Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-06-28

ilarly defined with detailed information
to approaches, channels. depth of water,
batteries, etc. With this full information
AT hand. the nature of the assault upon the
coast of Spain will be pretty well outlined
before the American squadron sails. AT the
same time. much will be left to the COM
mander-in-chief of this squadron. Some
naval authorities believe that the Canary
islands will be the first point of attack,
and that the next move will be to establish
naval base at Ceuta, point on the At
rican coast, owned by Spain. and opposite
Gibraltar. With this base our ships would
be within easy striking distance of the long
stretch of Spanish coast
Decision Not n Hasty One.
The decision of the administration TO send
a squad of warships to Spain was not made
hastily. For the past six weeks the matter
has been under consideration, and strong
element well acquainted with the practice
of the Spanish government of keeping the
great mass of the public ignorant of the
actual state of affairs has contended that
the only method of bringing the war home
TO the people of Spain would be to send
an American squadron there to harass
the coast, cut off shipping and lombard
fortified towns. The purpose was to bring
the Spanish people to a realizing sense of
the hopelessness of continuing the present
struggle.
Since the departure Of the Cadiz fleet for
the Philippines, there is another object i'll
view In addition to the first. This Is TO
destroy or capture this Cadiz fleet by bold
stroke. and then to take up the work OF
barassing the Spanish at home. providing
that blow does not suffice to bring about
peace. The United States consul at Port
Said has reported to the state department
that. in obedience to its injunction, he had
lodged protest against the supply of coal
there for the Spanish squadron. 1t is true
the failure to obtain coal at Port Said
would not, in itself, prevent the Spanish
vessels from passing through the; canal
and continuing on their way 10 the Philip
pines, for they. have with them one or more
colliers. But the coal carried by these col
liers would be absolutely essential to the
vessels of the squadron long before they
had crossed the Arabian sea.
Trouble for CamaHa's Fleet.
Under the British neutrality laws. the
ships could take coal only once at Brit
ish port under any circumstances, and,
all of the coaling stations after passing
the Suez canal being British possessions,
the Spanish supply would be exhausted
long before the end of the voyage was
&c a1S q c
to whether Camara's squadron could take
coal initialIy at any British port until
they had crossed the half way line between
Spain and the Philippines, as the Brit
ish law declares that they could only take
coal enough to carry them to the nearest
home port, and the Philippines would not
be such a port until the half way line is
crossed.
To add to the embarrassment of Can,ara,
there is good reason to believe that the
canal management will obstruct his pas
sage on the ground of interference with
navigation. Thus there is every prospect
that, from one or another of these reasons,
the Cadiz feet will be detained indefinite
ly at the Mediterranean sea, which is
. S'~
of some speedy vessels as advance guards
it may be possible for Commodore Watson
to reach the straits of Gibraltar some
time before Camafa's slow-moving feet
could get there, returning from Port Said.
Reinforced by ironclads, Watson would
have the Spaniards bottled up in the Medit-
erranean. This is a large bottle, it is true,
but it is believed by the naval officials
that Camara could be hunted down as sue
cessfuIly as was Cervera with his flying
squadron. Operating in a sea surround
ed by countries whose sympathies incline
tow ard Spain, the American squadron nee
essarily would be entirely self-contained
and seif-reliant- being fully provided with
store ships and colliers to avoid the neces-
sity of running counter to the neutrality
laws of the various Mediterranean ports.
Start Can He Made Soon.
Commodore Watson should reach Admiral
Sampson by Thursday morning or. perhaps
earlier, for the Newark. having been exten