The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-04-14
SWIFT
SURE
BLOW.
SampsOn's Fleet to Invest the
Cuban Capital
As the First Move in the Open
ing of HOstilities.
ARMY WILL FOLLOW
Within As Hours and Attack on
Havana
Will Be Made simultaneously
From Land and Sea.
10000 Troops Will Be Called
Out at Once.
10000 Troops Will Be Called
Out at Once.
A UNION WITH GOMEZ
And Garcia, the Insurgent
Leaders, is Counted Upon.
Spaniards to Be Driven From
the Island at Once.

New York, April IA special to the
Times from Washington says: The.
plans for the joint land and naval at
tack on Havana have been practically
decided. They have been the subject
of deliberation of a number of meetings
of the naval strategic board of councils
the joint war and navy board and of
Conferences between the governmental
and military officials.
From the first it was considered alb
solutely essential that there should be
a joint movement of the land and naval
forces of the United States against the
Spaniards in Cuba and the only thing
left for discussion was the best course
to be pursued in carrying out this plan;
difficulty that has continually pre-
sented itself is the fact that the navy
is ready for an advance on Havana
within hour after the declaration
of war, while the army could not pOSSi-
bly, throw any considerable force into
Cuba in less time than 4S hours. Should
the fleet of Capt. Sampson wait until
the army was ready, has been asked,
or should it, as soon as war was de-
termined on, proceed to carry out its
instructions and invest Havana from
the sea.
1t is now decided that the fleet will at
once move on Havana, invest it and at
the same time hold open the Florida
straits for the free transportation of
troops into the island. A part of the
fleet will be employed for this purpose,
as well as to keep open the gulf to the
west of Havana for like purpose.
AS soon as the army is ready, which
will be within 4S hours, a considerable
body of troops will be thrown into the
province of Pinar del Rio in the neigh
borhood, probably of Bahia Honda and
an advance upon Havana will be begun
at once. The fleet will cooperate with
the land forces from the moment they
land in Cuba and both will attack Ha-
Vana simultaneously.
Even If the resolution finally passed
by congress does not recognize the pres
ent republican government in the is
land, the plan of the army is to unite
with the armies of Gomez and Garcia,
as allies against the Spaniards 1t is
probable that troops will be sent to join
these revolutionary armies in Puerto
Principe and Santa Clara or that ships
will be sent to transport some of the
Cuban troops to the vicinity of the cap
ital. In any event effort will be
made to cooperate at once with the
armies of the revolutionary leaders in
the work of driving the Spaniards out
of the island
With the establishment of a stable
and independent government in free
Cuba, the army will have nothing to do,
at least in the preliminary part of the
campaign. Its task is to sweep the
Spaniards out of the island. To do this
most effectively it will at once seek the
closest alliance with the revolutionary
troops.
AS soon as war is declared the war
department will issue upon the call of
the president, orders for the enlistment
of at least 100000 troops. At first there
was some talk of 40, 900 volunteers being
sufficient for the purpose, but it was
soon found that this number would not
be sufficient to keep UP the garriSons
along the coast together with a body of
troops, sufficiently large to defend the
country from invasion. 1t would not
be at all adequate to the task of sup
plying reinfOrcements for the army of
occupation, or of forming a nucleus of
still larger army for operation on a
larger scale than is now contemplated
Certainly not less than $4,000 troops
will be called for at once and 15O 900 |
will be assuredly organized within a
short time after the opening of hostiIi-
ties Orders for the organization of a
great volunteer force are now prepared
and can be issued instantly upon de-
claration of war