| Show CERVERA SAILED TO 10 DEFEAT spanish navy in no condition for war washington NOT nov 28 the navy department part ment today bublie hed through the office of naval intelligence kance the ol 01 admiral cervera regarding Jing the soma ih ith navy in tha the late war captain clover cover the chief intelligence officer cr explains that this is a report of a number of 0 letters published in la ep ca of madrid on the ath of the present month the letters are dated from before the vf tar ar up to 0 o slay may fth they were written by cervera in protest against spain rushing into war in the face of certain defeat due to the naval strength of the united slater and the of the spanish navy cervera writes 1 I ask myself it if it is right for me to keep eilent and thereby make accomplice in adventures which will surely came cause Q the total rain of spain and for what purpose to defend an island which was ours but be longs to ug us no more beca became uee even it we debould not lose it b by right in the war wa se have lost it in m tact fact and with it much wealth and an enormous number of young meo men vict irme of the climate and bulle ta to in the decenes of what is now no wore than a romantic idea furthermore I 1 believe that ibis this opinion of t mine should be known to the queen and nd by the whole council of minister I 1 have deemed it my duty to express my opinion opinions tfx tithe the proper authorities clearly and without beating about the bush AN now ow let ceders be fiven given to me I 1 will crry them oat WILI energy and dec tion sion I 1 am ready for the worst captain clever says ari spain bad cee lecter iier her navy and cervera shows that it was imprudent for her to attempt war against a superior naval power taking op up ome ame of the vesicle in detail in a letter written in Janna he shows how the carried defective detective eun guns how the carlo V wai was a failure because of lack of power and bow how the cataluna begun moio mote than eight yesra years before waa was till still incomplete and then be predicted that a conflict would be disa dint arous trous rous to spain in a letter written in february the speaks ec of abe be colon having no CUDS guns of other vowels being detective deec de active tive cf ct the inability of the fleet to coal at cd va z of their being oblige to go 0 o wih balf half rations and finally their having baying wc haTto of american seas he lie fay says that ohp eight vessels on he the havana station are worn out and that taking things OB as they are the spanish naval farce cam compared pared with that of the united states is in the proportion of I 1 to 3 in such conditions a campaign be he ild be disastrous it if not an offensive one ard all that couie bo be done in an way woold would be to make gme raid with a few fast vet vetal sl the te admiral points to the futility futi lily of 0 attempting to fc lockade the united stales states portland port fand ennd abka asks how the spanish navy woold would repair even should they win a it great victory without resources he ile ars mays it would be foell k to deny that w abat bat we may reasonably ex pact is defeat te fat which may be glorious but all the same defeat which woold would causi ut us to lose the islands in the wont worst possible manner only in case we could count on some powerful ally could we aspire to obtain a satisfactory atif satir factory the admiral refers to the spanish pacific foca as not able to afford even a of resistance to the american naval force further on be b speaks of the war as at lart last in eight and ad laments the ii it couplets cou cow state of the dews but after 11 all II he says that he i ii glad the end Is comine coming and is prepared to do bis his duty he ile Is to on record at a protesting pro against the idea of the little torpedo boat flotilla to cuba pointing out dut that a naval defeat for spam would precipitate the tho losa lose of cuba ha ile speaks of the surp riso and astonishment ex perien ced by all the officers of bis his squad ron on receiving orders from spain to sail from cape de verde for cuba inasmuch as they had united in pointing out the condition of the chips ships bays gave tho the admiral ad mial with an easy I 1 so go to the Pac sacrifice but I 1 cannot understand noder stand he decision of tha tile navy general officers cert against my opinion the letter in ia the ilia tales is one forn f orn admiral villamil Villau nl of cerveris veras squadron addressed directly to sagasta Saga ata pointing out that the sacrifice cac of the spanish naval forces will ie lie aa As certain at as irwill it will be useless and fruitless for the I 1 termination of the war |
