The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-18

may oe power Ouc 70 what IN the res
OF Europe h described as social order.
The relation between landlord and tenan
in South Spain is as bad as Il ever wa.
In Ireland. and half the cultiVators have
passed through the military mill
There Is one other contingency o.
which no one has yet spoken. Spain u
terribly stubborn. and believes at sea a
well as on land, IN the word 'gusriia.
Suppose her fleet defeated at sea. and Gu.
ba lost, but her two or three hundred
privateers aaoat How long will It take
America to clear the seas OF them by seis-
ing all coaling stations? Or how long vii
Europe bear the disturbance to trade. the
increase Of piracy. the narrowing stories
which always accompany a dreary. drift
ing. purpoSeless. merciless privateers
war? We al think II could not happen,
but the Alabama was afioat for nearly
two years. and the Confederacy had not
a ton of coal outside its own dominion. A
naval guerrilla war would make the
waterways OF the world decidedly unsafe:
an although America does not think 50.
10 compel Madrid to yield might be a very
long and very costly process. We trust
AHNN ZIG VIA AOA " AA@ACs N-tS
that Spain, IL defeated by superior force.
will submit with dignity. and betake her
self to the work which requires doing in
the Peninsula; bus a fierce people Of sew
enteen millions may develop powers Of re-
sistance. as they did in 1SoS-ll. OF which
professional experts have never thought"
The London Speakers article, also writ
ten before the war. Is as follows;
The chances-Stili. we hope. 10 be avert
ed-of a war between Spain and TIE Unit
ed States have inevitably called attention
to the resources Of the opposing powers.
Except for the possibility Of an invasion
OF Cuba. a possibility more remote than Il
appaers-for Cuba is in the position Of a
fortress with a vast garrison and a small
stock Of provisions. which the Americans.
II once masters Of the seas. could hardsy
fail 10 reduce by blockade.--it u agreed or
all hands that the war must be a naval
war. No one contemplate the invasion OF
Spain. No one seriously believes in the
possibility Of an invasion OF America. IL
Is at sea that the duel must be fought.
II II be fought at all. and for such war
II seems at first sight that Spain has GER
tain points IN her favor. She has IN Ha-
vana a better base for attack. aud better
dock for her large vessels. than her rival
The American coast-line is long and large
IL undefended and It Is studded with
wealthy cities accessible 20 a foe. The
American preparations are still backward.
and even limitless money canno; create In
a moment artillery. experienced officers.
swift cruisers or battleships equipped fer
war. Their torpedo force q woefu.ly infe-
rior to that " Spain. and the recent @f-
forts OF their government 20 buy up tugs
and At them with guns and torpslnes a.
fer no equivalent for a torpedo fioi!lla
which can steam twenty-eight knots an
hour. OF course. their ultimate def at Is
out OF the question. AS Washington wrote
when. on the very eve OF vic
tory against US. he reviewed the enormous
resources Of Great Britain, Elm
modern wars the longest purse must
chiefly determine the event. and from
that point OF view America Is more than
equal 20 any combination whish can he
brought against her. But IL span could.
TO begin with. defeat her IN a naval battle.
or. while evading a general engagement.
harass her shipping and attack ner coasts.
she might deal a serious blow at the pros
perity Of that great dominion, and leave
memories Of ruin and desolatiOn witch Il
would take many a victory TO expunys.
"What. then. one asks. are the chances
that. In the event OF war. spani wo:.'j re
able either 10 avoid a great battle a. sea
pr 10 defeat the Americans II such a battle
took place? We believe the first alterna-
1--we TO be unlikely. II the spariard5 90
10 war at all. they must place s0n.c re-
lance on the fighting power Of their feet
hey must know that they cannot here
brewer 10 avoid a general engagement: |
hey must think their prospects 81 Vi.tory |
,etter while the American Sect Is s'ill |
unrTepared: and uverv mo- |
i've Of pride II not Of prudence Ltutt rec |
'mmend a battle without della NJ doubt |
{ r. IN guerrilla warfare that modern |
;panlards have exceiled, and no doubt /
cme forms Of guerrilla warfare might /
erve their purpose well upon the seas
But prlvateering cannot be CARED very |
ar without provoking neutral 37Nsr. Ar.l |
american shipping. Of course. Shcrs no
UGH tempting field for privateerfng a.
ur own. IL seems. then. that many con-
lderations would induce the spaniards 10
Welcome an engagement. and We may De
ure that the Americans would not permit /
hem 10 avoid one even ~ they - wished
'hus the problem resolves Itself into the
econd alternative: supposlng a great ra-
al battle 20 take pace on the high seas
would the Americans or the spanlhrds
FIN? Here our eonjectures have certain
acts 20 exc them out The Spanish feet.
10 doubt. r. a formidable thing on paper
Is. In certain respects. superior 10 its
lvaI Thu spanisrds have eighty gun
oats ready and twelve more building. |
lille the Americans, even including those
2 preparation. can only claim fifteen. OF
lrpedo craft the spanizrcs have twenty
even ready and six more in active prep
ration; the Americans have only twenty
ne. OF first-caSs cruisers. the Spaniards
~ calm 20 ten. and the Americans have
rly SIX. The most powerful yesssi Ia the
panish fleet r. probably superior % any
hip OF which the Americans can boast
N the other side. however. there =
cod deal 20 be said They have twenty
shIps where Spain has only
ne They have four ars;-c.ass battle
hips ready. and hve more n prsparatisn.
lille spain has ogiy ore afosf and ons
pom the stocks. A. The iE9 scsts stand
day. spain for offensive pufpo-es rnlg8t
crhaps claim IN ships = sight. thoUEh a
cry dlspu,abls. advantage. siK m1hth.
ence that advantage. even - u exists
day. viii have completely disappeared.
Put % s. not % the EGmbsr % the
eight u ships that tho frsi battle or the
ar wIli Be decided. Bshiad the pager asts
: vessels are the larger qussfsors q ihs
1irit. the ssamansaip. the aEhtinE quail
- Of the con;sEding fests. he rs'osrcss
: the United States ih naval SArfs-s are.
: course. AZ gnkno~s quantity. AnsTi-
n ships may - manned. a. enc aiisEe