The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-05-28
TPIO[ Of EXPECTATION.
Washington Agog with Rumors OF
Battles Fought by Our Squad
rons in West Indian Waters.
The WISH WAS FATHERTO The THOUGHT.
No Authentic News of a Fight Anywhere
but The Universal Anticipation of an
Engagement Both Started the Will
Rumors and Gave Them Popular Gro
dence.

dence.
WASHINGTON, May 25.-There was Il
Washington yesterday after u wees ot
comparative quietude. The rumors
ranged all the way from the capture
of the little Mangrove, with Il crew al
Is men, to the reported destruction OF
the entire Spanish feet by SIMPSONS
and Schley's combined forces. They
were circulated with persistency, not.
withstanding their denial as soon as
they could be brought to the atten.
ton of anyone capable of passing
Judgment on their accuracy. As the
day rolled along the officials them
selves became apprehensive, as was
shown by the frequency with which
they called for the latest newspaper
bulletins. AT the close of the day
however, it was again announced in
the most positive manner that the
navy department had no Information
to warrant the report of any sort OF
engagement in the Windward passage.
This did not specifically cover the
waters of the West Indies, but in view
of the fact hat the department has al
most pledged itself to let the public
know of anything in the nature of a
general engagement, possibly the bull
letin announcement is sufficient to
cover the case.
When Secretary Long started for
home, after an exceptionally busy day,
he stated to a group of newspaper men
that the department had received no
information of Importance. In re-
sponse to an inquiry as to where the
Spanish fleet vas located, Mr.. Long
replied that his belief was that it was
still at Santiago de Cuba. Concerning
the reported capture of the Mangrose
and the loss of other ships, the secre-
tary dismissed these stories as purely
~cOnjectural, and not supported by
facts. Word had come from the conf
mander of the Mangrove since the
that the ship could not have been in
the hands of the Spanish.
Mr.. Long paid a handsome tribute TO
the war board. and stated that there
was no purpose whatever of changing
the present system whereby this board
co-operates with him in giving every
possible assistance, and advice, mainly
in the way of information, to the adj
mirals in command. The Office of the
war board, the secretary pointed out,
was not to fight battles; that was eX-
clusively the province of the squadron
commanders. The board acted merely
in an advisory way, and at no time had
assumed executive functions.
The Spaniards appear to be making
ready for something more than a de-
fensive campaign at home, or at least
they are trying to create that impress
sion by other means than news bulle-
tins hat issue almost daily from Mad
rid. The navy department now has
through it's own reliable sources, re-
ports of the greatest activity, in the
Spanish navy yards and of the prepare
ton for sea and for a long voyage OF
two of the torpedo-boat d~estroyers. 1t
is given out that they are to join Ger.
vera Immediately when his squadron
enters Cadiz harbor.
The cutting of the cables at Santiago
and San Juan de Porto Rico, as re-
ported yesterday, was a military move
of the first Importance. Blanco has yet
one link left of communication with
the outer world, but the Spanish COM
mander at San Juan now finds him.
self totally in the dark as to condi-
49,, - CrnI, nv ~ Cnha yyhiio
the value of that port as a place
of refuge for the Spanish flying squad
ron is materially diminished. 1t is
safe to say that the remaining cable to
Santiago will be cut soon, like the
others, so that if Cervera is misguided
enough to have entered Santiago har-
Dor he will be completely out of touch
with his home government on the IL
hand, and equally unable to communi-
cate with Blanco at the other end OF
the island.
The Philippines expedition is now off
in dead earnest. The sending of these
ships will affect the Hawaiian question
vitality. Like the Charleston, the
transports must stop at Hawaii to re-
plenish their coal bunkers from the
great heaps of coal that ConsIl-Gen-
eral Howels had been piling up for
months past. If the Hawaiians let us
take this coal without the preteXt
hat we are using it to make our
way to our nearest home port, a 8
is required by international law in
such cases, they will stand convicted
Of a GROSS breach of neutrality that in
the eyes of the law of nations allies
them with the United States in hostil-
ity t. Spain. The taking of coal by
the American ships at Hawaii to make
an extensive campaign against the
Spanish possessions, it is believed here,
will result in compelling the United
States either to assume a protectorate
over the islands or to annex them.
DANck u TEATuEDC