Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-01-06
WAR WAS EXPECTED.
ORDERS NOW MADE PUBLIC
PROVE THIS TO BE TRUE.
Preparation. Begun Early in January
for the Conflict Which Seemed pyob.
able IL Not Inevitable-An U~nusually
Disastrous Season ON the Lakes.

Despite the vigorous denials made at
the time, it is now a matter of public rec
ord that the United States Government
became convinced at least as long ago as
the first day of January, 1898. that war
with Spain was probable, if not ~inevita-
BILE. During all the period from the meet
ing of Congress in December until the
actual declaration OF war the President
and his advisers, in spite of their reiterat-
cd belief in a peaceful solution of the diff
Guilty. were steadily preparing for actual
hostilities, and this, too, long before the
Maine was blown up. Official dispatches
have been made public which establish
this fact completely. In January Adj
miral Selfridge was in command Of the
European station, and on Jan. II, 1893,
ne was instructed to retain his sailors in
spite of the expiration of enlistment. Five
days later the gunboat Helena, at Fun
:hal, Madeira, which had been ordered to
the Asiatic station. received orders mark
ed Secret and contidcntiai," to delay It's
departure, and the next day i. was Or
dered to Lisbon. AT the same time Cap.
lain Chester, in command of the South
Atlantic squadron. received a confidential
dispatch directing him to un0f8-
cially that the cruisers Cincinnati and
Castine would go to the northern bound
ary of his station for drill and exercise,
then proceed to Para, Brazil, 'without
causing comment" The same day, which
vas Jan. IL, the Wilmington, at Guadc-
cup, received instructions canccling its
orders to go to South America, and re-
tanning it in the Windward Islands with
,ut touching at Spanish ports. Commo-
aore Dewey, at Yokohama, as early az
Jan. q was instructed to disregard en-.
istments and keep his sailors. The Maine
was blown up Feb. IS; ten days later
Theodore Roosevelt sent to Dewey the
6rst warlikc dispatch, which read:
"Secret and confidential: Order the
.quadron, except Monocacy, to Hong
Kong. Keep full of coal. In the event
Of declaration of war with Spain your
duty will be to see that the Spanish squad
:on does not leave the Asiatic coast, and
then begin offensive operations in the
Philippine Islands. Keep Olympia until
further ORDERS"
The Monocacy was practically useless
and the Olympia was under orders to re-
turn home. At this time Secretary Long
was giving out interviews daily affirming
that the Maine was destroyed by accident
suN eu0S SuGAS was uO uuiScf VI WUEs Lei
the day after Rooscvelt's stirring dispatch
to Dewey Secretary Long sent dispatches
to Chester in the Barbados, Miller at
Honolulu, Howell at Lisbon, Dewey at
Hong Kong and Sicard at Key West, all
ef which read significantly: Keep full Of
eoal-the best that run be had" March
], six weeks before the declaration Of war,
In ordering the Brooklyn to Hampton
Roads to leave the flying squadron, Secre-
sary Long used the unusual expression:
"The situation is getting worse" April
!, a little over two weeks before the dec
laration of war, Commodore Dewey wac
cabled: "Land all woodwork, stores, ETC.,
It is not considered necessary to have for
O~peration"-an order which, of course,
contemplated nothing less than an attack
On the Philippines. Three days before
hat Admiral Sampson at Key West had
been instructed to be ready at any time
to take possession OF the Key West cable
Dfice, and assigned an officer to stop the
Transmission to Cuba of any telegram re-
lating to the action of the President OF
Congress. The destruction of the Maine
hurried things along, but the United
States, it appears, was preparing for q
var without exciting comment long before
that terrible catastrophe.