To the United States these considerations were applicable only in part; for, while the inconvenience to Spain would be the same, the gain to us would be but little, as our lines of communication to Cuba neither required the support of Puerto rico, nor were by it particularly endangered.
"Lessons of the war with Spain and other articles"
Alfred T. Mahan
Either Cuba or Puerto rico might, in an ordinary case of war, have been selected as the first objective of the United States operations, with very good reasons for either choice.
"Lessons of the war with Spain and other articles"
Alfred T. Mahan
Besides all this, the concentration of our efforts upon Cuba, with a subsequent slight extension to the single port of San Juan in Puerto rico, imposed upon Spain the burden of sustaining the war between three and four thousand miles from home, and spared us the like additional strain.
"Lessons of the war with Spain and other articles"
Alfred T. Mahan