Show Cuba Not the Peninsula i k 4 the Real Objective L The Many Vulnerable Points of the Beleaguered Pearl of the Antilles BY CAPTAIN GEORGE L KILMER Copyright 111 H Put Into plain English the Brit problem prob-lem before the United States In the Cuban Cu-ban crisis Is not to make war upon the whole Spanish nation bat upon SpanIsh Span-Ish Cuba This Is I In line with the policy poli-cy originally laid down In the declara tlons by the president and the responsible responsi-ble utterances of congress Therefore the broad strategy for Initiatory movements move-ments may be found very simple Our poelon give us sure foothold for land and naval forces within striking distance of the chief Spanish towns on the Island of Cuba The region now controlled by the patriot has been I reached again and again during this war by filibustering expeditions and In previous wars of the tame character Various parts of the Island under Spanish Span-ish control have been up to a certain point successfully Invaded by allies from outside In the Lopez Insurrection that chieftain chief-tain landed at Cabanas 40 miles west of Havana with a few hundred Americans and marched to the Interior repulsing the Spaniards sent to Intercept his march Making Its way Into Near del Itlo the expedition cam to grief be c tuse of Its lamentable weakness On another occasion he landed at Card nas east of Havana During the Ten Team war General Jordan the ex Con federate landed atMayarlon the northwest north-west coast with 100 men having In illarge arms and ammunition for 6000 soldiers besides some cannon While marching toward the Interior Jordan was attacked but repulsed the Span lards and carried the expedition through to the neat of the Insurgent government at uaymaro vbcro he gay a Bound thrashing to n force of PpanlarU sent against him What has bn done can be done again and It should be borne In mind that where the filibusters have had at best only a few hundred men In any expedition the first Invad defense or blockade of Cuban or Puerto I lllcnn ports for any length ot time What It longs to do Is I to nil out the pan Ill navy and the Spaniards maybe may-be slow about steaming up to the Yankee Yan-kee guns quiescently for that fate So It bdo talr I 10 come speedily to a earn patgn of no va I strategy Om side uIll seek to draw the other Into favorable position for 1 it decisive battle Warfare Is I no longer 1 matter of challenge with the combat fought out under fixed rule Yank set lots have been taught to drlv aheall After their object It the enemy stands they go nt him It he runs they chase him and if he breaks In confusion they smite hip and thigh No standing I off and saluting with the chivalrous Invitation Gentlemen will you have the goodness to fire The watchword for every ship commander Is I When In doubt lent Commodore Schley Is I reported to have outlined the course to pursued by the flying squadron He would dash Into any Spanish fleet he could coma up with throw It Into confusion and badly crip pie Jt then awns This view of the sit nation means that the enemyn navy Ito I-to bo the objective All depends on the willingness ot the Spaniards to accept battle Nelson nailed Iwo years to draw the French navy Into the campaign cam-paign which ended In Its destruction at Trnnltnr If Spain should decide on a waiting war and compel us to orce the I fighting then the next objective aflrr1 we gt our way on > the island ot Cuba would be 10 n maneuver no 10 threaten another vital point which the Spanish navy would seek to defend A menace of Poetic Illco might have that effect hut If Spain Is the weak power she has been ailed It would be bad strategy tor hr 10 risk her navy for the defense of anything on this side of the water That fit I 10 soy she might defend them best by wallin until she could get our navy on the hip In that event probably everything ev-erything except Cuba would be restored to hr The i fighting tactics once the Heels como together will be of the boldest hInd It the navies are to Justify their cot Modern fleets are made up for line of battle righting and the long range trims of today will allow ot long distances But It Is I not human nature for a people with the traditions of the American navy to stand off and Indulge In target practice Should the Vlzcaya land a shell In the bowels of the Indiana Indi-ana or the relayo pierce the armor of the Texas those Spaniards will be marked for retaliatory blows and will get them It their antagonists have to close In and deliver them In the face ota ot-a rain of shots With a ship under them ha Ing a head of steam on able to mOVe Into the ring ot the enemy champions the Yankee gallon will submit to no holding Another element which will make for hot fighting Is I the fact that all the grot ships have their Individuality and are the pride of their officers and crew They 11 never haul oft from a scrap until un-til the particular ship has done the beet there Is I In her It will be with them on It was with Nelson at the battle of Copenhagen when the quaking chief admiral of the British fleet hoisted the signal Leave oft ntllonIn other words retreat When Nelsons signal officer called out the unwelcome message mes-sage the old hero exclaimed Lave oft action Now dn me It I dot In the thunder of a hot naval battle with the spirit bf Paul Jones ma odes II J = tt and p blPULe odesk and Farragut will run small rlt erry ot court martial by falling to see or h the orders to leave oft action ThtM be In the rumpus to light and Theyll treat not to If the dogs of war when once i < let loose go at It I with Napoleonic I M gift ness they II seize everything in In the West Indies Just to rob might Seal BITOW M lt 1 Spain 01 foothold every for bases That a Orant fdan for settling the Cuban qullon In him day Again our nav may remain In oboervallon I only navy Puerto nice waiting for om crlalo ort In the Cuban campnfgn 10 determl question ot larger atratey Torpedo boats can cut little figure In the plan at this stage Their Is I ne uncertain as that ot the Moallor Utility when she teamed out to laekl lb Mrrlmao Thy he been tried the found wnntlng In and reliability as Well am In precision With the spirit ot 10r raglit the sailors will take to the at doeol the outset saying Dn the torpl Spain problem will bo the ot coal ao that of the north In question the civil war was one of bread for the Invading n army on Its long marches into the the my s country The Yankee navy have the Spaniards by the jugular AIIJ whenever It can corner the tool nIt ply Plft It Is Idle to talk about compelling the Spanish navy or tho Spanish army 10 fight Nations and arml armies can and If ably conducted will choose their ow time and place for bailie Prooeallon on the part of Spain must neces ncearlly cause this government to broaden Ili plan of warfare It will wag w ar against other of Spain s colonies than Cuba In order to secure for Hi > hlp bases ot upply and to kep Spain lro using the bases herself lIut I Ih mnd objective until some grat event changes the situation Is I 8 Cuba and the problem before the slialcitets ret up on these three points Finding the starving Cubans Equipping Gomel Insurgent Army Driving the Spaniards out |