Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-04-29

to-day, after ten days visit to his
family in Virginia. With him came
Miss Cisneros, the young Cuban girl
rescued from Cabanas, who has Deen
the guest CT Miss Lee. The general
shared the keen public interest In the
report Of the Smelling of Matanzas. He
had visited this city frequently ana
was familiar with the lay OF the
land and the defenses. He SAID the
batteries were Anticipated and were
not likely to offer any formidable re-
sistance. Gen. Lee will call at tne
State Department tomorrow morning.
Being still an official. he asked TO pc
excused from discussing the war situa-
ton. and was very reticent regarding
his prospective appointment as major
general Gen. Lee says lie mas not YET
received challenge to fight duei SEM
by Lieut. De Carranza, late naVai az
tache at Washington. 1t IS UNDERSTOOD
that three or four people have oHereu
TO accommodate Lieut. Carranza II ne
desires a meeting.
The French embassy has received
cable dispatch from the foreign once
at Paris announcing that decree Oh
neutrality between the United States
and SDain has been issued, and that
a detailed copy will be forwarded by
mail. On the receipt Of the dlspatch
the French ambassador, NJ ComDon'
wrote to the State Department, IN
forming them OF
FRANCES NEUTRALITY.
The cable notice is brief, stating only
that the decree follows the treaty OF
Paris in 1856. The State Department
has also been informed that Mexico,
Argentine Republic, Korea and Bel
gium have proclaimed neutrality.
Korea's neutrality is considered I'M
portant, owing to her proximity to the
Philippines.
The State Department has heard
nothing from Germany, but this causes
no apprehension owing to the strong
assurances Germany has given that she
will observe strict neutrality between
the two belligerents This assurance
was conveyed to Ambassador WHITE
and is looked upon as practically equiv
alent to a formal declaration OF neu-
trality. Germany. Austria and Portu-
gal are the last of the important Euro
pean nations to declare their attitude.
The apprehension as to Portugals
course was considerably removed to-
day by the call of Viscount DE Santo-
Thyrso. who gave strong assurances
to the State Department that Portugal
would remain strictly neutral. The Por-
tuguese minister expects the ohclal
declaration almost hourly. Although
Portugal explains her delay on the
ground that the declaration OF war was
not made until the oath instant, yet
Great Britain declared neutrality with
unusual promptness. The effect or
Great Britains speedy action was TO
force the United States feet to leave
Hong Kong, while the effect of Por-
tugars delay has been to permit the
Spanish feet to remain at
THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS.
This speedy action in the first case was
harmful to American interests, While
delayed action in the second case was
equally harmful to American interests.
Attention is now being conferred on
the course of Austria. Her delay in
declaring neutrality causes no material
inconvenience, as Austria has no ports
at which Spanish ships can take ref
uge, but it discloses that Austria's
strong tendencies are with Spain, ow-
ing to the dynastic relations between
the thrones of Austria and Spain.
Foreign governments through their gov
ernments at Washington, are beginning
TO show much concern over that feature
of the war tariff bill sow before Con-
gress which increases the tonnage tax
on transatlantic shipping to zoe per ton.
IT is said this increase is about $50 per
cent. the present rate being about three
cents per ton, and nearly the entire bur-
den of the 500 per cent increase falls on
the transatlantic shipping of Great
Britain, Germany, France and one or two
other commercial nations. A leading dip
lomatic official stated to-day that, rough
ly speaking, the Atlantic trade was car
ried on by about one hundred American
steamships and about 1000 British,
French, German and other foreign steam
ships, so that the heavy tonnage tax
would be practically insignificant as
against American steamships while it
would be very onerous against foreign
shipping. A transatlantic liner of 10000
tons, he said. would pay at 70 cents per
ton $1,000 every time it
ENTERED AN AMERICAN PORT
Thus far, however, no official action has
been taken on the subject by foreign ma
uons, and 1t does not seem likely that
such official action is possible, as the
heavy tonnage tax is considered war
expedent which foreign shipping must
bear so long as they use American ports.
There are limitations, however. that it
may have the effect of diverting ship
ping away from American ports TO Hall
fax. Montreal and Canadian ports.
In other respects the war tariff bull at
tracts little attention in foreign quarters
as the main course of taxation is on ar
ticles of domestic consumption, while du-
ties on foreign imports remain practically
unchanged.