Show SPANISH FLEET quesada said it would go to santiago cuban officer correctly foreshaw owed the movements of the ar kaaa cannot send supplies to havana washington D 0 may 20 the navy department posted the following bulletin at the close of office haars hoars the navy department hag information which ia believed beli ered to be authentic that the spanish squadron under ad miral cervera is Santiago at de cuba washington D 0 may SO the department part ment has been using all of the machinery of the consular con eular service in addition to the vices of numerous scout ing vessels to get and keep track of the elusive toe the war board went into session early in the day probably to consider and weigh the newspaper re ports as to alie movements of the spanish fleet the fact that the first came from madrid was regarded as in itself a suspicious circumstance for it is hardly ta be supposed that the spaniards are such simple strategists as to us of their plans in that manner the other report regarded as confirmatory of the madrid cable namely that from the steamer dula upon close rading failed to indicate whether the warships seen from that vessel were american or spanish altogether the general belief at the department was that the whereabouts of the spaniards are unknown gen miles bad another long consultation today with secretary long and those repeated meetings are construed cone trued here to mean that a point lias been reached in the where the army finds it necessary to call apon the navy for convoys ta take the troops to cuba it is realized that this work is extra hazardous at present convoys always are exposed to destruction at the bands of a determined enemy and with a squadron of fleet spanish cruisers and torpedo gunboats of great speed alyin in wait somewhere near cuba nothing but the most formidable convoy eich ae would be afforded by all of Samp sone and schley a ironclads iron eave the monitors would suffice to give a reasonable degree of protection against attack there are indications that the military expedition will make its real start from key west unless the atmosphere clears through the destruction or disappearance from cuban waters of the spanish fleet if the start is made from port tampa the ships with their heavy loada and stores will ba exposed to attack almost thirty hours not allowing for the of spending much additional dit ional time off the cuban coast wait ing for an opportunity to land on the other band if the start is made from key west the final starting of the journey will be reduced the daylight hours of one day while alie report from madrid that tb spanish Equi dron is at santiago is received with some misgiving yet the officials of the cuban delegation here consider the report as U bears out what these painted out when tho fleet first reached martinique ti as to the probable course the spanish admiral would take being well acquainted with the cuban coast its facilities tor landing etc Secie tary quesada eaid at the outset that admiral cervera would seek to elude the american fleet and by a route would make for santiago this mr quesada pointed out was the natural move by which the spanish admiral would escape battle and would be most secure in making n landing on cuban soil the present reports appear to bear out this theory mr eaid today that the ish admiral would find himself seriously handicapped at santiago it will be useless tor him to attempt to land provisions and supplies to succor blamco at havana as there ie no railroad communication muni cation between santiago and havana and an overland trip would take weeks or two months besides mr queenda says the cuban siope overrun abo astern end of the island surrounding santiago and it would be impossible for spanish eup alie a to be carried overland through a country full of cuban there are said to be about cuban troops in the immediate neighborhood of santiago but recently brought to the cuban officials here show that they lack ammunition sufficient or an assault on santiag Santi ae if the spanish fleet is at santiago mr quesada bays about all it can is to a base of operations ia a fairly well fortified harbor and 30 to by in coal from colliers which are understood to have preceded the fleet there london may 20 the report ot the anival of admirel fleet at santiago de cuba lias revived the inter est of london in the war all the information thus ir comes from spanish sources and there Is much speculation ns to why ha spanish an permitted tb e 1 |