Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-05-26
ACTIONS CRITICISED.
Some Discussion About the Doings
Of Admiral SIMPSONS Fleet.
SOLDIERS EXPECT TO EMBARK SOON.
Troops Around Tampa Waiting for the Or
der to Invade Cuba spanish statesmen
Want Peace-Ready to Anni-
hilHte the Enemy.

UVs W. A"vSsso NW-N Sf~.-~'
Want Peace-Ready to Ami
hIlHts the Enemy.
New YORK, May 2a "A Washington
dispatch says: News from Admiral
Sampson and Commodore Schley 10
looked for at the department every
hour, but no one at the department
appears to be able or willing TO say
where the news Is to come from. All
that can be positively ascertained
there Is that the United States fleets
are somewhere out OF Key West look
ing for Admiral Cervera and hoping
to come up with and fight him.
Whether 1t will be at Santiago, at
Cienfuegos or somewhere between
those points or at San Juan de Porto
Rico not the most speculative expert
will venture to say. Meantime
there Is some discussion among
naval officers about the actions OF
the fleet Of Admiral Sampson that
suggests spirit of criticism. Naval
officers who have the highest respect
for the men who are supposed to have
designed plan OF campaign for the
United States feet are only expressing
wonder that Admiral Sampson was
permitted to travel all the way from
San Juan to Key West, to consume a
great deal of coal, and then to coal
again merely to sail back over the
course he had just traversed. His per.
sonal inclination, 1t is believed, would
have led him to remain In the Wind
ward passage, holding position Of
great strategic advantage until the
scouts brought him news Of the enemy,
and many officers believed him to be
there after he had returned to Key
West
To the suggestion made to these Of.
flcers that the Washington authorities
did not know the Spanish feet was at
Martinique until Sampson was fairly
on his return trip, the unofficial strate-
gist answers that the navy depart
ment knew a week ago that Cervera
was at Curacao; that 1t had at its COM
mand two or three swift vessels that
could have stopped Sampson before he
had come half way on his return, and
that GOLFERS could have been provided
to take coal to him, and that he might
have thus been able to intercept the
Spanish fleet on Its way to Santiago
harbor. As it was, Admiral Sampson
left Key West the day the news was
received there from Washington that
Cervera had arrived. II the news of
SIMPSONS departure worked its way
to Blanco he probably sent it by wire
to Santiago the next day, and Admiral
Cervera was afforded chance to move
out and renew his explorations of the
Caribbean sea.
SOLDIERS EXPECT TO EMBARK SOON.
TAMPA, Fla, May ga condition
of almost ominous quiet, the calm be-
fore the storm, prevails around army
headquarters at Tampa and at Port
Tampa Even what little information
has been vouchsafed of late as to the
general work of preparing big army
for hard, bitter campaign in Cuba
has been almost wholly cut off and the
impression prevails that the end is not
far off and that the long weary weeks
of drilling In the blazing sun and the
sitting dust of southern Florida will
soon be but memory in the minds
Of those engaged In the more deadly
but almost welcome campaign
ing in Cuba. Every soldier in
Tampa, from the highest officer to the
raw recruit is watching with an in
terest almost painful in its intensity
for news from the fleets In the minds
of all Is the settled conviction that the
hour when news Of battle between
Sampson and Schley and Cervera is re-
ceived at Washington will mark the
time for issuance of orders to embark,
and that this is matter of few days
is not doubted. Perhaps it will be but
q few hours 1t is the belief at least
that the American commanders have
the clever Spanish admiral in posi-
ton where he cannot escape; where
his only recourse is to fight, and that
can result in but one thing-the de-
struction of another Spanish fleet.
SPANISH STATESMEN WANT PEACE.
LONDON, May IS. The Madrid corre-
spondent of the Daily News says:
Rumors as to the negotiations Of the powers
In favor OF peace are premature but RESPONSE
bic Spanish statesmen are prepared to seize
the first opportunity TO end the war, providing
II can be done on terms honorable to Spain.
Should neutral nation come forward
with an honorable arrangement. Its pro-
posals would be examined here In no i'm
practical spirit Of false pride II, therefore,
| America uOeS not lnslsu upon lmp0sslDle
humilations, there Is still possibility Of
peace. Marshal Martinez Campos, In the
course Of an interview, has said that the saliva
tlon Of the Philippines is In the hands Of the
natives themselves, and that much care ought
to be exercised to win them to our side" He
pooh-poohed the alarming rumors about En-
gland md Gibraltar The important thing, he
declared is that Admiral Cevera should be able
to divide the American squadron
READY TO ANNIHILATE THE ENEMY.
KEY WEST, Fla, May 25.-Every
preparation has been made by the
United States naval authorities for de-
stroying the Spanish fleet which is
known to be off the island of Cuba.
All signs point to a decisive battle
some day this week. The hospital
ship Solace and her surgeons were or
dered long ago to be ready for service
at a moments notice, but have no
fresh orders.