The Republican., 1898-06-09
CAPE VERDE ISLANIk
Not Convenient Rendezvous fOs
the Spanish FIeet@of
Warships.

There has been much argument in
many places of the question:l Is it pos
si5le for Spain to conceal from this
country the movements of har fleet at
the Cape Verde islands? And has she
such control of the cable lineslas to ex-
ercise censorship over everything sent
from Cape Verde?
The Cape Verde islands lie Spff the
west coast of Africa, about 321 miles
from the mainland. They ta4e their
name from Cape Verde, which is the
extreme western point of the African
coast. These islands, as well as the set
tlement at Cape Verde, belong to the
French, with but few English-speaking
residents. The islands are rocky and
mountainous and with tropical yegeta-
ton. A great fishing industry is car
ried on there by the French, and COM
munication with the mainland is made
by small fishing boats and occasional
steamers. Some of the islands are also
used as coaling stations by the French
and for steamers in the West African
trade. They are dangerous for naviga-
tion of large vessels, and would be es-
pecially so to war vesseis sth -ae-st-
tempting to blockade or dislodge yes
sells lying inside the bays and reefs.
1t is not possible to obtain correct
cable advices from the Cape Verde is
lands direct, because all such communi-
cations have to be first conveyed by
boat, either a small sailing boat or
steamer, to Cape Verde, at which point
on the African coast the cable station
is located. The Western Cable & Tel
egraph company operates its line from
Cape Town, South Africa, to London,
via Lisbon and Paris. The submarine
cable is laid from Table Bay (Cape
TOWN. to Mossamedes, a point on the
west coast of Africa, thence direct
across the Gulf of Guinea to Cape Verde
lighthouse, thence on to Las Palmas
(Teneritfe), Madeira ana Lisbon.
Steamers of the Union and Castle
lines do not touch at these islands, but
going south they invariably make Cape
Verde light and signal their number
and destination, which is Immediately
cabled to London and Cape Town. No
doubt the Spanish authorities were in
constant communication with the feet
at Cape Verde islands and would have
established means for quick service
between the islands and the mainland,
but it is highly probable that, in the
absence of official information through
London, the advice of the sailing of the
Spanish fleet from Cape Verde was the
result of story circulated by some of
the French fishermen plying between
the islands and the mainland who
might have seen some of the boats at
practice and thought they were under
way for the westward.
Under the conditions that prevail it is
hardly likely that Spain would have
made the Cape Verde islands rendez-
vous for base of supplies, being in
the first place so far soEth af where
they would strike if coming westward,
thus increasing the distance from Cuba
by being in the widest parallels of
longitude
In the event of the Spanish end of the
cable being closed against information
to this government, it would be
simple matter to obtain correct infor-
nation regarding the Spanish feet at
the Cape Verde islands through Cape
Town via the Eastern Cable company's
system, which goes by way of Alden,
6uez canal and the Mediterranean sea.
The agents of the steamship lines from
England to Cape Town, located at Ma
deira and Teneriffe, would be able to
give accurate information about the
Spanish fleet, as they are necessarily
close in touch with the French and
Portuguese boatmen who ply between
those islands, and who are dependent
almost entirely on the steamship agents
for their living.
In view of the dangers to navigation
among those islands, it is to be hoped
our squadron will not be enticed across
The Atlantic in order to drive the Span
,sh fleet out. The Cape Verde islands
are dangerous and treacherous.-Cin
cinnati Commercial Tribune.