The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-02
In Case of War.

There would be just one chance for
Spain. and this suggestion has received
a good deal of attention from those OF our
military authorities who live to work out
all the theories in advance of any real
menace of war and far and away ahead OF
war itself, writes Walter Wellman from
Washington. This chance would be IL a
descent in force upon New York or some
other Of our great cities. working frightful
destruction there before our fleets could
be assembled for the defense.
If the unexpected happens and war does
come New York will probably be the chief
sufferer. She might easily suffer loss by
bombardment running into the hundreds
of millions of dollars. II in this cataclysm
of brick and mortar and earthquake
among tall buildings a few yellow sheets
were wiped out of existence the disaster
would not be without its compensations-
According to the plan of campaign map
ped out by our experts-who are ever fond
of these paper battles-our first move
would be TO take possession of Havana
and other Cuban ports. Probably this
would be easy. Havana's defenses, I am
told, are antique and i'll provided with
munitions The famous MORO Castle is
a sham. The modern guns there are few
ed with torpedoes so that it would be
imprudent for our ships to enter the chan
nels, it happens fortunately that this
would not be necessary. Our naval in
telligence Office has ascertained that three
or four of our ships could anchor out
side the harbor and pour shell into the
town.
1t is believed by some of our best au-
thorities that Spain would make no seri-
Gus effort to defend Havana. They say
she would realize from the outset that
Cuba was lost the moment gun was
fired, and she would abandon the desc
late and starving colony to Its fate.
But supposing the Spanish fleets were
to assemble at an appointed rendezvous
in the ocean and there receive orders to
descend in force upon an American city
selected by the government at Madrid.
Spain would have the advantage of choos-
ing her point of attack, while we should
not know what that was till the hulls
Of the enemy's ships doomed in the offing
and the big guns began TO crack. The
navy department has prepared it's plans
for defense. A certain number of ships
are to be stationed at each of the large
cities. But these ships would be over
powered by the Spanish fleet, and before
age would be done.
A high naval authority assures me that
if war does come-which is a mere specu-
lation in futures-New York City is very
likely to be bombarded He says the half
dozen armored cruisers of the Spanish
fleet could anchor off Coney Island, and
with their thirty centimeter, or thirteen
inch guns pour melinite or explosive sheels
into lower Broadway and Wall street. a
few hours of this sort of amusement, for
which the yellow journals are clamoring
might cause loss of $500, 900, 600 TO Goth
am.
1t is true that the Spanish would not
have things all their own way. They would
surely suffer some damage We have bat
teries of twelve-inch guns al Sandy Hook
and others a Fort Hamilton. We might
sink a cruiser or two, and such ships
as we had upon the scene would be likely
to give a good account of themselves. But
on account of the concentration of their
force the Spanish would have the best
of it, and a few cruisers wrecked or dam
aged would not compensate for a city
knocked to pieces.
1t is doubtful, too, if the capture of
Havana, Cienfuegos, Santiago and Matan-
zas by our fleets would be sufficient COM
pensation for the destruction of lower
New York. 1t is certain the owners of the
tall buildings along lower Broadway
would not think so. Yet an abandonment
of Cuba to its fate and a grand rush for
New York is more than likely to be the
Spanish programme in case of hostilities
Americans who suppose Spain is an in
significant antagonist are foolishIy opti-
mistic. l am assured that our navy de-
partment people have cast all this up
They have reckOned tonnage, guns, armor,
torpedo boats speed of ships, and every
other factor, and have come to the con-
cluson that Spain's navy is very nearly
the equal of ours.