The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-24
NO PROTEST WILL Be MADE
Attitude of the United States as
to Cretan Blockade.
SECRETARY SHERMAN SPEAKS
He Declares the Seat of the Trou-
BILE Too Remote From This Gov
eminent to- Affect American In
-fi terests-No InterrOgations To
Lord Salisbury LIKELY.

Secretary Sherman stated to The Times
from London, printed in two New
York papers, as TO the attitude the
United States will assume toward the
six powers in the matter or the CTetan
blockade, that it was not at all lik .Iy
there will be any action Qpore than has
been already taken, which is the acknowI
edgemeat OF receipt of the notice OF the
blockade.
''fnaG notice. Secretary Sherman said,
was sent TO the London embassy and my =
self simultaneously. The bIockaded sec
ton is tOU remote from this government
to in any way affect American interests,
and there is no probability of protest
being filed, nor OF the action Indicated
in the dispatch you have shown me-
The Secretary's attention was pariicu-
larry called TO the paragraph which pur-
ports 70 show the state OF public senti-
ment in England, and the embarrassment
which would be produced by the transmits
sion of certaininterTogations to Lord Sails
bury. Later, he took the clipping and read
it through.
There is nothing, 50 far as 1 know
he said, Ito call for such action"
Asking il the blockade had been dis
cussed between himself and the Presi-
dent, with reference to the necessity f0r
other action, Mr.. Sherman said it had
not been discussed at all
The letter acknowledging the receipt
If the notice has already been sent, and
it is not believed that anything else is
necessary"
me story, as printed, is in substance as
follows:
The necessity will, therefore, be forced
upon the Mckinley Administration either
tacitIy to acknowledge the validity OF the
blockade By complying with the request
Of the British government, or distinctly
TO refuse to recognize the blockade and
give the reasons, under International law,
for the refusal.
1.-The only information thus far received
in London regarding the attitude Of the
Washington Government is contained in a
dispatch to the Standard, affirming tina Z
the President viii strictly adhere. with
regard to Crete, To the safe, neutral pol
icy pursued by his predecessor toward
Spain and Cuba.
1.-The situation in Crete is, OF course,
radically different from that in Cuba.
The action Of the powers in bIockading
Turkish territory in time Of peace can
only be Iegalized by their assuming the
character OF agents of the Turkish gov
eminent. with the consent of the sultan
Such, in fact, they are, but Lord Sails
bury has emphatic5iiy denied it every
time the point has been raised agains {
him by his critics.
1t would have a tremendous effect upon
English public opinion il the United States,
in response TO his notice of the blockade.
should ask the obvious question whether he
is acting as agent of the sultan. The British
premier would then be compelled to assume
publicly a role which, rightly. is regarded
as odious by English public opinion, or &C
knowledge the blockade TO be an outrage
Gus violation of the law OF nations
The terms OF the present blockade no
tice, it should be pointed out, are essen
TALLY different from that given by the
powers on the occasion of the blockade OF
the Greek ports eleven years ago. There
was no attempt then to interfere with
vessels flying foreign flags. The block
aiding fleet did not even assume the right
to visit" such ships. There would then
than there is now, for, although there
had been no actual declaration of war
against Greece, the anba ssadOrs Of the
powers had left Athens. and all diplomatic
relations had ceased. Now. however, fun
diplomatic relations between the powers
and Greece and Turkey are maintained