The age-herald., 1898-06-01
SCHLEY'S ATTACK
 WAS UNEXPECTED Washington Oilicialsss 7 sTsd He Would
 Await Arrbs g Troops. THE TIME s PREPARATION Is Now Past aA- Action Hill Take th,
 Place of Inactivity. COMMANDERS GIVEN LATITUDE The Board of Strategy is Beginning to Realize That Successful Battles Cannot Be Fought on Paper Thousands of Miles From Scene.

Washington, May s1.-The significant statement was made by cabinet officer after the regular Tuesday meeting of the cabinet today that no news had been re- ceived since Monday morning from Com-
 modore Schley and that now it was believed nothing would be received for two or three days at least. This is taken to mean that schley will probably await the arrival of troops before undertaking any active move on Santiago.
 It was plainly anticipated in some quar- ters that he might, through the procure ment of some information, centralize the strength of the enemy's position. make a bold attempt to enter the harbor of Sam tiago and destroy or capture the Spanish squadron. With the assistance of single
 regiment of regular United States troops. which 1t is believed is even now the way to his support, the officials are con- fident that the fleet can reduce the forts at the entrance to Santiago harbor and make untenable the position of the Spanish l squadron within Of course, this plan is
 based upon the theory that Cervera will not attempt to make his escape by q des-
 perate sortie at night. This movement of | Schley's is unquestionably in pursuance of the presidents policy to send a helping hand to the starving reconcentrados. The Spanish squadron might be kept within Santiago harbor until the end of the war
 without endangering an American life and because of its distance and isolation from
 Havana, Santiago city has little to attract
 military attack. But lying in the very
 midst of the insurgent section of the island
 the town would afford a splendid base for thp 6fcfribIIffon of to ha fa, a,,afli
 of the insurgents and to the reconcentra- dos who still drag out a miserable exist ence in the interior.
 For the time being interest Is removed from Washington and is centered with tho troops now advancing upon orders from
 here with our supplies.
 Now Time For Action
 The time of preparation has gone by and
 1t remains only for preparations to be car-
 ried into actual effect. A leading naval official pointed to his desk, which was clear of papers and documents and remarked | that all the preparatory details were now | well along, and that so far as the authori-
 ties here were concerned they had only | to wait for the execution of the prepara- l tions half matured. There will continue to
 be much routine detail in the maintenance l of the large military and naval forces, but l this is not in well established channels. | The more vital feature of the condition It. Stl1 ffde DetH luiy IndIurcQ. 10 0 cer(ain extent the military and naval operations will be directed from Washington. and with General Miles in the south and with Admiral Sampson and Commod rc Schley in Cuban waters they will have much to Go w.th the tiiEe and circumstances of at- tack.
 The commanders, military nn1 naval. | have Leen given wide latitude as the ati- | thorilies here fully appreciate that battles
 cannot be fought in advance on paper. All 1 that hae feen attempted Is to outline the csmpaign and make the fullest rro, isi,n | tor adn'Fis te forces. ample supplies and the fullest co-cperation between fle navy an1 ny in the successful execrtior tf this part of the programme the authori- ties here can take little part. It is noticea- ble that both Brazil and Japan go out of the way of the usual preamble to express retret at the outbreak of hostflities be- tween 'he United States and Spain Der nledua modifes her origti.ai proclamation ), April 2o. so as to make tn rule relative to supplying provisions, subsistence and c,al 10 nelligerent ships conform closely to t'c very severe Engiisa rules on that sut jcot. The Japanese Proclamation
 The Japanese proclamation is rather re- markable from the great exactness with which 1t prescrbes the rules that are to govern Japanese subjects in their dealings with the belligerents and the treatment that Will De accorded be1igerent ships. The proclamation evidently was prepared with great care and may serve a model for the guidance of diplomats of all nations. The board of naval bureau chiefs is trying to hasten the work of construction of the battleships authorized by the present naval.
 appropriation bill. The Illinois type, upon which the new vessels are to boacQnslruct- | ed. will occupy three years in>toH I3iction
 The bureau chiefs, presumably with knowi-
 edge of the constructive ability of the
 American ship yards capable of undertake
 ing this work, resolved to reduce the time
 allowed for building the new ships to q
 maximum of thrty-two months.
 The navy department bought another
 yacht today-the Inquirer-at New York
 for use in tine auxiliary fleet. by which the
 Mosquito fleet will be designated in accord
 ance with the terms of the recently enacted
 act on the subject. Other purchases arc in prospect. but the final selection of the
 dozen vessels to be purchased from the
 eligible list of over one hundred supplied
 by the examining board has not been
 n