Show WAR spain evidently preparing to strike a blow navy of the united states seine for defense and the greatest secrecy maintained in handling thu dispatches pass iny between spain and the state department fleet of supply boats busy stocking our gun boats off key west washington feb 7 the cuban situation is believed to be very critical and the president is exceedingly anxious that no hasty action be takes spain is evidently preparing for war and all the evolutions 0 our navy are on the line of placing ourselves in a defensive position there is good reason to believe that mckinley hae renewed through Mia itter woodford the demand that spain set a time when the cuban war wil bo brought to a chloee the state de purt ment ia guarding with the greatest care the diplomatic correspondence now going on with madrid it ia in full charge of first assistant secretary day and as an additional precaution the noih of translating from cipher is taken out of the hands of alie man who has usually done the work and is now performed at the white ahouee new york feb 7 there ia a mysterious movement of naval vessels here the key west fla correspondent of the beraldi the torpedo flotilla which left here about two weeks ago for cities on the gulf coast has suddenly appeared again the and the ericsson Eric sEon are now here and the dupont will arrive today from mobile the fleet supply boat waa busy all laet week taking large quant ites of stores from the station for the fleet the marblehead has crift for the fleet the nashville has arnved here from the fleet she has adall supply and provi eione when she left |