The Portland daily press., 1898-04-27
FLEET MUST CROSS.
Spaniards Will Be Forced To Make
a Fight.
UPEcIAL TO TIE pREs.z

the hour now is: What is the Sn.,;st
fleet going to do? Can any government
allow Blapco to be shut in Havana with
out trying to relieve him? And if not
what form Will that relief take? Will
Spain strike at the fleet at Havana or trv
to distract 1t by attacking orr co.st9
That is the problem of our war and navy
There are some authorities
here who urge very strongly the isnmedi-
ate invasion of Cuba by large force hnt
serious objections are raised to this and
it is not contemplated in the present,nlans
The plan Of invasion, in fact, has not vet
been definitely decided upon. and tbe
President is still in consultation with the
Secretary of War, General Miles and Cen.
Schofield on the subject. The reason that
the President and Secretary OF War do
not intend an invasion at this ii me nv a.
large army, in addition to the danger
from disease, is that if the two Spanish
fleets, that at St. Vincent, Cape Verde,
and the Cadiz fleet, should join and pro-
coed at once to attack any of our ports or
to give battle to our fleets. it might re-
suit in cutting our army In Cuba off from
communication for time and suhjectine
it to practically blockade in Cuba, such
as Havana is now undergoing. If by any
mischance our fleet should suffer reverses,
large army in Cuba would be placed at
great disadvantage.
1t is regarded as desirable therefore that
military operations in Cuba should he
confidad chiefly to Gomez's forces until
the naval operations have led to som
definite result.
The department here. it is said, is left
largely to surmise for a conclusion as to
the course which will be pursued by the
Spanish navy. 1t is regarded as definite
ly settled that the Spanish feet at st.
Vincent Cape Verde islands, will not re-
main there and that the Cadiz feet is on
it's way either to form a junction with the
st. Vincent fleet at the Canaries or on an
independent expedition to our northern
coast, and our own vessels have been so
distributed as to meet either of these move
ments. 1t the two Spanish fleets are
Joined in an aggressive movement they
can be met, it is said, by the Hampton
Roads fleet and a large part of Simpsons
feet at any point toward which their
movments are directed.
A small part of SIMPSONS fleet could
maintain the blockade now established in
Cuba, if the entire Spanish fleet were be-
ing engaged by our feet so that they
could not attack the blockade. The in
depreciation put upon the movements of
the Minneapolis and Columbia in our
northern waters is that they are on She
lookout for the Cadiz fleet, should it pro
coed at once to American waters without
forming a junction with the fleet from st.
Vincent. If it should develop that TIL is
course has been followed by the Spanish
Sohley's feet from Hampton Roads would
be amply able to cope with them without
any assistance from SIMPSONS feet
which would remain to maintain the
blockade of Cuba to meet the Spanish
feet from St. Vincent should that start
to the relief of Blanco.
Neither Schley's fleet nor SIMPSONS
feet alone might be strong enough to
warrant their engaging the combined
Cadiz and st. Vincent. But should this
combined feet appear both our fleets
would probably be able to quickly unite
in an attack upon them without relieving
the blockade of Havana or Matanzas and
the belief is that the united force of
Schley and Sampson could sweep the
united Spanish fleet from the ocean.
If it is not the intention of Spain to
send her naval force against us it is ex-
pected that the war will continue for
some time without any very great amount
of military activity on the part of this
government
Our navy is anxious to meet the Spanish
feet and to make the first battle naval
battle.
If the blockade of Havana is continued
for some time and the military operations
on the island are confined to the Cubans,
Spain will be compelled to attempt the
relief of Blanoo by the use of her navy,
thereby having to brave naval engage.
mont in American waters, whereas if
Havana should fall speedily and the en-
tire island is captured by an invasion,
Blanco having to capitulate, Spain would
not then be under the pressing necessity
of sending her warships here, but could
engage in retaliatory operations making
predatory expeditions with her fleet and
keeping up the war for long time at
long range.
1t is only within day or SO it is said
that the department. has felt it to be
probable that the Spanish fleet would be
ordered to American waters, but it is
realized now that under the plan of cam
palgn we have adopted the Spanish navy
cannot be kept idle in port while Blanco
and his army are being subjected to the
lingering starvation of blockade without
the power to strike blow Mt our feet in
self defense.
Spain with her warships at St. Vincent
and Cadiz and her army helplessly block
AIDED in Cuba would be in an impossible
position and could not continue her navy
in an attitude of inaction. Meanwhile
the destruction of the small Spanish feet
at the Philippines and the capture of the
Philippine. islands by our Asiatic squad
ron is expected at an early date.