The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-03-25
SPAIN DON'T LIKE 1T.

SPAIN DON'T LIKE 1T.
Too Many Warships In the Vicinity
Of Cuba.
Washington. March 1S.-The main
development in the Spanish situation
yesterday was in connection with the
definite representations submitted by
the Spanish government to the state
department concerning the assembling
of large fleet of American warships
at Key West, the war preparations
and the influence which these nigh,
nave on the approaching elections in
Cuba. Those representations were
exactly in line with the semi-otficial
utterances given in these dispatches
and accredited to high official con-
versation with the views of the Span
ish cabinet. While these representa-
lions cannot properly be regarded as
a protest against the attitude and
acts of the United States government
they may unquestionably be set down
as a remonstrance calculated to have
ss0 SslSSI III Culoptuu COuFl circles.
Not, however, being technical pro-
test the statement has not called
forth any official rejoinder on the part
of the state department, for it is lack
ing i'll tangible accusations, being
rather an argumenativc presentation
OF alleged Spanish grievances.
The Fern sailed for Havana from
Key West yesterday afternoon. She
goes to relieve the Montgomery as
home for the officers engaged in SUPER
vising the wrecking operations in Ha-
vana harbOr. 1t is stated that the
Montgomery is not withdrawn owing
to any suggestion from Spanish
sources that her
Presence Is Not Desired.
1t was the announced intention of
Secretary Long when the cruiser was
sent to Havana to keep her there only
so long as the Fern should be engaged
IN the work of distributing relief
among the sufferers in Eastern Cuba.
This task having been performed and
owing to the return Of the court of
inquiry from Havana, there being
fewer persons to accommodate, the
Fern. which is better equipped than
the Montgomery to to assist in the
wrecking operations, is returned to
her position.
Up to the close of Office hours the
navy department, though 1t knew Of
ficially that the court of inquiry had
come over to Key West from Ha-
vana, was not Informed as to the find
ings or plans of the court 1t is said
that the object of the navy depart
ment in purchasing such crafts as the
late Ogden Goelet's yacht Mayt1ower
is to provide as quickly as possible
O number of picket boats of good
speed and seagoing ability to act as
scouts. and also to aid our ironclads
and more expensive vessels in opera
number of private yachts have been
offered to the department., and other
acquisitions of the same type as the
Mayflower may be expected.
The fleet at Key West will be aug.
mented within the next day or two by
the arrival of the gunboat Annapolis.
the torpedo boat Foote and the naval
tugs Leyden and Samoset, while the
gunboat Helena is now on her way
from the European station under Or
ders to report at Key West. The
Helena has reported her arrival at
Funchal on her way to join the fleet.
These and the other vessels previous
~ ordered to that point constitute
The Largest Assemblage
Of war vessels made since the demon
stration following the Virginius affair.
and, considering effectiveness ana
armament, it is the strongest assem-
blage of ships for other than naval re-
view purposes, since the war.
The fleet now at Key West and
Tortugas is as follows: Cruisers New
York. Detroit, Marblehead; battleships
Massachusetts, Indiana, Iowa, Texas;
gunboat Nashville, dispatch boat Fern
and torpedo boats Dupont, Gushing,
Porter, Winslow and Ericsson. To
these will soon be added the five YES
sells now en- route there. In addition
to these the Montgomery is at Ha-
vana and is practically part of the
fleet; the gunbOats Wilmington and
Gushing and cruiser Cincinnati are at
Barbardoes, the Newport Mt Colon,
with the Puritan, Newark, Amphitrite
and other ships Of the North Atlantic
squadron ut points along the coast
1 further northward.
Secretary Alger has made reQuisi-
lions on the president for two large
allotments from the appropriation Of
$5O,O0O,OOO for the national defense.
One is for $4,000 for the use of the
engineer department Of the army in
the completion of certain Notifications
along the Atlantic and gulf coasts now
in progress. and the other is for. ST.
225,0OO for the use Of the ordnance de-
partment Of the army. In the acquire
ment of arms and ammunition Pretty
much all. Of this money is needed to