The Portland daily press., 1899-04-03
A FATAL DECISION.
Ceyera's Selection Of Day Time for
Ills SOrtie.
SO A GERMAN NAVAL EXPERT
THINKS.

Commander jacobson of the Geicr Re.
views the santiago Campaign
shows How Advantage Was All
with Amcricans-The Torpedo At.
tack ON the st. Paul.
Washington. April 2-The bureau ol
naval intelligence of the navy department
has issued the last of the series of sketches
of the Spanish-Americsn war by Com.
mander jacobson of the German protected
cruiser Geier. The last OF this interest
ing series dealt with the condition of the
| Spanish ships after the battle OF Santia-
go This portion of the sketch contains
a number Of observations regarding the
technical effect of our guns fire which
will interest naval officers. The most in
teresting observations to the layman are
those upon the strategy or the lack OF II
miral having been ordered to leave the
harbor to remove the main object OF the
attack upon Santiago, Commander
jacobson says his condition was most
difrcult He did not dare make the at
| tempt at night and SO decided to so out
In broad daylight.
xno W0CIc crew, uc coyr, lcAA y
victim to this fatal decision. Instructions
for the sortie and the western course were
issued. The admiral was entirely con-
vinced Of the iinpossibility OF defeating
the enemy or of reaching another Cuban
harbor even If be should succeed In
steanling right through the hostile fleet.
1t Is to this ( cling of helplessness and
impotence more than any thing else that
attributs the defeat The Spanish ships
had spent month In the haroor without
even attempting to attack the blockadinR
fleet when favorabls opportunity pre-
sented itself or OF even harrassing IL. The
two torpedo boat destroyers were not used
for the purpose for which they were In
tended. This inactivity and lack of
initiative must have had very demoral-
izing upon the Oil GERS and men. If We
ad d to this the certain knowledge that
the opposing forces were much stronger 1t
Will be readily seen that the idea OF gen
eral flight after coming out of the har-
Dor entrance was the only acceptable one.
especially in view of the possibility of
beaching the ships, thereby rendering
ing the crew. From the very moment
tina. this feeling of impotence took posses
sion Of the spanish and led to the above
reflections, their fate, psychologicallJ
speaking was sealed. We do not mean TO
disparags their valor and tenacity in the
midst OF the hostile tire, but on the other
hand 1t is quite possible that the admiral
seeing that everything was happening as
he had forseen. WAS the one who set the
example of running his ships ashore. All
tine commanders followed his example.
On the other side the situation was
just the reverse. Admiral SIMPSONS fleet
was fully conscious of its power. The
blockade was being con iucte1 in accord
ance with carefully prepared plans as
were also the arrangements In case OF the
enenys attempt to escape.
Frequent engagements with the Spanish
forts had given commanders and crews
that calm assurance in the handling OF
their weapons which guarantees success.
The long blockade service, exhaustiDg
and monotonous, hardly Interrupted by
any action ON the part of the spanish,
had strung the nerves to the highest
pitch, and every body was nxiOus for the
end &c come. Suddenly the enemy ut
tempts to escape. All the passions that
had been smouldering under the ashes
broke forth. The welcome opportunity
tor settling accounts with the enemy had
come at last ana with a wild rush tae
American ships fell upon their victims.
AT the beginning the American ire.
owing TO the excitement Of the personnel
and the great distances, was probably not
very II ctive, but when the Spanish adj
mIrnl turns1 towards the westward and
t he other ships followed him, the moral
superiority of the Americans Ieasserted
itself The commanders, calm and cool
headed, had their ships follow the same
course, and the Americans having every
advantage on their side recommended the
fire on the fleeing ships, which soon re-
suited IN their total annihilation.