The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-29
FOR THREE MORE NEW BATTLESH|PS'
The Board Bureau Chiefs Considering Plans Will
vite Bids From shpbulders
They'll Boats.


transports for the conveyance of the |
first military expedition 10 Cuba. The
names of the boats are the Olivette and
the Florida of the Plant line, now in the
gulf: the Southern Pacific company's
steamer Aransas; the New York &
Texas companys vessels Comal, now
at New York. and the Alamo, en- route
to the gulf, and three fine ships of the
Boston Merchants 4 Mariners line in
Baltimore, the Allegheny, the Berkshire
and the Decatur Miller. The price paid
for those vessels is from $4,000 to Sl5,-
900 for the 80 days for which they are
engaged. They will be taken charge of
by the quartermaster's department at
the earliest possible moment.
General Shafter. in command of the
United States troops now concentrated
at New Orleans. has been in consulta-
tion with the officials to-day as TO the
execution of plans of the campaign, but
the orders given to him cannot be made
public. The president and cabinet will
consider the large number of applica-
tions that have been made for appoint
ment to the posts of major general and
brigadier general and there is some ex-
pectation that he will be able to nomi-
nate few of these officers.
na-" ~ IA. teiirs n. a.. Anyhow.
Gen. Fitzhugh Lee arrived here late
to-day after a 10 days visit TO his fam
lily in Virginia. With him came Miss
Clsneros. me young Cuban girl rescued
from Cubanas, who has been the guest
of Miss Lee. The general shared the
keen public interest in the report OF
the shelling of Matanzas. He has visit
ed this city frequently and was fa-
miliar with the lay of the land and de-
fenses. He said the batteries were anti
quated and We're no longer able to offer
any formidable resistance. General Lee
will call at the state department to-
morrow morning. Being still an official,
he asked to be excused from discussing
the war situation and was very reticent
concerning his prospective appointment
as major general. General Lee has not
yet received a challenge TO fight a duel
sent by Lieutenant De CarranZa, late
naval attache at Washington. 1t is un-
derstcad that three or four people have
offered to accommodate Lieutenant Car
rama If he desired a meeting.
sam Scu raiity.
The French embassy has received a
cable dispatch from the foreign office
at Paris announcing that a decree of
neutrality between the United States
and Spain has been issued and that "A
detailed copy will be forwarded by mail.
On the receipt of the dispatch the
French ambassador. NJ. Cambon, wrote
to the state department informing them
OF 3 neutrality. Inc Db-
tce is brief, stating only that the de-
cree follows the treaty of Paris of 1856.
The state department has also been in
formed that Mexico, Argentine Repub-
lie, Corea and Belgium have proclaimed
neutrality. Coreas neutrality is consid-
cred important owing to her proximity
to the Philippines. The state depart
ment has heard nothing from Germany,
but this caused no apprehension, owing
to the strong assurances Germany has
given that she will observe strict neu-
trality between the two belligerents.
This assurance was conveyed to AM
bassador White and is looked upon as
! practically equivalent to a formal dec
/ laration of neutrality. Germany, Aus
/ tria and Portugal are the last of the
| important European nations to declare
| their attitude.
The apprehension as to Portugafs
: course was considerably removed to-
; day by the call of Niscount de Santo-
/ Thyrso, who gave strong assurances
| to the state department that Portugal
would remain strictly neutral. The
Portuguese minister expects the official
declaration almost hourly. Although
Portugal explains her delay on the
ground that the declaration of war was
not made until the oath inst. yet Great
Britain declared neutrality with great
promptness. The effects of this
speedy action was to force the United
States fleet to leave Hong Kong. while
the effect of Portugal's delay has been
to permit the Spanish fleet to remain
at the Cape Verde islands. This speedy
action In the first case was harmful to
American interests. while delayed ac-
tion in the second case was equally
| harmful for American interests.
| Attention is now being centered 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 refuge.
but IL discloses that Austria's strong
tendencies are with Spain owing to the
dynastic relations between the thrones
of Austria and Spain.
Effect OF the Proposed War Tariff Bill.
Foreign government. through their
! representatives in Washington. are be-
I ginning to show much concern over that
feature of the war tariff bill now before
I congress which Increases the tonnage
tax on transatlantic shipping TO 20
cents per ton. IL is said this Is about
500 Der cent. the present rate being
about cents a ton. and that nearly the
entire burden of the 500 per cent falls
upon the transatlantic shipping Of
Great Britain, Germany, France and
one or two commercial nations. A
leading diplomatic official stated to-day
that roughly speaking. the Atlantic
trade was carried one by about 100
American steamships and about 1000
I British. French. German and other for
/ eign steam ships. also hat the tax would
! be practically insignificant as against
American steamships. while IL would be
very enormous against foreign ship
ping. A trans atlantic liner of 10000
tons. he said. would pay 20 cents per
I ton. or 81 oS0 every time IL entered an
| American port. Thus far. however.