Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-01-04
WAR WAS EXPECTED.
ORDERS NOW MADE PUBLIC
PROVE THIS TO BE TRUE.
Preparations Begun Early in Janulry
for the Conflict Which Seemed Prob
able if Not InevitabIe-Au Unusually
Disastrous Season on the Lakes.

Despite the vigorous denials made at
the time, it is now & 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 ineyita-
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-
ed belief in peaceful solution of the diff
Guilty, were steadily preparing for actual
hostilities, ana this, too, long before the
Maine was blown up. Official dispatches
have been made public which establish
this fact completely, In January Ad-
miral Selfridge was in command of the
European station, and on Jan. IL, 1898,
he was instructed to retain his sailors in
spite of the expiration of enlistment. Five
days ter the gunboat Helena, at Fun
chal Madeira, which had been ordered to
the Asiatic station. received orders mark
ed secret and confidential" to delay its
departure, and the next day it was or
dered to Lisbon. At the same time Cap
tain Chester, in command of the South
Atlantic squadron, received confidential
dispatch directing him TO announce unoif-
cially that the cruisers Cincinnati and
Castine would go to the northern bound
airy of his station for drill aud exercise,
then proceed to Para Brazil. without
causing comment" The same day, which
was Jan. II, the Wilmington. at Guade-
loup, received instructions canceling its
orders TO go to South America, and re-
tanning it in the Windward Islands with
out touching at Spanish ports. Commo-
dore Dewey, at Yokohama, as early as
Jan. p was instructed to disregard en-
listments and keep his sailors. The Maine
was blown up Feb. 10; ten days later
Theodore Roosevelt sent to Dewey the
first warlikc dispatch. which read:
Secret and confidential: Order the
squadron, 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
ron 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
and that there was no danger of war. Yet
the day aftet Roosevelt's stirring dispatch
TO Dewey Secretary Long sent dispatches
20 Chester in the Barbados, Miller at
| Honolulu, Howell at Lisbon, Dewey at
| Hong Kong and Scard at Key West, all
of which read significantly: Keep full of
coal-the best that can be had" March
! Z, six weeks before the declaration of war.
! in ordering the Brooklyn to Hampton
| Roads to leave the flying squadron, Secre-
| tary Long used the unusual expression:
''The situation is getting worse" April
| Z, a little over two weeks before the dec
| larrtion of war, Commodore Dewey was
cabled: Land all woodwork, stores. etc,
| it is not considered necessary to have for
| Operation"-an order which, of course,
| contemplated nothing less thaa an attack
on the Philippines. Three days before
| that Admiral Sampson at Key West had
been instructed to be ready at any time
| to take possession of the Kew West cable
office, and assigned an officer to stop the
| transmission To Cuba of any telegram re-
| lating to the action of the President or
| Congress. The destruction of the Maine
| hurried things along, but the United
States. it appears, was preparing for n
war without exciting comment long before
that terrible catastrophe.