Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-12-22
LOOKING FOR THE WAR;
A, Early as January Last, the Administration
Anticipated Trouble With Spain.
ORDERS TO NAVAL coMnASD1RssHow IT
That Was Dcforc the sinking OF the Maine
.Fir.t wariikc Dispatch was to Dewey.
AFTER the Maine was Blown Up.

washington. Dec. sg.--Despitc tho
vigorous denials made at the time. It
Is now a matter Of public record that
PRECEDENT McKinlcy's administration
became convinced at least an long ago
o. the frat day OF January that war
with spain was probable. u not in
eyitahlc.
Official dispatches have Just been
made public which establish this fact
completely. In January Admiral Sell
frIlro was In command OF che Euro.
he was instructed 10 retain his sailors
pclu station, and ON January II. 1898
be- was instructed 10 retain his sailors
10 spite " the expiration OF enllstmons.
Five days later the gun boat Helena.
at Funchal. Madern, which had been
orierpd TO TIM Aslatlc station. received
orders marked secret aud confidential"
~ delay It's departure, and the next day
IL was ordered to lisbon AZ the same
time capt. Chester. In command Of the
sluih Atlantic squadron. received a COM
nnc4tIal dlrlatch directing him to an
riunco unufliClnlly chat the cruisers
Cincinnati AMI Castlnc would go 60 the
northern station Tor drill and exercise.
then proceed To Para, Brazil, without
causing comment" The same day
whlch was January IL. the Whining.
ton, at uundaloupc. received inatruc-
tons cancclllng ~ orders to gu 10
south America. and retaining II In the
wlndNard Islands without touching at
spanish ports. Commodore Dewey at
Yokohama. as early aa January "a. was
lrstfuciCd 10 disregard cnllHtmcntH and
kscp hin sailors. The Maine was blown
W February 10. ten days latcr Thc1.
dofr Roosevelt sent 60 Dewey the first
warIlke dlspatch of the administration.
whCh read
squadron. except M1nncacy 90 Hong
kong. Keep full 81 coal. IN she event
of declaration ~ war with Spain your
duty viii be to see that the Spanish
squadron does not icayc the Aaiatic
oiir, and then begin offensive opera
tons In the PhlllpplEe Islands. Keep
olympia until further orders"
The M1ndtlcy was practically uHc-
les and The olympia was under orders
TO rcufn home. The day after Rooao-
Volts stirring Dispatch 90 DEWEY. Hrc-
Rotary Long sent dispatches 10 Chester
IN the iiarhadoea, Miller at Honolulu
Howell at Lisbon. Dewey at tiongkong.
ana Sicar1 nj Key West. all OF which
rad significantly. keep fun ~ coal
che bcst that oan be had" March !.
tx weeks before the dcclartion Of war.
~ nrAffluH INC tfuAkiyu 70 hAulltnN
Roads "a leave the flying squadron.
Secretary Long used the unusual ex-
pfeulln' The situation IL gcttlnk
worse"
April :. n little over two weeks before
thn declaration % war. Commodore
Dewey was cablcd: Land all wood.
work. stores. etc, Il In not considered
necessary 30 have for operation, An
order which, ~ course. contemplated
nothing lcsr than an attack on the Phll-
irpnta. Three days before that, Admir-
nl Sampson at Key Wcft had been In
tifuccd 10 be ready at any time 10 take
pofsesai1n OF the Key West cable Of
Zee. and assigned an officer 10 stop the
,ranamlssi1n TO Cuba OF any telegram
relating 20 thc action OF the President
~ Congress. These ofiiclal dispatches
show clearly that war was inevitable.