The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-04-21
PLANS FOR WAR
ARE BEING LAID
Believed That Actual HoSti|itieS
Will Begin Monday.
GENERAL WAR OF NATIONS
Is Feared and the Id = Attracting
Much Attention 1iDston.
PEACEFUL BIZ $ sjE OF HAVANA
S.-
slanco Has ;sjrder to Open Fire on
An, ican Ships.
Naval Officers Hope That Within One Houfl
After the Ultimatum to Spain Has Ex4
pired the White Squadron VIII
Set Sail For Cuban Waters.
Special Dispatch to The Age-Herald.
BY JAY II. DURHAM.

BY JAY II. DURHAM.
Washington, April 20.-The question now
is, what day will the war begin? That it
will not be opened before Monday is tho
talked of at this time is how long will
it last? 1t may be of short duration and
1t may run through year or more The
fear that it may become a general war
of nations is attracting much attention.
There is no telling where it will end. Ali
is speculation and now that war is GER.
tainty, calmer councils prevail and the
future commands more attention.
The main question is how it will be
conducted, and what will be the manner
of opening hostilities Naval officers are
hoping that when the ultimatum to Spain
expires, not an hour will be lost in get
ting their warships under way for Cuban
waters. Intimations are to the effect that
that is what is expected from them, and
the fleets are in readiness. The talk has
been mainly of what constitutes a peace
full blockade, and Of how long such a con-
dition might last
A Peaceful Blockade
Said one officer: II only know of one
peaceful blockade in the history of naval
warfare during this century, and that was
when the English fleet blockaded Greece 1t
was peaceful enough until the Turkish
ships appeared in those waters, and gave
the English vessels a lively engagement"
Something like this may happen off Ha-
vana. The shore batteries at Havana are
extensive and they have plenty of ammuni-
tion For weeks the men who man those
guns have been receiving instructions how
to handle them and have been engaged in
practice. month ago, when the Sagasta
ministry sent word to Blanco to prepare for
war, it was officially intimated in Havana
that this instruction carried with it discre-
ton to defending the city by aggressive
tactics in the use Of the means under his
control at that place, the Spanish naval au.
thorities had probably decided on the poll
Icy of risking them against the superior
force of the North Atlantic squadron.
Rianco Can Open Fire
Blanco, 1t is stated, has the power to open
fire on the first American warship which
appears in sight. If Spain rejects the ulti-
matnm and accepts war, he may think it
is the best way of defending Havana. It
will be entirely a question Of expediency il
anything is to be gained by more time; then
the shore batteries will remain quiet, while
the first stages of peaceful blockade are
entered upon by the American fleet. That
may open way for the surrender of the
city without even firing shell. But it
would be unsafe for Captain Sampson to
proceed under this assumption, and to ex-
pose the ships of his command to the dam
ger of such mistake.
1t Is at least an even probability that
when the fleet appears in Cuban waters the
shore batteries will be directed by Blanco
to open fire with a view of keeping them
from creeping too close to shore. A bom-
bardment of the city proper by the fleet
would not necessarily follow. because the
silencing of the two largest batteries might
be accomplished without single shell be-
ing dropped into the main portion of the
town. When the two great batteries are :
silenced Havana Is taken in naval sense.
though 1t may not be yielded by Blanco
until smaller batteries are reduced. The
population is not likely to suffer much IL
the bombardment merely consists in reducy
ing the batteries The hills offer refuge
and they lie close to Havana. The people
have been expecting to fee. They know tho
range of danger. and can be depended on
to get out of It. Quick action will be moro
merciful to them than long drawn out
peacefui blockade, with the suffering that
must come-srom shutting off food supplies.
IVY LEAF COAL. q per ton. Telephone