO Cadiz."