Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-23
What Is SPANS War Policy!

unteers, what is Spain going to do
about it? What will be her plan Of
campaign? What policy of resistance
will she adopt to meet our determine
ton to end her power in Cuba? These
are questions generally asked now, and
they are answered in almost as many
different ways as there are answerers
1t is the great puzzle of the day. Our
government would no doubt like co..
rect answer 1t is by no means certain
that Spain herself knows the solution
of the problem.
There are many things which Spain
can do-though there are more which
she cannot do-and in considering what
her course will be. now that war is
really under way by her own act. on"
surmise is as good as another until
actual events show the truth. Spain
has. on paper. a large and strong army
in Cuba. viii she leave it there to
make what resistance it can to the
hunger which the blockade will cause
and to the assaults which our invading
army will give it. aided by the lnsur-
gents, and then haul down the Spanish
flag and abandon the island? That
would satisfy her honor. She realizes
that Cuba is lost to her and by making
a show at resisting the inevitable per
haps the home government hopes To
save itself. 1t would be maddest folly
for her to attempt to send more troops
to Cuba or supplies for those now
there, while our fleet is maintaining
blockade VIII she, therefore. try to
save Cuba and defeat our ends ny
sending over her fleet to do battle with
ours? She has now no war vessels
nearer than the Cape de Verde islands
and Cadiz. Her fleet would be no
match for ours, and it would find itself
without a coal supply when it arrived,
and with its vessels in poor condition
for action, especially the torpedo boats.
1t would seem like a suicidal policy for
Spain to send her navy against ours.
She might do US severe injury, but in
striking the blow she would lose every
thing. both Cuba and her navy, for
there could be no doubt of the final
result of a naval warfare.
If Spain does not send her fleet
against ours, what will she do with it
viii she keep it on the safe side of the
Atlantic, or will she make some UNI
expected move against our coast, hop
ing to do some injury at an unprotected
point and draw our fleet from gull
waters so that she may have an oppor-
tunity, however remote. to recover her
base of supplies? Will she try to in
tercept our battleship, the Oregon. now
on its way around Cape Horn to join
the Atlantic squadron? Will she aban-
don Cuba, after whatever resistance
her army there can make, and try to
carry on a desultory warfare of re-
venge by harassing our commerce and
making unexpected dashes at our
coast either Atlantic or Pacific, and
then at Cuba whenever our fleet leaves
gulf waters?
Such war would be hard to termi-
nate unless our fleet crossed the ocean
and either totally destroyed the Span
40
coast and commerce of Spain until she
was compelled to beg for peace. We
what Spain will do. Who can answer
| them?
The problem of a coal supply will be
| most serious one for Spain if she at
! tempts to use her naval strength in our
| waters. Her coal at Porto Rico ought
| to be as effectively out of her reach, If
our navy is prompt, as that at Havana
while the Atlantic squadron lies off the
harbor. If Spain waits until our in
vading army is in Cuba and then sends
her fleet against ours and for time
| succeeds in shutting off cOmmunca-
! ton. it will make the situation critical
for our army. Many hold the idea that
no Spanish war vessels will cross the
ocean, and that having made show of
resistance in Cuba, Spain will end the
war and get out of it as cheaply as
| possible by giving up Cuba and paying
the costs of her conviction. Others
firmly believe that great war is be-
fore us, and that Spanish pride and
| arrogance will drive that nation to
fight desperately, and to risk every
thing on one great naval battle; and
then when defeated to drag along the
conflict by hap-hazard warfare of the
piratical sort characteristic of Spain,
hoping to find revenge in petty injur-
les to us and in interrupting our COM
merce and business.
So much for surmiSes. What they are
worth only time can show. Any war is
bad enough, and it is much easier to
begin war than to end it. Now that
1rn.. lAt L..