The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-09
ANNUAL MESSAGE.
CONTINUED From First Page.)
and giving Spain until noon of April
23rd to reply.
SEVERING DIPLOMATIC RELA-
TIONS

shown, officially made known to the
Spanish envoy here. was not deliver
ed at Madrid. After he Instructions
reached General Woodford on the
morning of April 21st, but before he
could present it, the Spanish minis
ter of state notified him shat upon
the presidents approval off the joint
resolution, the Madrid government,
regarding the act as 'equivocal to an
open declaration of war had order
ed it's minister in Washington to with
draw, thereby breakirg'~off diplomatic
relations between *fhe two countries
and ceasing all official communication
between their respective representa-
tives. General Woodford ~thereupon
deman1ed his passports and quilted
MaaTid the same day.
FORMAL DECLARATION AND NO
: TICE TO OTHER POWERS.
Spain having thus denied the de-
mand of the United States and initia-
ted that complete form Of rupture of
relations which attends a state Of war,
the executive powers authorized by
the resolution were at once used by me
to meet the enlarged contingency OF
actual war between sovereign states.
On April 22nd, / proclaimed a block
ade Of the north coast of Cuba, in
Guiding ports on said coast etwee
Cardenas and Bahia Honda and the
port of CienfuegOs on the south coast
of Cuba; and on the 23rd / called for
volunteers to execute the purpose of
the resolution. BY my message OF
April 25th the was Informed
of the situation and / recommended
formal declaration of the existence Of
a state Of war between the United
States and Spain. The congress ac-
cordingly voted on the same day the
act approved April %, 1898, declared
IT, 1D;,ta-na ~ c,1nh u.ar from nn1
including the 21st day of April, and
re-enacted the provision of the resO-
luton of April goth, directing the pres
ident to use all the armed forces OF
the nation to carry that act into eff
feet. Due notification Of the existence
of war as aforesaid was given April
25h by telegraph to all the govern
ments with which the Uni / States
maintain relations, in Orde; nat their
neutrality might be assured during the
war. The various governments re-
spOnded with prOClamatiOnS of neu-
trality, each after its own methods. 1t
is not among the least gratifying in
cidents of the struggle that the obi
cations of neutrality were impartially
discharged by all, often under diff
cult circumstances. In further fulfill
ment of international duty, | issued,
April rs, 1898, a proclamation
ing the treatment proposed to be ac-
COTueu 10 NcSSclS anu IIltl1 Nd1 SOCo 40
to blockade, ~cOntraband, the exercise
of right of search and the immunity
of neutral flags and neutral goods I'M
der enemy's flag. A similar prOclama-
ton was made by the Spanish govern
ment. In the conduct of hOstilities the
rules of the declaration Of Paris, in
Guiding a%bstination from resort to
privateering, have accordingly been
observed by both belligerents, although
neither was a party to the declaration.
'Our country thus, after an interval
of half q. century Of peace with all ma
tiOns, found itself engaged in deadly
conflict with a foreign enemy. Every
nerve was strained to meet the emer-
gency. The response to the initial call
for 1926, 900 volunteers was instant and
complete, as was also the result of the
second call of May 25th for $4,000 ad-
ditiOnal volunteers. The ranks OF the
regular army were increased to the
limits provided by the act of April 26,
1898.
OUR NAVAL FORCE.
"The enlistment force of the navy on
the 18th day of August, when it reach>
ed it maximum, numbered 24,123 men
and apprentices. One hundred ana
three vessels were added to the navy
by purchase, one was presented to the
government one leased and the four
VESSELS VI lIlC IllCIh clicAib A'I'
Company, the ST. Paul, st. Louis, New
York and Paris, were chartered. In
addition to these the revenue cutters
and lighthouse tenders were turned
over to the navy department and be-
came temporarily a part of the aux
Hilary navy.
The maximum effective fighting
force of the navy during the war
separated into classes, was as fol-
lows: Four battleShiDS of the first
class; one battleship of the second
class; two armOred cruisers; SIX coast
defense MONITORS: one armored ram;
twelve protected cruisers; three unpro-
tected cruisers; eighteen gunboats;
one dynamite cruiser; eleven torpedo
boats; vessels of the old navy, includ-
ing monitors, fourteen; auxiliary navy,
eleven auxiliary cruisers, twenty-eight
converted yachts, tw6nty-seVen tugs,
nineteen converted Golfers, fifteen
revenue cutters, four lighthouse tend
ers and nineteen miscellaneous YES
sells.
FOR DEFENSE OF ATLANTIC
SEABOARD.
Much alarm was felt along u en-
tire Atlantic seaboard lest some attack
might be made my the enemy. Every
precaution was taken to prevent pos
sible injury to our great cities lying
along the coast. Temporary garrlsonS
were provided, drawn from the state
militia; infantry and light batteries
were drawn from the volunteer force.
About r. 900 troops were thus employ
ed. The coast signal service was es-
tablished for observing the approach or
an enemy's ships to the coast or the
United States and the life saving n
lighthouse services c~o-operated, Whlch
enabled the navy department to have
all portions of the Atlantic coast, from
Maine to Texas, under observation.
1.-The auxiliary navy was created
,ndar the authority of congress and
was Differed and manned by the ma
val militia of the several states. rms
organization %patrolled the coast ana
nerformed the duty of a second line OF
defense.
HARBAR DEFENSES.
Under the direction of the chief OF
engineers submarine mines were plac-
ed atNthe most exposed points. Be
fore the outbreak of the war perma-
nent mining easements and cable Sal-
leries had been constructed at nearly
all important harborS. Most or the