Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-12-04
cERYERA,s OWN STORY.

Admiral Csrvera has published the Off
cial correspondence relating to the
operations of the Spanish squadron un'
der his command, and the New York
Evening Post, in most interesting edi-
torial, gives an account of some of the
leading features of the story thus
brought out. with proud humility,
at once digni6ed and pathetic" says
the Post, The lays before his fellow
countrymen and the world the proof
that, whoever blundered, whoever was
the victim of wild illusions, he was MOI !;
but that, throughout, his head was as
clear, his foresight as keen, as his heart
was stout"
As far back as the letters of 1S96'97,
the burden of Csrvera'5 letters to
cbe Minister ef Marine was, "Do
everything in reason or honor to
satisfy the United States, for, if war
breaks out, We shall be overwhelmed"
la spite OF this conviction OF the man
oes. qualified 10 know, Minister Ber-
meio cluDg to the delusion that the
Spanish navy was superior to the Amer.
car. The fact that part Of our navy
vas il the Pacific was seized upon as a
hopeful feature; but Cervera replied,
On March 7, 1898, that the only result
If that would be the crushing of the
Spanish fleet in the Philippines. "But
surely" urged Bermejo, with your
swift ships you can ravage the Atlantic
coast and speedily bring the enemy to
terms" care you crazy?" was Ger
vera's despairing comment.
The conflict between the solid judg-
ment of Csrvera and his captains on the
one hand-who insisted that anything
other than purely defensive attitude
would result in disaster to the navy
aud the naval authorities at Madrid
on the other, is well-known
story. When Cervera was ordered
to sail from Cape Verde, he
knew he was rushing to sure destruc-
lion. "Yet Cervers set SAIL" says the
Post, "with his crippled ships as brave
ly and cheerfuily as if going to assured
victory. He said that if the admirals
overruled him, one of them really
ought to relieve him, but he was not
the man to shrink from duty, and with
a proud moriturus salute to the Span
ish government and people, ne put to
sea-"
An astonishing feature of the naval
history of the war is brought out ny
one of the dispatches. After Cervera
had sailed, under orders given him cor
trary to his own judgment, the home
authorities seem to have became cor
vipced that they had made blunder
They sent to MIN at Martinique the TO :
lowing dispatch:
Since YOUR sailing the situation has
changed. Your instructions are ampli-
fed so that if you Judge that the squad
ron cannot operateato advantage where
YOU are, you may return to Spain,
choosing your own route aud port OF
call. though this would preferably be
C4diz. Acknowledge receipt and ad-
wise of your decision.
Had this dispatch reached Cetvera at
Martinique, the history of the war
mig BIT have been wholly different. But
be had left Martinique before the dis
patch came, and never saw it until after
the close of the war. The conflict was
virtually brought to an end not by the
capture of Santiago but by the destruc-
ton of Csrvera's flset, and there is no
telling how seriously it might have
been prolonged had the Spanish navy,
in accordance with the sound though
humiliating advice OF C.rvera, recog-
nized it's Inherent weakness and COZ
fined itself to strictly defensive role.