Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-12
The Retreat Of the Spanish Fleet.

gallant bluejackets Not for the
present. at least, will they have the
coveted opportunity of emulating in
the Atlantic the wcrthy example set
by Dewey and his Yankee tars in the
Pacific. That terrible Spanish arma-
da which has for many weeks been
reported with unfailing regularity
each day as being off the North At
lantic coast, at Porto Rico, in the
the Philippines, has finally turned up
at the home port of Cadiz, thousands
ton by Yankee guns. The Spanish
government had announced with its
ing westward to strike us "one grand
glorious blow 1t had made its own
this side we had hoped it to be true.
fer the arrival OF the Spanish fleet in
gulf waters would be at once followed
by its overwhelming defeat or de-
struction, and the end of the war
would be in sight.
But Spain evidently has some other
use for its Atlantic fleet than to have
it shattered and sunk as its Pacific
fleet has been, so instead of steaming
westward when it left Cape Verde it
hurried back home, and its grand,
glorious blow" al the American coast
and fleet suffers an indefinite postpone
ment. Spain will no doubt continue
to blow with its mouth. however.
While the world can only regard the
poor nation with increased derision
after this new acknowledgment of it's
weakness. Both in Washington and
on Admiral SIMPSONS fleet there is
genuine disappointment that the eX
pected naval battle off Porto Rico is
not a probability of the present. 1t
was hoped and almost expected that
the Spanish fleet which so mysteri-
ously disappeared after leaving Cape
Verde would appear at Porto Rico.
Had it crossed the ocean certain de-
feat or destruction awaited it and
Spain must have sued for peace at
once.
With the Spanish fleet in its home
harbor and no reason to expect it to
leave there soon the United States is
left with a clear field for action. The
ridiculous bugaboo of an attack on
the New England coast vanishes into
thin air and the most timid of our
shore patriots can now sleep soundly
at night The oregon need no longer
he worried about, and its arrival will
add .0'e to the strength of our line
of battle. Troops will now be rushed
into Cuba to operate with the fleet in
the speedy capture of Havana and
the expulsion of Spanish forces from
the island. When Admiral Sampson
discovers that the hostile squadron
which he has sought is on the other
side of the Atlantic he will probably
proceed at once to attack and CAPTURE
the fortified Porto Rican port of San
Juan, as Admiral Dewey seized Ma
Mia. The moment this is done. there
veil at NO, h,r
sand miles of New York or Boston
where Spanish ship can procure a
pound of coal or bread or a single
charge Of ammunition to use in car
rying war against the eastern coast OF
the United States.
Perhaps the Spanish fleet now mob
lized at CadiZ will yet cross the ocean
to get in that grand, glorious blow"
but it cannot be done for a number of
weeks yet at the earliest, and in the
meantime it will lose it's only Ameri-
can base of supplies. Cuba will be
| occupied by our army. and our coast
and our fleet will be even better pre-
| pared than now to receive the Yisi-
| tors. It is more likely that if we ever
have the satisfaction of engaging the
| Spanish fleet in battle our fleet will
have to go to Spain for that purpose
and it is sincerely to be hoped that
Spain can be brought to her senses
and the war closed without this being
| made necessary. In the meantime.
hold the Philippines, capture Porto
Rico. and on to Havana by land and
sea.
rIhH recr1it Il ia, NJ.