The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-12-23
CALIFORNIA FIG SYRUP co.
SAN ERAkoisoo. Cal
LeuisViLLK. NJ. sEw YonE. NJ
SPANISH WAR COULD
NOT Dg AVOIDED,
orioih Dispatches and Commands SHOW.
Ing That lIoa,llIues wero Looked
for A. Early as January.

wASiliNGroN. Dec. q -Dcnpilo the
vigorous donialha Hnde At tho time II 10
now mater of public record that pfssi.
dent AoKinieys administration Beoarne
convinced al least aA lons aEo as tho nrst
day OF January that war with spain was
probable, u not Inevitable.
oficlai dispatches have jual been made
pubiig which establish this fact com.
plstely.
In January Admiral Srlffidge waa IN
command ~ tho European station. ana on
January II. isis no VIA Instructed 10 rc.
tain hts sailors In apliu of tho expiration
OF enlistment Five days later tho gun
bOas Helena. at Funch.d. Madeira. which
had been ordered TO tho AHia,iu station.
IcceiVod oriorr marked "secfei and con.
ndenslal' TO delay ilH departure and the
noSI day II Was ordered TO I.labon. a.
the same limo Captain Chester. In com
manh u tha aouth Atlantic squadron. Fe-
coivud confidential dispatch directing
him 10 announce nnfiiclally that the
cruisers Cincinnati and CaAune would 80
70 thu Northern station for dr.. rx.
oraisc, ihah proceed 90 Para. ilraai.
day. wlAuh was January Il. tho Whining
ton al oua,aioupv. resolved instructions
oanceliihs ilA orders 10 SO Go S1uih Amer.
tca. and retaining Il Ia the windwafd
islands without touching at Spanish ports,
co amodtru Dewey. at Yokohama, as
early aa January J! was lnHtructcd to
disregard cnllsamct4a and Keep hls All.
orn. Tho Maine was blown up February
10 10 days later 1hroduro Roosevelt sent
la Dewey the Hrst warllke dispatch Of
tho administration. which read;
"aecrv, and confidential order 10,
squadroa except Monooacy, to iiougkonS.
krsrD full OF coal, In tho event Of dcc.
laratlon u war with spain Your duty will
DO to zea that tho spanish squadron oosa
not leave thu Aulatlc coast and then be.
Ein oIensiyu Opera tons IN tho philippine
islands. Keep olympia until ur,hcr or
dora
The Mon0cary Naa practically uaclvsS
and tha Olympia was under orders 10
return home Tho day after Rooaevclrs
stirring dispatch to Dewey, Secretary
Long sent dispatches TO Chester. In the
Barl,adorca. Miller ~ Honolulu: Howell
at Lisbon Dewey at uongkong and 81
card at key West all OF which rc"..
significantly;
"K cop full of ooal-tho best that can
DO had" March l. ak weeks before the
declaration of war In ordering the Brook.
lyn 10 Hampton Roads to leave tho nylnE
squadron, Secretary Tracey used the un'
usual expression.
"Tho situation Ia getting worse. AprIi
Z, u llttlu over two weeks before the
declaration OF war, Ccmmodore pcwty
was cabled.
land all wood work. Hrotcs etc.
IN not considered necessary io have for
opcrntion"-an oric' which, OF course.
contemplated nothing less than an attack
on tho Philippines. Three days before
that Admiral sampson. ~ Key West,
had boon instructed Go bo ready at any
time 10 take possession OF tho kcy West
cable Office, and assigned an officer TO
stop tho transmission 10 Cuba OF any
telegram relating TO the action Of the
president or congress These official dis
patches show clearly THAI war was In.
cviuahle.