The San Francisco call., 1898-02-21

NEW YORK, Feb. 20.-A Ciudad Juar- ez, Mexico. special to the Herald says: Lieutenant Palmo of the Spanish navy passed through here to-day on his way to the City of Mexico. While wait ing for the departure of the train, which was held for some time by cus- tom house requirements. your corres- pendent touched upon his mission to the City Of Mexico, but his guarded replies elicited no information. Warming up over the Maine incident, he said:
 We are being driven to war. The conflict cannot be postponed much longer, but I tell you we are better prepared to strike than the Yankees think. While Americans have occupied their time in talking we have been Qui- etly preparing for a conflict, and, more over, our diplomats have admirably succeeded in warding off suspicion.
 Do you suppose 1t is for naught that we have recently purchased two crui- sers from Brazil and have made lib- eral offer for the new Chilean warship just completed? And you may rest as- sured my visit to Mexico bodes no good tor the Yankees.
 Our bureau of naval intelligence has complete plans and drawings Of the Notifications of all the principal American ports. There Is not a port in the United States that is fortified suf- ficiently to withstand the successful en- try of one of our ships. An exception may be the city of New York, but you may be aware that we have a powerful cruiser there, and that we can well af- ford to lose 1t if the Yankees can afford to see their large city in ruins. The Sagasta Ministry has no oscillating plans. We have but one policy, and are pursuing it's steadily. Americans, you know, are as little aware of what they will do tomorrow as they are of what they must accomplish to-day"
 I hinted that the disparity in popu- lation and our immense resources would be the prime factors in the is- sue.
 Nothing of the kind,' he quickly re- piled. "We are not going to pursue a land conquest, as only In that case, I admit, we would be worsted. The 160, 900 of our regular army Is more than enough for our plan of campaign and to bring the Yankees to sue for peace. Yes, know they are all talking of the large population they have, also the millions of men they can muster, but we have no intention of giving them a chance to use them. The Spaniard l e,I, tod 1ixyi1 or,1 does not propose to be led into trap.
 There will be no fighting on the American continent, you may depend on that We have a splendid navy and some of the fastest auxiliary cruisers in the world. After we lay two or three of their largest cities in ruins this ought to bring the money loving Yankee to our terms"
 If not, what then?"
 Well, they will cross the ocean and try to land a force on our shores. Nothing better would suit me. On this very thing hinges our plan of campaign. You know that at most 200, 900 troops 1 Is all that any nation could under the most favorable circumstances trans | port in either direction across the ocean. | This alone would require large trans port fleet, not to mention other aux Hilary transports, for arms, equipments and stores, which would be more than the entire available fleet of the United
 States could properly guard, and you may rest assured that the rapid-fire guns on our fleet cruisers would cripple
 them to such an extent with such l frightful casualties that what was left | of them would make but poor show
 ing against a larger army of perfectly | drilled soldiers, on their own ground
 besides a population of nearly twenty