New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-02
THE NEWS FROM SANTIAGO.

Rumors from Santiago de Cuba are abun-
dant and contradictory They have long had a
habit of being so. There was for a week about
rs much guessing. not TO say lying, about Ger
vera's presence at that port as there has been
about any detail of the whole war, and that Is
saving a good deal At this time there Is no
doubt that Ce-vera is In that harbor and that
Schley is holding him In, unless, indeed, Schley
has gone In and smashed the Spanish feet. II
Is upon the latter possibility that present specu-
lation turns and news inventors exercise their
versatility Within the last tweny-four hours
almost every conceivable occurrence has been
reported yet at this moment nothing is actually
known more than was known three days ago.
Any hour may bring authentic news from the
American commander. Until II comes, the
puhI'- must possess their souls in patience and
IN confidence that everything is all right.
The most significant thing in the whole mass
Of rumors 1, the fact that the ruinors are OF
Spanish origin They come from Santiago, -
from Havana. by way Of cable which APP
pears to have escaped the attacks Of our cable
cutting expedition. That such cable remains
In use Is declared by cable managers in this
city, so we must regretf ally accept 1t as true
The Spanish story Is that our feet attacked the
Spanish feet and forts and inflicted serious
damage upon the latter. with apparently some
damage to itself 1t is not probable that the
Spanish would send out story so seriously re-
Aectlng upon themselves unless there was some
truth In It. and unless It was intended as
gentle breaking Of still more disastrous truths
That Is the explanation Of the extraordinary
tales they at first sent out from Manila Now,
II they are acting IN the same way at Santiago
we may presently hear some startling facts
For, as the news sent from Manila Is to the
news sent from Santiago, so should the Amer
lean victory at Manila be to the American
victory Mt Santiago That Is to say Commo-
dore Schley ought to have destroyed all the
forts at Santiago, captured or destroyed all the
ships and taken full possession of the city.
1t may be that no such thing has occurred. II
may be that the Spanish have told the truth or
that they have published a more fragrant fab
ricatfOn than usual. 1t would be idle to place
the slightest dependence upon their tales Pres
entity we shah hear something direct from Com
modore Schley. Then we shall know what has
happened And 1t is not likely that we shall
know until then Nor Is there any reason for
complaining II the news does not come from
him or Is not dIvulged by the Washington Gov
eminent as promptly as curiosity or natural IN
terest would like. Schley's business Is to fight
Spaniards, not to report news. The business
Of the Government Is to conduct this war in the
most effective manner possible, not to publish
histories Of II. There Is no paper In the land
more DESTROYS Of giving its readers all real
news at the earliest possible moment than Is
The Tribune, and there is no paper that is
doing 90 more successfully. But we would
rather wait day or two for the news. and
E~ep our readers waiting. than have the Gov