The times., 1899-11-29
Cerxera,- own stnr,

terN eFn'~ own story.
tFfom the New York Evening Postl
Admiral Cervera obtained from the Queen
Regent. late in August permission to pub
iish the official corresp spOudence relating to
the operations OF The Spanish squadron IN
der his command. The result IS a volume
OF more than 2o0 pages, copy Of which
has Just reached US. IL contains many des-
patches which have been published before.
but some which are entirely new. and IN
particular several letters which passed be-
tween Admiral CerveTa and the Minister
Of Marine before the war broke out. which
are not Oaiy new but OF the deepest interest
The whole is now offered as the Apologize
Of the gallant old sailor With a proud
humility. at once dignifed and pathetic
he lays before his fellow -countrymeu and
the world the proof that whoever blum
dered whoever was the victim Of wild Hlu-
sions, be was not; but that throughout
his head was as clear. his foresight as
keen, as his heart was stout
From the very beginning back "A
far as the letters Of 1S96-9T-C Ceryera's con
stant warning to the Minister Of Marine
was, Do everything IN reason or honor 70
satisfy the United States. for, II war breaks
out, we shall be overwhelmed" Minister
Bermejo was incredulous. good part of
the American Navy was in the Pacific
Yes, replied clear-sighted Cervera. on
March Z, 1898, but what does that mean ex-
cept the immediate crushing Of our feeble
naval forces in the Philippines? Ah. re-
joined the Minister. but you do not take
into the account the superiority Of cur no
mogeneous, educated. and disciplined crews
in combat with the merceuary levies OF
the United States" As to that. answered
Cervera. sadly. you have only TO remember
What happened to our ancestors at TrafaI-
gar But surely, urged BermeiO. with your
swift ships you can ravage the Atlantic
coast and speedily bring the enemy 70
terms Are you crazy was Cervera's de-
spairing comment.
80 the correspondence went on through
all those weary weeks Of waiting for rhs
war The 49, n charge OF the fIeer-Cer-
vera and a - aptaius-sOlemn1y warned
me GoVerl that their campaign must
De defensive it would necessarily be dis
astrous- But d = the same time BIauco was
urgently Jelegraphing from Cuba. and Ma
cias from Porto Rico. that the squadron
must be sent. or all would be lost Thus
pulled about. the Government was at its
wits end and finally called the famous
council Of war of the eighteen or twenty
admirals and captains IN Madrid which
decided that Cervera must sail from Cape
Verde and fling himself on the foe This
was about what his orders amounted 10.
for he was utterly unable then or later TO
get ineligible instructions from the Min
lister of Marine. His orders were Simply
to sail for the Antilles calling at some
neutral port for information and then
going 10 Porto Rico or Cuba. as he might
think best, and doing there whatever h.s
skill, discretion. and courage might sIg-
gest. Was ever hapless officer sent more
bunglingly to the fate which he knew to
be as certain as the sunrise2 Yet Cervera
set sail with his crippled ships as braveIy
and cheerfully as if going TO assured vic
tory. He said that il the admirals over
ruled him, one Of them really ought to re-
lieye him. but he was not the man to
shrink from duty and with proud mOri-
LuruS salute to the Spanish Government
and people. he put to sea.
Cervera fully intended to go to Porto
Rico after calling at Fort de France. His
statement TO that effect is a tribute 70 the
shrewduess OF cur own naval sJraJs gists.
who sent Sampson 70 that island TO meet
him But at Martinique Cervera heard
that Sampson was awaiting him, he himsel
had to go to Curacao for coal; and then,
by a good deal Of luck (slgo casual, as Es
himself confesses, got into Santiago unob-
served. To Cervera at Martinique the 70
lowing extraordinary Telegram was sent BY
the Minister Of Marine,
Madrid May T. 1858
Since your sailing The situation has changed
Your instructions are amp.lned So that q you
Judge that the squadron cannot operate Co adFaI-
tage where you are, YOU may return t0 spain,
choosing YOUR route ard port % eau, though
this would preferably be Cad.iz- AcsEow- edge
receipt and advise OF your decision
Cervera did not acknowledge receipt be-
cause he never saw the despatch till be got
back to Spain. He sailed before it was de
s.- H r-snr
OF mind of the Spanish Government, and
of its fitness to carry on war, it needs NO
comment. In this respect. however, &c
was surpassed If such a thing were pos
sible, by the suggestion made by the Min
lister OF War on June ?, that Cervera should
run the blockade al Santiago and go 10
Manila to smash Dewey, afterward return
ing 20 finish OIL Sampson.
The later official cores Dondence has
nearly all seen the light before Gervera
was never deceived about the ruin Of his
ships il he tried 10 take them cut. He
wished 70 blow them up in the harbor and
land his men to assist in the defence OF
the place. But he was under Blaneo's or
deFs. and that officer insisted. as we know.
upon the admiraIs going out % have 500
of his men killed. in q spirit of sheer van
ity,'' as Cervera called it. One iuCidsnt8l
point is cleared up in these Dispatches
Admiral Sampson has said that he never
knew why his ships were not fred on az
night when standing in close 70 the har-
boris mouth with their searchlights. Tbs
reason is that the Spanish had not the rs
or ammunition to do It. Cervsra asked
General Linares to open on the American
ships at night. but that officer had TO in
form him that he had no artillery mounted
that could do il. And the ammunition on
shore was as defective as 1t was ON ship
board.
Where is boasting2 This is the question
we well may ask after this full revelation
Of the weakness of the foe we conquered at
Santiago. The only boast the SpauiaTds
have made is that they showed the world
they knew how TO die. Never did men go
more clear-eyed 20 death for their country
than CeFvera and his comrades. What he
has now published is in defence Of MS in
telligence- He wanted his friends and his
country 70 know that he al least had been
dwelling in no fools paradise This
squadron Is already destroyed. he wrote.
on sailing from Cape Verde But no de-
fence was needed of Admiral Pascual Ger
yera.s patriotism or gallantry. Those are
written imperishably in the faithful story
Of what he did and dared with serene
courage. in tue face of faued disaster.
In nuSincsS.
r-rom the Atlanta Constitutan-)