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New Zealand Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 3435, 17 May 1898, Page 2

Indications point to a naval engagement constituting the-next act in

the the war drama being so mysimpending teriously played by Spain and naval the United States. The battle. Spanish squadron which stayed so long at Cape Verde having now. beau sighted in the Caribbean Sea, the two American fleets sent out to meet it will doubtless make all haste to force a battle. The Spanish chance in such case is anything but dazzlingly bright, for the squadron from Cape Verde, according to reports received by last night’s mail, is a comparatively weak one. It is said to include the following cruisers : —lnfanta Maria, 20 knots, 7000 tons, 28 guns, 2 Maxims and 6 torpedo tubes; Almirante Oquendo, 20 knots, 7000 tons, 28 guns, 2 Maxims and 6 torpedo tubes; Visoaya, 21 knots, 7000 tons, 26 guns, 2 Maxims and 6 torpedo tubes; Cristobal Colon, 20 knots, 6840 tons, 38 guns, 2 Maxims and 4 torpedo tubes. In addition to these there are three of the best typo of modern torpedodestroyers, built at Clydebank for the Spanish Government. Each of these on the trial trip gave a speed of 28 knots. The Furor and the Terror ate each 220 ft long and 22ft broad. They are armed with two 14-pounders, two 0-pounders, Maxim-Nordenfeldts and two Maxima. The Plutou is slightly heavier in build, being 400 tons, as against the others, which are sat down at 300 each. The Pluton also has a speed of 30 knots, which means over 34 miles an hour. Her coal capacity is 100 tons, end she has two 14-inoh torpedo tubes carried on deck. She has a complement of 70. There are therefore only seven'Spanish ships (four cruisers and three torpedo destroyers) to be opposed to the Americans* three battleships, two monitors and ten cruisers—this being the reported strength of the combined squadron under Sampson and Schley which is searching for the Spaniards. Even if the latter can join with the torpedo flotilla at Puerto Rico the odds will still be against them.

With the suggestion which has been mad© for a systematic atrengthendefencb ing of our defences we agree peecau- as a matter of {general prinTiOKS. ciple, though there is room for difference of opinion as to details. As strange as the statement may seem, the fact is that for Britain to be plunged into war would be an excellent thing for the colonies. It yronld teach them the sharp and necessary lesson that they are unprepared in the matter of defences and must adopt new precautions if they wish to be able to protect themselves against foreign attacks. So far we*, have relied on the auxiliary squadron, port defences which if the truth was practically enforced on us would probably be found of very little use against a mbdernlyeqnipped enemy, and a handful of volunteers. This being our condition, it may be advisable to organise larger land defences if employment for them should pur fortunately b© promised. But, obviously, the better way of making provision of this sort is that which has been so often advo* cated in these columns of training the youth of the country to some acquaintance with the use of arms. That is what will have to be done sooner or later, if only

because other countries are doing it, and so gaining a great advantage over British communities. The best we can hope for is that the necessity for a policy that would make the public schools recruiting grounds for the Volunteer force may not be enforced on us, in our unpreparedness, from the mouths of foreign guns.