The Saint Paul globe., May 27, 1898, Image 1

About The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905

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VOL. XXI.— NO. 147.
FIGHT IS AT HAND
Engagement Between Cervera
and Schley or Sampson
Hourly Expected
SPANIARDS ARE DESPERATE
Cannot Remain at Santiago
or Escape Without Giv
ing Battle
IHEY MUST FIGHT OR STARVE
BELIEVED THEY WILL HUN THE
i. Vi VI LET AND TAKE
CHANCES
Admiral Sampson's Maneuvers In
dicate a Belief That tbe Spaniards
Will Slake a Dash for Havana if
They Escape From Santiago Bay
Government Believed to Be ln
I'oHsesslon of Information of an
Impending Big Engagement Be
tween tin- Opposing Fleet*.
Washington Bureau St. Paul Globe, )
Corcoran Building. \
Special to The St. Paul Globe.
WASHIXGTOX, May 26. — Despite
the strict censorship that is being ex
ercised by the government in the sup
pression of news bearing upon the
movements of the American squadron,
it is pretty definitely known tonight
that Commodore Schley has Admiral
Cervera, of the Spanish squadron, bot
tled up in Santiago bay, while Admi
ral Sampson is in the Bahama chan
nel, prepared to Intercept Cervera
should he manage to elude the vigi
lance of Schley, and at the same time
keeping advised of the situation at
Santiago, in order that he may, if oc
casion requires, go quickly to the as
sistance of Commodore Schley.
Admiral Sampson's squadron will
prevent Cervera from making the port
of Havana without a battle, should he
be fortunate enough to creep out of
Santiago bay by night, which con
tingency is most remote, and so re
garded in official circles.
DECISIVE BATTLE EXPECTED.
There is reason to believe that the
government is ln possession of infor
mation -with reference to the move
ments and intentions of tbe squadrons
under Sampson and Schley and the
whereabouts of the Spanish fleet that
Indicates a decisive action between the
Spaniards and the combined squadrons
of Sampson or Schley, or a definite of
ficial notification that Admiral Cer
vera's fleet is in Santiago bay, and
cannot escape without giving battle. It
is believed that the Spaniards will flght
rather than be starved into submission,
and hence will, at the first opportunity,
make a break for the open and get out
of the trap into which they have fal
len, even at the risk of being compelled
to give battle to a mucih superior fleet.
This theory is being combatted with
the argument that such a course would
be suicidal on the part of Admiral Cer
vera—that he would be compelled to
run the gauntlet of the American bat
tleships through a channel scarcely 300
feet wide, with little hope of escaping
annihilation. Summed up, to remain in
Santiago bay with Commodore Schley
on the outside means eventual though
perhaps deferred discomfiture for the
Spaniards, while to venture out would
be but a forlorn hope and lead to
speedier destruction. There is growing
belief, however, that the Spaniards
would prefer to take the latter alterna
tive when fully convinced that to re
main bottled up could result only In
final surrender.
TO IXTERCEPT CERVERA.
The maneuvers of the squadron com
nu.nded by Admiral Sampson would
Indicate that the American comman
ders anticipate a probable dash for
Havana by the Spanish fleet. There is
yet remaining a doubt as to the suc
cessful bottling up of the Spanish
squadron at Santiago. For that
reason Admiral Sampson, with a fleet
sufficiently powerful to annihilate the
one commanded by Cervera, is sta
tioned directly ln the path the Spanish
Admiral would be compelled to take in
order to reach Havana. Therefore,
that a naval battle Is imminent, and
may occur at any hour, is regarded by
many as a foregone conclusion. If
Cervera runs away from Schley he will
sail right into Sampson. That he can
escape both is not conceded by any-
TODAY'S BULLETIN.
Page.
I— Early Naval Battle Expected.
War's Opportunity Lost.
Republicans in a Tangle.
Madrid Talking Peace.
2— Minnesota Men Waiting Word.
News of Camp Thomas.
Minnesota's New Quo a.
J— Red Cross Work.
License Transfers Illegal.
4— Editorial.
At the St. Paul Hotels.
Shortage in Troops Surprising. #
6 — Sporting.
St. Paul Beaten by Columbus.
Irishmen Oppose Alliance.
6 — Markets.
Cash Wheat. $1.75.
Bar Silver, 57% c.
7 — Minneapolis Matters.
News of the Northwest.
News of the Railroads.
New Brighton Sale Fails.
B— Commerce Commi*i=lon Adjourns,
Stocking Divorce Case.
Savings Charter Valid.
Allemannia Bank to Reopen.
SL Paul Social N«««.
THE ST. -PAUL GLOBE
one, but that he will take desperate
chances and fight lt out ln the open
is the theory given most credence.
STRANGE SILENCE.
That the government has heard noth
ing from either Schley or Sampson is
generally disbelieved. lt is known
that Schley is within a day's run of a
cable line, by the use of which he
could communicate with Washington,
while Sampson is not so far distant
but that he could have brought infor
mation to a cable station since Mon
day morning, when it is known Samp
son was in the vicinity of Havana. Tha
strange silence clinches the belief that
the American naval commanders ex
pect to strike a decisive blow, and
quickly, and the absence of any direct
information from them — or, rather the
failure to make such information pub
lic — but goes to show that there is every
likelihood of a hostile meeting on the
sea before the close of the present
wtek.
COUNCIJ- OP WAR
Indicates Something Momcntoai
Is About to Occur.
WASHINGTON, May 26.— Secretary
Long said at the close of offlce hours
today that no word had come from any
of the scouting vessels so numerous in
West Indian waters concerning the
Spanish flying squadron, wherefore he
concluded that Cervera was still ln
Santiago harbor. Supposedly Schley is
lying outside waiting to prevent the
progress of the Spanish vessels, but,
while there is evidence of a certain
kind on that fact, there has been no of
ficial confirmation of it. This is a lit
tle remarkable in view of the fact that
it is only a day's run for one of Schley's
swift torpedo boats from Santiago to a
cable port in Haytl. There is also a
curious lack of information from news
paper dispatch boats on this point.
COUNCIL OF WAR.
Probably it was this uncertain state
of affairs that induced the president to
call a consultation at the White house
today between Secretaries Alger and
Long and Gen. Miles and the members
of the naval board, Admiral Sicard,
Capt. Crowninshield and Capt .Mahan.
As stated by one of the members of the
conference the purpose was to go
over the whole situation, from the
Philippines to Cuba and Porto Rico,
and decide just how far the plans al
ready laid should be modified to meet
conditions. This involved a discussion
of most important points, as the pro
priety of the immediate advance of the
military forces upon Cuba; the credi
bility of the advices so far had touch
ing the location of the Spanish squad
ron; the policy of preceding the Cuban
expedition, or accompanying It with
one directed against Porto Rico, and,
finally, the extent of the military assist
ance to be sent to Admiral Dewey at
Manila.
NEW GUNS TESTED.
Spanish Experts Were Pleased With
Resnlts.
MADRID, May 26.— According to El
Epoca, the Conservative organ, the
cabinet council today, the queen re
gent presiding, discussed three points
in the proposed note to the powers—
the matter of the bombardments by
the American squadron; the alleged
use of the Spanish flag by the Ameri
cans at Guantanamo, and the cutting
of International cables by the Ameri
cans.
Duke Almodovaf de Rio conferred
until a late hour this evening with Se
nor Leon y Castillo, the Spanish am
bassador to France.
News from Cadiz describes the trial
of the artillery of the armored cruiser
Emperador Carlos Quinto. All the
warships at Cadiz have steam up
constantly, and early yesterday the
Emperador Carlos Quinto left the har
bor, carrying a commission of experts
consisting of Gen. Jacome, chief of the
arsenal; Col. Sanchez, chief of artillery;
Col. Alonso, chief of engineers, the
captain of the port, and other mem
bers of the technical staff.
Three shots were fired from the twen
ty-eight centimeter gun, which is
mounted in a protected turret, with
electric and hand-firing mechanism,
the Emperador Carlos Quinto being the
only Spanish warship furnished with
these improvements.
CALL, WAS ANSWERED.
Nearly 120,000 Men Have Been Mus
tered on the First Call.
WASHINGTON, May 26.— The work
of mustering the volunteers into the
service of the United States under the
president's first call for troops is prac
tically completed.
Adjutant General Corbln announced
late tonight that the number of volun
teers so far reported were 118,000, and
that enough were prepared for muster
to swell the number to between 121,000
and 122,000. It is not expected by the
war department that quite the full
number called for will be mustered into
the army, as nearly all of the states
are short of the number called for by
their quota.
A SPANISH ACQUISITION.
The Steamer Havel Has Been Bought
for a Spanish Company.
LONDON, May 27.— A dispatch to the
Daily Telegraph from Hamburg says:
The North German Lloyd steamer Hav
el has been sold to the Spanish Com
panla Trans-Atlantica and has gone to
Barcelona.
SUSPECTED SPANISH SPY.
Similarity In Names Discovered at
Winnipeg.
Special to The St. Paul Globe.
WINNIPEG. Man., May 26.— Inquiry has
been made here regarding Frank "Miller,"
arrested at Tampa, Fla., a suspected Spanish
spy and formerly a member ot the North-
I west mounted police.
The books of that force show that a Frank
! Arthur Mellor. of London, Eng., was mustered
; In in 1886 and purchased his discharge tho
: following year. He was seen in Montreal last
j month by acquaintances, and was then a
clerk in the Webster house, and told his
friends he was going to the United States.
He was formerly a member of A battery
Quebec. His record is good.
IN A COLLISION AT SEA.
CALCUTTA, May 26.— Further particulars
regarding the disastrous collision on Tuesday
between the British India Steam Navigation
company's steamer Mecca and her sister ship
the Lindule, show that the former had 300
persons on board. Her passengers were
mostly Asiatics. The Mecca was towing the
Lirdula, which was disabled, when the haws t
parted and the two steamers crashed together.
The Mecca sank and her captain and fifty-two
others were drowned. The Lindula brought
the survivors to this port.
FRIDAY MORNING MAY 27, 1898.
HOUR TO INVADE IS PAST
THE GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
OF THE WAR GONE.
Delay In Assembling nn Army a Les
son That May ReHctlt In a Radical
Change in the National Guard Sys
tem Not Ready to Fight a Sev
enth Rate Power After Months of
Warning.
Washington Bureau St. Paul Globe, [
Corcoran Building. _
Special to The St. Paul Globe.
WASHINGTON, May 26.— The public
is still treated daily with an account
of the immediate invasion of Cuba
which, it is asserted, is about to take
place. Of course, this prediction if'con
tinued long enough, and with sufficient
regularity, will come out right, and
perhaps before many days; but a large
number of past prophesies have fallen
by the wayside.
The advantages of a successful in
vasion of Cuba as a means of bring
ing the war to a close, are manifest,
and in addition to the military value
of such an expedition, there was a few
weeks ago the humanitarian motive. It
might then have been possible to re
lease and relieve the reconcentrados.
But now that motive must be dropped
;rom the calculations; those reconcen
trados who are not already dead are
so situated that they can live through
anything.
Besides the collapse of the humani
tarian argument, which is negative,
comes a strong positive reason for
keeping out of Cuba in the approach
of the rainy setson. A successful in
vasion four weeks ago would have
saved the reconcentrados and might
have been accomplished before the time
of heavy mud and malarial fevers.
9 DELAY FATAL.
Every day's delay, therefore, In
creases the argument for putting the
matter over until fall, although much
will depend upon the operations of the
navy. If the president could see a
chance of hastening the end of the war
by sending an army across the channel
ln the next ten days, he would doubt
less do it, and that such a conclusion
may be reached is, of course, ii:>t out
of the question.
It Is quite generally agreed tbat an
invasion of Cuba immediately -.fter the
declaration of war would have been an
excellent military movement, if we had
possessed a army ready to do it. But
there were not enough regulars that
could be spared, and the volunteers
were not in shape to go.
This war Is showing us how long it
will take us to get ready for land right
ing, and in that way is teaching us
some needed lessons. Placid reliance
upon the superiority of American
genius has been to a great extent the
attitude of the past. But war is large
ly a question of arithmetic, and that
is something which, fortunately for us,
if we must learn it at all, we are ac
quiring from -a seventh-rat-3 power,
which cannot charge us very heavy
tuition fees.
WARNED IN TIME.
Prospects of an embroilment had been
apparent for three years, and for many
months before the destruction of the
Maine it was apparent that conditions
THE CLIFF ENCIRCLED BAY OF" SANTIAGO DE CUBA.
ln Cuba were reaching that point which
must sooner or later be regarded by the
American people as intolerable. Two
months elapsed between the Maine af
fair and the declaration of war, and
now another month and more has
passed, and yet from all sides reports
came of how much needs to be done,
what additional training is required,
and what provisions must be hurried to
the camps. And this after months of
warning, and, In a sense, of expectation.
LOGICAL L_^SOX.
Since we are so unprepared after so
much warning, the question arises,
what would have happened if some
great power as the aggressor had sud
denly attacked us? If France, for in
stance, had broken loose on us with a
sixty days' notice, we might now be
holding congress in Denver, and the
damage which would have been inflict
ed upon us, especially on the eastern
seaboard, in the opening months of
such a war would have been incalcula
ble. It Is fortunate that we are deal
ing with a worn out seventh-rate
power, and not with one of the great
nations of Europe.
The lesson which these considerations
is giving congress is that something
shoud be done to make the militia more
immediately available for national de
fence. And as between a large Increase
in the regular army or a more effiective
national guard, the latter would be im
measurably more In line with our tra
ditions, and vastly more economical. A
nation that has a small standing army
should have the larbest and best militia
possible, and yet all past efforts to im
prove and reorganize that first line of
reserves have fallen flat.
The great questions of the Fifty-sixth
and succeeding congresses will be mili
tary and naval, and the chairmen of
those committees, the big men of house
and senate. Either we must wash our
hands of foreign entanglements or be
better prepared to meet them when
they come.
ENVOYS FROM GARCIA
CUBAN GENERAL SENDS HIS AIDS
TO "WASHINGTON
Personal Assurances of Hearty Co
operation Come From the Cuban
Commander There Are Upwards
of 20,000 Well Armed Tro<opg in
the Field Ready to Act— —Garcia's
O Ulcers Have a Conference.
WASHIXGTOX, May 26.— Secretary
Alger and Gen. Miles conferred today
with two officers from the staff of Gen.
Garcia, Gen. Enrique Collazo and
Lieut. Col. Charles Hernandez, who
came direct from Garcia's headquar
ters bearing credentials from him to
effect a plan of co-operation with the
American forces.
Col. Herandez says Garcia has his
headquarters at Bayamo, one of the
large towns ln the central part of the
island. Gen. Garcia and his staff, with
a body guard of several hundred men,
are quartered inside the city. With
him is Gen. Babl and his staff and
body guard.
The Infantry and cavalry are quar
tered in the suburbs.
Col. Hernandez says that the com
missary and quartermaster's depart
ment is unknown ln the sense used by
army officials here. In lieu of these,
companies not fully armed are or
ganized as "predios." The duty of the
"predios" is to bring meat, ample sup
plies being secured from Puerto Prin
cipe and vegetables which are grown
quickly in the woods. The system
works perfectly, Cur. Hernendez says,
and the troops are kept well fed and
in good spirits.
Col. Hernandez suys communication
Is maintained with Gen. Gomez and
with points along the coast. From
these he has a general Idea of the Cu
ban forces, outside of these with Gan.
Garcia at Bayamo. He estimatis that
there are 12,000 men, all of them well
armed, east of La Trocha, and con
stituting the forces^ in the eastern di
vision of ths Island, under Gen. Garcia.
These include the 3,000 at Bayamo, the
others being scattered at various
points.
He estimates Gen. Gomez's imme
diate command at about 3,000 men,
with 6.000 men scattered at various
points. In all there are, according to
the estimates of Gen. Collazo and Col.
Hernandez, about 20,000 to 25,000 troops
actually in the fltld.
It is understood that the purpose of
the present visit of Garcia's officers is
to give that igeneral's assurance to the
authorities here of his desire to give
every possible aid to American move
ments. Similar assurances have coma
from Gen. Gomez and have been pre
sented by Secretary Quesada,
LEGISLATION IN A TANGIE
THE EEPUBLICANS DIVIDED
AS TO THEIE POLICY
A Compromlae That Will Pass a Rev
enue Bill, Shelve Hawaiian An
nexation and Secure an Early
Adjournment in Some Favor, but
It "Will Have a Rough Road to
Travel ln Congress.
Washington Bureau, St Paul Globe, )
Corcoran Building. J
Special to The St. Paul Globe.
WASHIXGTOX, D. C, May 26.—
Legislative affairs are in a serious
•tangle, and the outcome a subject of
much speculation. The administration
and its congressional followers are
now looking to the senate to pass the
revenue bill, and to the house to start
annexation, by joint resolution, ln mo
tion. Speaker Reed, in the house, and
the senate Democrats who are opposed
to both annexation and the Republi
can revenue programme, aided by a
few conservative Republicans like Hale
and Aldrich, would like to make a
trade, by which the revenue bill might
be promptly passed, Hawaiian annexa
tion shelved and an early adjourn
ment secured. Such an agreement is
certainly under consideration, and there
is no doubt that the parties named
would be glad to carry out its terms.
ALLIAXOE POSSIBLE.
A few Republican senators, who are
counted on as favoring Hawaiian an
nexation as an independent proposal,
are now willing to go into such an al
liance, believing that, If they consent
to take in the Hawaiian islands, they
may be caught in the whirlwind, and,
when the war is over, be compelled by
logic of their position to undertake
the annexation of a great deal of the
rest of the world.
This prospect staggers them, and
they prefer to let Hawaii go over till
a time when lt may be possible to con
sider all such projects together. This
Is making a few senators at least will
ing to go ln on the early adjournment
programme, even though nominally
committed to Hawaiian annexation.
Another argument is the desire to
get the revenue bill through promptly.
Sagacious leaders like Aldrich, of
Rhode Island, are not altogether sure
that It will be an easy matter to beat
down the Populistic element in the
revenue bill, since the senate has of
late been so potent in financial legisla
tion, and they are inclined to look upon
a postponement of Hawaiian annexa
tion as a small price to pay for ex
torting a decent revenue measure from
a hotbed of Populism, and to secure
an early end of the session. Thus leav
ing the conduct of the war in the
hands of the administration.
ROUGH ROAD.
But strong as this combination may
be, and powerful as are the arguments
in favor of that course, the road which
lt will have to travel is bound to be a
rough one. The administration Repub
licans are growing hotter for annexa
tion with each day's progress of the
war. They maintain that the expedi
tions that we are sending to Manila
will be compelled to violate Hawaii's
neutrality law, and that this subject
must not be allowed to go over under
any circumstances. Some of them go
further, and assert that the group of
Republicans who broke party ranks
on the Teller resolution and on the
recognition of Cuba's independence, will
join the Democrats on the revenue bill,
if necessary, to compel Speaker Reed
to send over the annexation resolu
tion.
There is plenty of obstructive ma
terial in the senate. Mr. Teller has a
lot of- sliver amendments, and Mr.
Chandler would be willing to play bi
metallism a little to keep a cross-fire
on the rules of the house.
In short, the prediction is freely made
•that, if the speaker does nothing for
annexation within a few days, the rev-
_H_^^_S
enue bill will be laid aside and possi
bly loaded by Republican assistance
with Populistic amendments of such a
nature as to bring the house in con
ference to terms and Speaker Reed to
his knees. There is much stubborn
ness and considerable ugly feeling on
both sides, and before a settlement is
reached there may be something of a
congressional circus.
TAWNEY AFTER TROUBLE.
A house leader in the move to annex
Hawaii at any cost is Tawney, of
Minnesota. The fighting member
of the First district is again
heading a regiment of Reed's recon
centrados and Hawaii is the objective
point. Manila may be abandoned to
her terrible fate, and Havana may still
suffer from Blanco's Iron rule, but
Honolulu must be saved. We must and
will have annexation, and Tawney,
armed for the coming conflict, is about
ready to do battle with the mighty
Caesar of the house.
Tawney has some pretty strong house
warriors on his staff. Gen. Grosvenor,
the doughty old filibuster from Ohio,
j was circulating a petition for a house
caucus on Hawaii this afternoon. His
task, however, was useless.
The scheme for a caucus to force the
speaker's hand, in fact, is about as
good as abandoned. It is enjoying a
series of postponements. This evening
was first set for that purpose, but so
cial arrangements of many members
prevented. Friday evening would not
do, because so many men are going
home over the holiday, as the house
adjourns from Friday to Tuesday.
Tuesday evening Is now the time talk
ed about, but most people believe that,
when the speaker puts his foot down
against the caucus, as he will, the
thing will gradually fade from sight.
Tawney and Hopkins are talking re
bellion loudly, but lt Is not generally
believed that their insurrection will
centrados and Hawaii is his objective
amount to much.
SPEAKER'S POLICY.
Although Reed has made It a rule
of his career not to obtrude his pref
erences to the extent of keeping a party
measure pigeonholed when a clear ma
jority of the Republicans of the house
are in favor of acting upon it, yet this
submission to the deliberate will of the
responsible party does not prevent him
from uttering his protest in a very vig
orous way when he se. s his party rush
ing madly into a blunder.
That seems to be the situation with
the Hawaiian annexation scheme. The
house is undoubtedly favorable to it
by a considerable majority; but it is
the infatuation of madness, not the
calm result of reasoning. The speaker
has stood out single-handed so often
against this class of jobs that he will
probably try to do it again, if there
is the faintest hope of success.
At any rate, his party will not get
past him with its annexation plan till
he has read lt a lesson and a prophecy,
and that will run something on this
wise:
"War necessity has always been the
cloak for frauds and schemes without
number, and the public watches the
party in power to see how many such
wrongs will be perpetrated on the fa
miliar pretext.
"With the prestige gained by the
Republican party in 1896, it might have
remained at the head of the govern
ment for an indefinite period, by show
ing that it could conduct a war with
out scandal. To rush ih now and make
the naval situation in the Pacific an
excuse for effecting by legislation the
scheme of annexation which had been
unable to get past the senate In the
form of a treaty would be to open the
door for every kind of robbery. In a
little while congress would run riot.
"Apart entirely from the moral ques
tions, or even tire administrative ques
tions concerned, this move would be
bad politics. The issue at the coming
elections would not be the past record
of the Republican party or the pend
ing war or anything of that sort, but
the annexation and kindred questions
and every rag tag of scandal which
could possibly be attached to the Re
publican party in connection therewith,
whether well founded or baseless, j
would be dragged out and magnified, j
Spain Embraces That Alter
native to Escape a
Revolution
NEW MINISTRY WILL ACT
In No Other Way Can th*
Impending Crisis Be
Averted
QUEEN REGENT WAS WABNEU
, i
" i
DEFEAT OF THE SPANISH WtMW*f\
MEANT ANARCH V I.\
MADRID
Would Hot Listen to the Plen» of
Royal Relative* Madrid Jour
nals Irge the Spanlnh Govern,
ment to Relieve the Siifl.r.n^
People of That I'nfortunate t oim_
tr > Famine Feed* the Flame*
of Revolt HelpleaHneaa of Ihe
Spanish Cauae Shown ln Ihe Bat
tle at Manila.
MADRID, May 26.— The political out
look is brighter, and the ministerialists
believe that a cabinet crisis can be
averted. Capt. Auleon, minister of ma
rine, declared in the corte3 today
(Thursday) that when an opportunity
presented itself the cabinet would not
fail to do its best to bring about an
honorable peace.
The dominant not of public opinion
here is a desire to find some way to
honorable peace, as Spain has nothing
to gain by an indefinite prolongation of
hostilities.
All idea that France will intervene,
however, is now abandoned, and hop_s
are fixed upon the possibility that Duke
Almodover de Rio, the new minister of
foreign affairs, will find some fitting
occasion on which to take the initiative.
QUEEN IS STUBBORN.
LONDON, May 26.— A Madrid dis
patch says a revolution will follow th_
defeat of the Spanish fleet. The queen
regent refuses to fly from the capital.
The defeat of the Spanish fleet, whi.-h
the best informed persons regard as
only a matter of a few days, is bound to
precipitate an outbreak.
Knowing this royal relatives urged
the queen regent to leave Madrid, buc
she stubbornly refused.
SPAIN'S HELPLESSNESS.
HONG KONG, May 26.— Capt. Con
cha, of the ill-fated Spanish cruise.
Don Juan de Austria, destroyed at th-**
battle of Manila, says that the Spanish
commanders were quite aware that
fighting was hopeless, but were forced
to lt by the state of public opinion at
Manila. He and other officers wished
to steam out of the harbor to met:
the Americans, but Admiral Montejo
forbade that.
Capt. Concha says the Spanish fleet
was in a disgraceful condition. The
engines of the cruiser Don Antonio de
Ulloa were broken; the Castilla was
leaking and needed engines to keep the
water under; the Don Juan de Austria,
had only two guns that could be fired;
the Marques del Duero had only ono
gun; while the Isla de Culxa and the
Isla de Luzon had only their decks pro
tected. He declares, however, that had
the Americans not withdrawn by 11
o'clock the Spanish intended to ste.un
out and die to the last man.
PEACE IS NEAR.
Prediction in Line With Ihe ■■.__
1 pen n Ont look.
LONDON, May 27.— The Paris cur
respondent of th> Dai y Telegraph re
ports an interview h^ has had with Dr.
Betanoes, representative of th<* Cuban
republican government in Paris.
Dr. Betances exprtssts th- Bra c n
victlon that the wa- will be over s. on
er than is though: in Europe.
"The Americans," he says, "will « x
perience no d.fflculty in landing troops.
who will at once be jolr.td by insur
gents, who are much stronger than ia
generally supposed. Nor is there r.ny
doubt that Rear Admiral Sam* son w 11
strike a heavy blow shortly. The in
surgents would rather accept annexa
tion by the United States than the
autonomy which Spain would grant.
Before another werk the Americans
will be masters of Havana and be
firmly established in Cuba."
"GRAVE MEASIRES."
MADRID, May 26, 11:30 p. m.— El
Correa (Liberal) says it is nmml
that "grave measures" have been
taken against the military chief of the
Philippines.
The government has received no in- -
formation onthe subject.
The Comtesse de Paris has returned
to Paris.
ij War News in Brief.
ji Big naval engagement is imminent.
ij Admiral Cervera expected to try to as ?
jl cape from Santiago bay.
ij Admiral Sampson in Bahama ihsn:i I.
ji prepared to intercept Cervera should he?
lj make a dash for Havana.
ji Believed the Spanish admiral will pie'er'j
? light to starvation. I
ji Spain may sue for peace. I
ij Revolution in Spain will tollow do-?
ji feat of Admiral Cervera's fleet. ?
ij Queen regent urged to flee from Madrid.
S but refuses.
i 1 Famine threatens the Spanish proving-.
\ Hopelessness of Spain's cause shj*n at?
( > .Manila. J
(' New Spanish minister of foreign uffiir
\ expected to secure an honorable pence at?
) en early date.
( Spaniard- te3t new electric guns. ?