The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-02-15
ADMIRAL CERVtRA'S STORY
OFFERS 1T AS AN APOLOGY FOR
SEEMING RASHNESS.
Knew Spanish Fleet Must Be De-
stroyed If War Broke Out, But
Had No Alternative.
a. York Evening 20

Admiral CerFeTa obtained from the
queen regent, late in August, permission
10 publish the official correspondence re-
lating to the operations of the Spanish
squadron under his command. The result
is volume of more than so pages, a copy
of which has just reached us. 1t contains
many dispatches which have been pub
llShed before, but some which are entirely
new, and in particular several letters
which passed between Admiral CeTvera
and the minister of marine before the war
broke out. which are not only new. but Of
the deepest interest. Inc whole IS now
offered as the apologize of the gallant Old
sailor. With a proud humility { once
dtgnfied and pathetic. whoever biundered,
whoever was he victim of wild illusions.
he was not; but that throughout his head
was as clear. his foresight as keen, as his
heart was stout
From the very beginning-gOin back as
far as the letters of ls15-g7-C' eTVeTa' &
constant warning to the minister Of ma
Tine was. DO everything in reason OF
honor to satisfy the United States. for If
war breaks out, we shall be over
whelmed." Minister BermejO was incred-
ulOUs. A good part of the American navy
was in the Pacific. Yes, replied clear
sighted Cervera, on March Z, 1893. but
what does That mean except the lmIne-
dale crushing OF our feeble naval forces
in the Philippines? All rej0ined the min
isteT but you do not take into the ac-
count the superiority OF our nOmOgene-
Gus. educated, disciplined crews in COM
bat with the meTC6nGTy ltNlCS of the
United States" As to that, answered
CerveTa. sadly. you have only to remem-
Der what happened to our ancestors at
Trafalgar. But, surely. urged BermelO.
with yOc- swift ships you can raVage the
Atlantic coast, and speedily bring the
enemy to terms. Are Won crszy2 was
CeTVeraS despaTlng comment
SO the correspondence went on through
all those weary weeks of waiting for the
war. The men in charge Of the flest-CeT-
vera and all his captainS-sOlemrly warn
ed the government that .leir campaign
must be defensive, or it would necessarily
be disastrous. But at the same time
BlanCO Was urgently telesraphing from
Cuba, and Macias from Porto Rico, that
the squadron must be sent. or all would
be lost. Thus pulled about. the govern
ment was at its wits end. and finally
called the famous council of war Of the
eighteen or twenty Scmlrals and captains
in Madrid which decided that CerVera
must sail from Cape Verde and fling him.
self on the foe. That was about what his
orders amounted 10, for he was utterly
unable then or later to get ineligible in
structiOnS from the minister Of marine
HIS orders were simply 10 sail for the
Antilles calling at some neutral port for
information, and then going to Porto Rico
or Cuba. as he might think best and do
, ing there whatever his skill. discretion
and courage" might suggest. Was ever
hapleSs officer sent more bu1gliuglX to the
fate which he knew to he as certain as
the sUnrise2 Yet Cervera set sail with
his ships as brdVely and Cneertully as u
going to assured victory, lie SAID that II
the admirals OVerTul6d him one of them
/ really ought TO relieve him, but he was not
the man to shrink from duty. and with
a proud mOTituruS salute to the Spanish
/ government and people he put to sea.
Cervera fully intended 10 go TO Porto
Rico after calling at Fort De Fralce. His
statement to that effect is a tribute to the
shrewdness of our own naval strategists
who sent Sampson to that island TO meet
him. But at Martinique CerveTa heard
| that Sampson was awaiting him he him.
then, by good deal of luck talso casuaD
as he himself cOnfesses, got into Santiago
unobserVed. To Cervera at Martinique tbs
/ following extraordinary te egTam was SEM
Madrid. May p 1895.
since your sailing the situation has
changed. Your instructions are ampli6el
| so that if you judge that the squadron
/ cannot operate to advantage where yOt
I are, you may return to Spain. chOosina
your OwIt route and port IF call, though
I this would preferably be CadiZ- AcknOwl
| edge receipt and advice of your decision
! CerVeTa did not acknowledge receipt. be
cause he never saw the dispatch until ht
got back TO Spain. He sailed before Il
! was delivered. But as an indication OF
/ the state Of mind of the Spanish govern
ment, and of its fitness to carry on war. i
I needs no comment. In this respect, how
ever. it was surpassed. if such a thius
! were possible by the suggestion made by
I the minister of war on June 3 that Ger
/ vera should run the blockade at Santiago
and go to Manila to SDlasn Dewey. after
ward returning TO finish OF Sampson
| The later official CORRESPONDENCE ha!
nearly all seen the light before. Cervers
/ was never deceived about the ruin of h.
} ships If he tried to take them out. II,
/ wished TO blow them Up in the harbOr am
land his men to assist in the defense O
/ the place. But he was andsr BlsncO'i
] ordnre and that officer faI
| know upon the admiFals going out Il
/ have 6G0 of his men killed. in a spirit O
/ sheer vanity, IS CerVeFa called it. On,
} incidental point Is cleared up in thes,
! dispatches Admiral Sampson has sal,
that he never knew why his ships Wer,
/ not fired on at night when standlna il
! close TO the harbOT mouth with thpn
J seaTchlights. The reason is thai tn
/ Spanish had not the guns or ammuiti0f
! to do il. Ce-Vera asked General Tiuare
7 to open on the American slips at nigh.
/ but that officer had TO inform him that r
/ h2d no artilery mounted that could d,
| IT, And the ammunition N shore was az
1 defective as IL was on shiDbOaTd
| Where is boasting? This is the question
| We well may ask after this fun revelation
] of the weakness of the foe we cOnquercs
1 at Santiago The only boast the Spauiard
/ have made is that they showed The worl,
/ they knew how to die Never did men e
| more ciear-eyed to death for their coun
] try than CerVera and his comrades Wha
/ he has now published Is in defense + hi
| intelligence. He wanted mis- friends an.
/ country to know and understand that III
was dwelling in no fools paradise. Their
squadron is already DESTROYED lac WIOte
| on sailing from Capo Verde But no De
! Tense was needed OF Admiral Pascua
| CerVera.s pa triotism ct gallantrv Thas
! are written imperishably in the faithful
story OF what he did ana dared. VIII
serene courage in the face Of faJet
disaster.