Daily New Dominion

Care Being Taken to Move It With Little Risk.

16 WARSHIPS AS CONVOY.

The Naval Fleet Headed by the Battleship Indiana.

ABOUT 50 TRANSPORTS TO BE USED

The Ships Carrying the Soldiers and the War Vessels Expected to Make a Formidable Marine Procession -The Expedition Could Have Left Over a Week Ago, but the Rumor of Spanish Ships In the North Atlantic Caused Delay.

Authorities Refused to State the Time of Leaving Port.

WASHINGTON, June 11.-Out of the maze of doubt and contradiction as to the dispatch of the first army of invasion to Cuba one thing stands out clearly, namely, that the government, feeling strong in its present position and plan, is moving cautiously and with the deliberation which it believes will secure success unattended with disasters.

With this main purpose in view the army and navy are co-operating toward the dispatch of the troops, some 25,000 in number, under escort of a strong fleet of naval convoys made up of 16 warships, headed by the battleship Indiana. Unattended by this strong fleet the troops might have left yesterday a week ago, when one strong naval convoy was ready for this service. Since then, however, reports have come as to the presence of Spanish ships in the North Atlantic.

Realizing that nothing was to be gained by haste and that the war was progressing steadily towards success, it was determined not to take the one small chance of having our troop transports menaced by some scouting ship of the enemy. As a result the troop transports have not proceeded to Cuba.

They are in readiness to go, but will not move until the naval convoy is ready to accompany them, assuring safe conduct from Florida to the point of destination.

The war department positively declines to say when the forces will move, and there is authority for the statement that any reports purporting to give the hour or day when this formidable flotilla of invasion will start is not only unwarranted, but meets with the most vigorous official condemnation. The administration feels that the time has come when it is of utmost importance that the precise movements of this invading fleet should not be published in this country and thus heralded to the enemy

The completeness with which the transport of troops has been planned is shown in the official list of transport vessels given out at the war department yesterday. Of this list 34 large steamships, varying from 4,100 tons down to 600 tons, are at Florida ports ready to carry our troops to the point of invasion. There are some 15 other craft, including vessels suitable for conveying fresh water, stores, etc., and for lightering the troops and stores from the ships to the beach when the debarkation begins.

The entire transport fleet of about 50 steamships, augmented by the fleet of naval convoys, 16 in number, will make a formidable marine procession, exceeding in magnitude the notable spectacle of the naval review during the World's fair year.