Spain's Loss Of Cuba

Spain's Loss Of Cuba

Secret History of Spanish-American War.

WOODFORD'S SPARRING FOR TIME.

Under the heading of "The Secret History of a Modern War" the London magazine Black and White, prompted by Spain's suit against Clyde shipbuilders for $375,000 damages because of failure to deliver four torpedo boat destroyers on time and which has just been won "by the Spanish government, says:

"There is a divinity that shapes our ends, but the Spanish government believes today that had she had the four gunboats which were building for her she would have prevented the landing of rifles, ammunition and men and, having the Cubans isolated from outside assistance, have subjugated them before the United States dreamed of interfering.

"The law action is a remarkable one, but there is a still more extraordinary story in connection with the Spanish-American war.

"Spain was unready, her minister of marine tells us. Had she known what we now know perhaps the government would not have waited so long. Bad as may have been 'the condition of the Spaniards, the Americans were in a still more parlous plight, and all the diplomatic trickeries, the delays and feints of which the world was witness In the spring of 1898, were parts of a huge scheme to put off the inevitable declaration of war until America dared safely make it.

"The story is one of the most remarkable in the history of modern warfare and is told by no less an authority than Mr. Stewart L. Woodford, who at the time was American minister at Madrid. Negotiations of a more or less delicate character, with war always looming In the distance, had been In progress for some months, when on Feb. 15, 1808, the United States battleship Maine was blown up In the harbor of Havana.

"Through departments other than the state department,' Mr. Woodford has told us, 'I received telegraphic Information on Feb. 18. There were not on the American ships or in the ordnance depots In the United States two rounds of powder per gun at that time, and I was told to exhaust the arts of peace until April 15, the earliest date at which we could be anywhere near ready for war.

" 'I did the best I could, but let m tell you that had it not been for the unfaltering, unchanging and loyal friendship of England and the attitude of her minister at Madrid I thought have failed to do the little I did do, because the representatives at Madrid of continental Europe were ready at any time to interfere with the plans of the United States if the British minister would only join them.'

"So while Mr. Woodford was finessing and keeping the way open in Madrid the work of preparing for war went on in America, and to show how accurately the time was gauged the run of a 'sealed express' across the American continent may be instanced. No man outside Washington knew its contents, and only two there. The train had right of way over all others. When it reached San Francisco its cargo was transferred to a waiting steamer, which raced to Honolulu. There the cruiser Baltimore was waiting - everybody wondered why at the time. The cargo of the steamer was transferred to the Baltimore, which carried It to Hongkong.

"On April 23 the cargo was distributed among the American warships there and Admiral Dewey had the ammunition for which he had been pining. He received orders on April 24 to sail for Manila. That ammunition on May day awoke echoes in Manila bay that were heard round the world and took from Spain an empire of over 100,000 square miles, with close upon 10,000,000 people. History is written In strange ways.

"The story of America's race against time was made known to the world for the first time at a public banquet. Now another page of this strange chapter of history has been written in a Scottish court of law thousands of miles from the scene of action.

"The American papers and public men who decried their government for the tardy throwing down of the challenge to battle have, since the true story was made known, devoutly thanked their stars that long heads and clearer knowledge prevailed over popular outcry.

"Had America's secret weakness been known what must she have lost and Spain have gained! America's whole available store went down with the Maine In Havana harbor.''