The San Francisco call., 1898-05-11
STAINS NAVY MUST
 BE ANNIHF ATED.
With This Accomplished It Is Be heved Enduring Peace Will
 Come

WASHINGTON, May 10-It is hard to tell whether the naval officers were relieved or disappointed by the news that came late this afternoon to both the Navy and State departments to the affect that the Spanish flying squadron had arrived at CadiZ, Spain. The safety Of the Oregon from attack is now con- pletely assured and the way is clear for military operations in Cuba, with out running the risk of having the oc- cupying arrny's line of communication cut off. On the other hand it is be- lieved that no enduring peace can be secured until the Spanish navy has been destroyed, and it now appears that to do this our sailors must make up their minds to go after the Span ish, task very much more difficult than that of meeting them near our own shores.
 It was suggested by some of the members of the War Board that there was just a possibility that the Spanish squadron might take quick passage into the Pacific through the Suez canal and attack Dewey at Manila. It is said that, contrary to the common un- derstanding, the Suez canal is open to the warships of belligerent powers and that if the Spanish choose to take this course they will have a long start of any pursuing fleet from our side of the Atlantic It is scarcely believed, however, that the Spanish are willing to take the great risk of exposing to our attack their own home ports by the withdrawal of so considerable proportion of their naval strength as would be required to overmatch Dewey.
 Nothing was heard from Sampson to- day, but there is a confident expecta- tion that interesting news will be com- ing from his squadron within the next twenty-four hours. Whether this means an attack on Porto Rico or not can not be learned.
 One effect of the retreat of the Span ish fleet has been to hasten even more the preparations already under full headway for the dispatching of mili- tary expeditions to Cuba It also has caused a complete change in the con- centration plans. Time is now be- lieved to be the great factor. There is no longer any opportunity to indulge in extensive drilling and practice ma neuvering. The regular army troops do not need these and are to be thrown at once into the fray.
 Many of the re0iments of the Ma tional Guard which are entering the volunteer service are felt to be suffi- ciently trained from a military point of view to follow the regulars immedi- ately, and the department indicated it's purpose to-day of dispatching these volunteer troops to the gulf coast for shipment instead of sending them to Chickamauga-
 This disposition was shown by the changes in the new orders issued to the troops, although there may be return to the original programme of concen- tration if the plans show signs of weak ness as they develop. The quartermas- ter general has already got under charter 27 merchant steamers for the transportation of the troops, and, roughly speaking. these should carry cured as rapidly as possible.
 The plan of the War Department is to have these vessels assemble at the different gulf ports, Tampa, Mobile, New Orleans and Galveston, to take on troops which will be sent there. The Navy Department is expected to fur nish conveys to the transports, which would be absolutely helpless against Spanish attack. At this point there are signs of friction. First the transports will be obliged to await Admiral Samp- sons return in order to secure proper nvoy, and secondly, the navy objects very decidedI,- to undertaking the task of conveying c number of transports It insists that to assure the safety of the convoy of the troops all the trans ports should be gathered in one fleet to start from Tampa, and the navy Is likely to prevail in this.
 Now that Major General Sewell has tration camp at Falls Church, prepara- grounds there into shape for the recep- of ha