The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-04-28

next fall. when the rainy season has
ended. That belief. however, has not
/. prevented the officers whose duty tits TO
ret the troops together from pushing
their work with the greatest energy.
Thus within 12 hours after the Hull bill
became law, the department was able
. 10 begin to send out circulars prescribing
the methods to be followed in recruiting
the regular army up to its fun war
strength OF 61 900 men. The enormous
amount OF work involved in thus In
creasing the army. regular and volur-
teer. has caused General Miles TO aban-
don his southern trip for the present.
& The officials OF the department were
overwhelmed yesterday with all sorts OF
protests and appeals against their action
In making the assignments OF troops
Among the volunteer forces, and many
changes may be looked for.
The state department has been Of
fIcially advised OF the issuance OF neu-
traltty orlers by Italy, the Netherlands,
Switzerland, Norway and Sweden, Rus
Bia and Colombia. To these should be
added Great Britain, that country hav-
Ing issued a neutrality proclamation, al
fl
vet been ofticially advised OF the fact
IL is supposed also that the official notice
OF Frances neutrality win be received
to-day, as press dispatches announce
that proclamation was agreed upon az
d cabinet council at Paris. Including
h Trance, four out Of the six great powers
have declared their neutrality. namely:
Great Britain. France. Italy and Russia.
Germany and Austria have not yet
acted. The delay of Austria does not
cause surprise, as her sympathy with
Spain is more pronounced than that or
any other country OF Europe. II is not
Aoubtcd, however, that Austria will as
sumo the neutrality attitude sooner or
later. The delay of Germany Is felt 20
Be due solely TO consulting commercial
interests before shaping the sxact terms
Of q proclamation. From the iirst Ger
many and Great Britain I've opposed
the right OF search as detrimental TO
British and German commerce. Thus
Ear Spain has announced a much more
radical doctrine than the United States
y in this matter. The Spanish order pub
( 1Ished in the Official Gazette last Mon
day announced the purpose OF exercising
the right OF search on all merchant ships
On the high seas. The presidents procla-
NATION qualified the right OF search by
saying that IL IS to be exercised with
strict regard OF the right OF neutrals,
and the voyages OF mall steamers are
X not to be interfered w-~h, except on the
clsarest ground OF suspicion" 1t is un-
uerstood that this matter OF right OF
search Is causing the hesit<tion on the
cart OF Germany. and that II IL is salts
f0ctorily established that German mer-
chant ships shall not be subjectNo har-
rsssment. Germany will adops the same
course as other nations
The attitude OF Portugal is felt TO be
more important just at present than
that OF any OF the great powers OF
Europe, owing TO the presence of the
& Spanish fleet at Cape Verde islands be-
longing to Portugal Neither the state
department. nor the Portuguese minister
at Washington, viscount De Santo
Thyrso. has received word as to the pur-
pose OF Portugal on the question of neu-
trality. This caused considerable appre-
hension In official circles here, as IL was
felt that Portugars vicinage to Spain
might incline her to withhold neutrality
Tor time. She owns the Cape Verde
group. the Azores and the Madeiras.
which would give the Spanish fleet three
very important bases of operations
Press dispatches from Lisbon say that
the cabinet council may declare neutral
ity today. The effect OF the decree will
be 10 compel the Spanish fleet at Cape
Verde 10 leave immediately IL is felt,
however. that Portugal has done her
neighbor a good turn In deferring the
proclamation. as the feet has been lay
Ing In stores and coal and doubtless Will
be fully equipped and ready to sail be-
fore the proclamation forces IL out OF
Portuguese waters. Colombia is the only
south or Central American country
which thus far has declared neutrality.
Spain has counted much on the CO.
operation OF Spanish American coun-
tries. but there IS no reason TO doubt that
AL OF them VIII adopt neutral position.
Members OF the diplomatic corps dis
miss the report coming from Europe
mat another move toward European in
fefvcntlon Will be made as soon as Spain
ouners decisive reverse This is said
70 be purely conjectural. as such n move
has not taken form thus far by the ex-
chanFc OF notes. II is accepted as set
tied that no more ships intended for the
American navy can leave the ports OF
those countries which have declared
their neutrality. This result IL most
serious In the case OF the cruiser Albany.
now at the Armstrong yards. Elswich.
Eng. The view among diplomatic Of
9lyals Is that neither the Albany nor the
torpedo boat Somers can lecve even
though the United states flag was raised
oyer them before the proclamation of
neutrality was issued. IL is said the
raising Of the flag cannot avoid the
manifest uses OF the ship for war pur-
poses.
The navy department as yet has made
no arrangements for the'care OF prison
ers taken by our warships. but the legal
of'icers OF the department think they