Show SPAINS NAVAL PLANS The Spanish fleet under Admiral Cer vera continues to eludeAdmiral Samp sons fleet Its primary purpose is no doubt to land supplies of various kinds at different ports In Cuba This done it Is far from Improbable that It will immediately return to the Canaries or Cadiz if it can avoid a meeting with the American fleet And what would be the object of such a policy To prolong the war In the hope that Europe will Intervene Spain doesnot want any decisive naval bar tic for the reason that If she were vie torious it would mean thb redoubling theeffortSTjf this country to build a newfleet while Jf her fleet were cap tured or annihilated it would prac I tically end the war and make certain I the loss of Cuba and Porto Rico In the Western hemisphere and the Philippines j Philip-pines in the eastern i If these conjectures be well rounded J there is not the remotest danger of any i American city being attacked for haying hay-ing bombarded American cities Slain could not go into an international court I of equity with clean hands If she wishes Intervention for the reestab j lishment of peace and not an alliance for the prosecution of the war not haying hay-ing laid waste any seacoast cities her appeal would have greater force with tht powers to whom It might be made The above hypothesis explains better than any other the peculiar strategy employed by the Spanish fleet a strategy strat-egy that has thus far baffled comprehension compre-hension This would seem to leave out of account the fact that the invasion of Cuba Is intended and that to prevent it will necessitate the continuance of the Spanish fleet in Cuban waters but It does not If the Invasion is not to be attempted until the Spanish ieet is I disposed of to keep up the mystery of jits whereabouts would still be part of the strategic plan of Spain end with the fleet at the Canaries where there are ample supplies the plan would be as effective in this respect as to have it in some Cuban or Porto Rican pert or anywhere else There is every Indication Indi-cation that Spain is not desirous of bringing on a decisive naval battle notwithstanding all the new ministrys talk about pushing the war vigorously 1 |