The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-04-19
2H

Y. R-"Thc Great Amanda of 1913
i an IMAGINATIVE anticipation Of history
not vet made. But the reader need not
regard If as altogether fanclful. be
cause the strange thing herein narrated
might actually occur. No less an an
thoritv than Rear Admiral GherardI,
after having the story submitted to INN,
says:
..The succession is a novel and strik-
inr one. and as Il dcrnier resort Tor de-
Tense would be worth consideration. The
use of vast quantities Of blazing OIL Ill
n place where Il strong current or toe
would carry it in Il desired direction, in
Il contracted channel, where vessels
could not get away, would probably be
disastrous to the most powerful fleet.
Rear Admiral Erben indorses this
statement. and Rear Admiral Luce has
already beea quoted as saying that fEe
plan afforded III excellent means OF pro
lection TO cities located rs are New
York and Philadelphia.
The work OF the diplomats was end
ed. More than four months had elapsed
since the destruction of Il United States
ship of war in Il Spanish Ilarbor. for
over Il month representatives OF the two
governments had been III Paris. engaged
in an attempt to settle by peaceful mean
the differences growing out Of that fate
flu, event. and the more recent occur
rences which had added to the long
existing bitterness between the two ma
tions. The American COMMISSIONER
had steadily pressed their claims for
full reputation for the injury upon their
nation. These demands had been met
lt most IhlnlDpntS nXclSnS and vague
promises from the representatives o.
Spain.
II was evident that the latter were
Defending on the policy OF delay which
had in the past been the chief reliance
of Spanish diplomacy. At last the at
tempt to reach a peaceful settlement
WIS seen TO be hopeless. On the morn
ing of June .. newspapers printed the
information that the representatives Of
the United States had quilted Paris for
London. They had presented Spain the
ultimatum that unless the government
ut Washington was informed within Il
week that its terms had been acced"d
10. peaceful relations between the two
nations would come to an end.
This news was received with Satisfac-
ton in the United States. The -Ameri-
can people. with more than ordinary pa
thence. had listened to the repeated
%plcadings of their leaders to wait. But
there WAS in every patriot heart Il stern
determination that the deaths of the
bluciackctS, who had persisted in the
turgid waters of Havana bay. should
not 20 u~navcngcd.
Now that every peaceful resource had
been exhausted the President and his
advisers felt that the only digniticd and
honorable course was to compel hy
armed force the PREPARATION which pa
tient negotiations had failed to ccurc
Had not this been their determination
they would have been driven to it by
the temper of the people, which would
brook no further delay. For four con
turtles Spain had tyranniZcd over some
part of the western continent. At last
she had attempted 20 bully the chief ma
ton Of that hemisphere. and its citizens
felt that the time had come to drive the
Spaniard forever from he new world.
Thc result of the expected hOstilit:cs
Was awaited with confidence by the
people of the United States. Thanks to
the timely warning of events. it had
been possible to prepare. iii Il measure.
at least. for the struggle. The land
forces of the country had been conccn-
tldtth 1T -1tldlitd. Nltlll SJEihIllG ilS-I
lance of tn" Spanish possessions in
Cuba. At ncy West Admiral Sicard
had collected Il fleet composed OF the
finest fighting vessels of the American
navy. III -ASiaetic waters Il smaller feet
was gathered ready to pouncc down upon
the Philippines ut the first announce
ment of war. Spain had three warsltirs
at Havana; the remainder of her fleet.
which. rs Il whole, was inferior to that
OF the United States. WAS on the other
side of the Atlantic. 1t seemed imposSi-
bic that She could strike Il single cffcc-
tive blow III the approaching contest.
One thing only married the serenity
with which the Americans viewed the
impending conflict. 1T was known that
Spain had been desperately seeking the
aid of other European powers. Now. it
was rumored that Franco. yielding to
the moneycd influence by which she
WIS dominated. and which. having made
large loans to Spain on the security Of
her Cuban revenues. was vitality inter
csted in the maintenance Of Spanish
power. had consented to an alliance.
his report WAS vchcmently denied by
the French minister Of Foreign affairs.
but 1t found color in the fact that the
French fleet WaS congregatcd at Tou-
ION, WUlIc most OF SPAN : aNa1lable war
vessels had assembled at Barcelona,
within Il days sail of the former place.
War with Spain might give no oc:a-l
sion for serious concern. At best she
could not muster more than 20 vessels
i'll fighting trim. But it would become
another and much more serious matter
for the United States if the second
naval power Of the world was to be an
raycd against her.
On June - the Spanish fleet sailed ont
of the Mediterranean. and it was an
nOunced that it had departed for Cuba.
On the next day it was followed by 30
battIcships and cruisers Of the French
navy. IN Paris the destination of this
fleet was announced to be the cruising
grounds off the western coast of Africa,
where, 1t waS said, certain cvolutionS
were to be held. 1t WAS denied that the
departure WAS i'll any way connected
with the sailing of the Spanish war
ships. But the two events were immc-
dia1ely joined in the opinion of the
world at large, and it WAS generally be-
lieycd THAT the French fleet also WAS
lnrfinnl for ('II,nn vrntnrS 49, ,.,r