The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-05-09
A BRILLIANT CAMPAIGN.

very NdTtlhliN iOl SOiiC hih'N "hSoN
1t was no accident which found
formidable fleet rendezvoused at Mir
Bay near Hongkong, and ready to be
used with rapidly against Spain's
Eastern colony. The idea of striking
Spain in two vulnerable points at
once shows strategic ability of a high
order.
There were only two things for the
China squadron of ~the United States
to do One course was to withdraw
from the China Station and concen-
trate part about the Hawaiian Is
lands and part at the Coast, having
quick cruisers posted to give notice
of Spanish men of war coming into
the Eastern waters of the Pacific and
try to pick them off in detail, doing
the best possible to protect the COM
merce of these seas. The other course
was the one taken. 1t was boldly to
attack the Spanish feet in its own
waters, before it had time to think
of going to the Eastern Pacific and
so cripple it as to render it absolute
ly innocuous.
The first plan would have abandon
ed the American trade in the China
seas, however efficiently it may have
protected the Coast and it would also
have left the Southeast Pacific as an
easy cruising ground for the Don.
The second plan fulfills all that is de-
sired by the problem before the naval
strategists of the United States. y
successful attack upon the Spanish
fleet in Manila will protect the Chino
American trade, and it will effecvtual-
ly prevent any Spanish cruising III the
northeast or southeast portions of the
Pacific.
People with little knowledge of
the numbers of the respective fleets
think that the American squadron is
over-matched by the Spanish ships in
the Asiatic waters. But though in
numbers the Spanish are superior,
they are not superior in guns, and
their vessels are with two exceptions
completely obsolete. Mere numbers
have nothing to do with success in
battle. At st. Vincent the English
feet was out-numbered, so it was at
Trafalgar. The Elizabethan sailors
were out-numbered during that series
of running fights up channel in the
time of the Armada. Sir Richard
Granville was out-numbered when he
lay off the Azores in the little Re-
venge and with but one hundred sound
men in his crew, defied the feet of
fifty-three Spanish ships, but he ac-
counted for dozen vessels either
sunk or disabled before the Spaniards
got his ship. The Greeks were out
numbered at Marathon, Give at Pas
sy, Alexander at Arbela, and so on
Superior arms, superior skill in using
them, and the logged, bulldog cour-
age which we know the American sal
Tor POSSESSES by Inheritance, ships
that can be manoeSered rapidly with
greaterf speed than the Spanish ships,
will do for the United States squad
ron what it has ever done for the sons
of the sea.
Surprising, however, that by some
mischance the Spanish fleet was not
destroyed, even suppose that almost
impossible case of a Spanish victory,
it would be bought at such price
that victory would be useless. This
was the case when Nelson chased af-
ter the French feet in the Atlantic
and ended his career at Trafalgar. He
wanted to win a victory, but his OWL
letters and dispatches show that he
considered that he could win quite a,
much for his country by defeat, for tt
defeat him the French and Spanish
fleets would suffer such loss that il
would take two years before they
would be in position to take the Sc;
again.
Moreover the Spanish position in tb
Philippines is extremely precarious
Some years ago it had the advantag
of having the now notorious Weyla
as captain general. During the peri
or of his incumbency, out of saidr
of sixty thousand dollars, he mana5
ed to lay by three millions of dollars
Other captains general, and minor Oi
ficers, have followed in his footsteps
and it is no wonder that there is IA
tired deep and intense, against tn
Spaniard. Revolt after revolt hl
been crushed with cruelties unh elr
of outside of Spanish history. Tn
appearance of the American feet WI
be the signal for revolution to sprlnI