The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-05-10
ADMIRAL SIMPSONS PLAN.
How an Effective Blockaded OF Cuba
VIII BE Made.

HOW an Effective Blockaded or Cuba
VIII BE Made.
NEW YORK, April PA Washing
ton special to the Herald says: APP
preciating that Havana is the key to
the military situation in Cuba, Rear
Admiral Sampson, commander-in-
chief of the North Atlantic squadron
has confined the blockade he instituted
to ports connecting by railroad with
that city. Sampson has also taken
measures to blockade the port of San
Juan, Porto Rico, and within the next
few days an official announcement of
this blockade will be made. Naturally
the officials will not say that Rear Ad-
miral Sampson has moved against
Porto Rico, but there is reason to be-
lieve that some of the ships have been
sent to San Juan and the American
flying squadron has been held in re-
serve for the difficult work of placing
hors de combat Spain's fleet now at
Cape Verde Islands.
Secretary Long was in conference to-
day with the naval war board discuss
ing the next move this Government
should make. This was the first time
Secretary Long has been present at the
meeting of the board. He listened at
tentively to the discussion of naval ex-
perts and entered into it with deci-
sion and judgment that was well ap-
preciated by the officers with whom
he, conferred. As soon as war is form
ally declared by Congress, it is con-
fidently expected that orders will be
sent to the flying squadron to proceed
TO sea for the purpose of giving battle
to Spain's squadron now at ST. Vim
cent
Before the battle takes place, how
ever Commodore Schley's fleet will be
reinforced. The efforts of the vessels
of the North Atlantic squadron, now
in Cuban waters, will be confined to
preventing any supplies reaching
Spain's force in the city of Havana
An official with whom l talked pointed
network of railways, which connect
with Cardenas and Matanzas on the
east, and Bahia Honda, Port Cabanas
and Mariel on the west. Cienfuegos is
also a railroad terminus, and if the
blockade runners could get supplies in
that port, they could be sent to Ha-
vana. 1t will be the duty of American
y
from these ports, and should they then
attempt to violate the blockade, they
will be seized and condemned as
blockade runners and will be taken
before prize court, which will be held
at Key West, and will undoubtedly
be condemned by that judicial body.
81 can Appreciate why no attempt is
being made by the department to
blockade the entire coast of Cuba, y
said a welI-known naval officer to me
today. "Rear-Admiral Sampson has
not sufficient vessels to make such a
blockade effective, and it would do no
good to blockade a great many ports
which are held by small Spanish gar
risons and which cannot communicate
with Havana except by road. Samp-
sons plan is to prevent supplies from
reaching the Spanish force in Havana,
so as to starve it into submission, or
at least into such a state that it will
not be able to give any great resis-
tance to the military expedition which
will be organized next week. The in
surgents are expected to prevent any
supplies reaching Havana by interior
communication. I have no doubt that
the insurgents are actively engaged at
this moment in destroying every
means of communication between the
interior and Havana that it is possi-
Bile to do"
Secretary Gage telegraphed all col
lectors of customs on the Atlantic,
Gulf and Pacific seaboards, as soon as
the President signed his proclamation,
that all ports on the north coast of
Cuba from Cardenas to Bahia Honda
and also Cienfuegos on the south coast
have been blockaded by the United
States. Collectors were instructed to
communicate this notification in writ
ing to all foreign Consuls in their re-
spective districts, and to masters OF
all vessels applying for clearance to
blockaded ports or ports in their vici-
nity. The instructions will prevent a
loss to the Spanish and Spanish own
ers. and at the same time simplify the
work of the blockading squadrons.
Collectors were also instructed to tele-
graph the names Of all Spanish vessels
in their districts, but it is believed
hut few remain in American ports.