The Portland daily press., 1898-04-28
NEUTRALITY QUESTION.
Four Powers Have Made Procla-
nation.

alton is substantially this:
The blockading squadron remains pas
sive before Havana, with no present pur
pose of bombarding, or of drawing the
lire OF the shore batteries The strategic
purpose of effective blockade Of the Cuban
capital is being accomplished to the en-
tire satisfaction of the authorities here.
There is no indication that a part of the
fleet will be withdrawn for the pur pose
OF affording additional protection to North
Atlantic ports. AS to the port of the
imminence Of ! naval battle off the
Philippines island tho naval authorities
here seriously doubt whether the Span
tsh fleet will make stand against the
American ships. Their reason for this
belief is that the Spanish fleet is very in
ferior in number and quality to the
American force under Admiral Dewey
The department officials therefore are
satisfied that the Spanish feet will not
battle on the high seas with Admiral
Dewey, but will remain in port to secure
the protection of the batteries of Manila
and are not expecting an engagement for
about two days. Without giving any ex-
PLANTATION for setting this time, the de-
partment allows it to be surmised that
the estimate is based on it's knowledge
OF Admiral Dewey's whereabouts, There
is no certainty that there will bs an en-
gagement at all in the immediate future.
this main purpose of the American exps-
dition to seize and hold some suitable
Spanish territory in the Philippines as
Hng Of tn, cio
is possible that this can be done without
attacking the other fleet at all. by Selling
suitable port on some adjacent island,
without Notifications, the sympathies of
whose Inhabitants are towards the insur-
gents.
No word had come to the department
up to the close of office hours of the ar
rival. of the Montserrat at Cienfuegos.
The officials are inclined to believe that if
she has got into that port she did SO be-
fore the blockade OF Cienfuegos had be-
gun.
The very fact that the Madrid officials
have rather ostentatiously declared that
the Spanish feet has sailed to bonn bard
the cities ON the North American coast,
is taken as a certain Indication at the
navy Department. of the utter improba-
bility of such a movement. If this were
contemplated the Spanish officials would
be the very last to make their purpose
public. The Navy Department. as yet
has made no arrangements for the care
of prisoners taken by our warships. but
the legal officers of the Department think
they should be sent to the Boston naval
prison.
Some vexation was felt at the injury
sustained by the Cushing. 1t is said that
this is the first serious breakdown she
has suffered in the nine years of her SER
vice. Luckily the Department will be
able to replace her very shortly for Presi-
dent Malster, of the Columbian Iron
Works called at the Navy Department.
this afternoon to announce that the tor
pedo boat Mckee, twenty knotter would
be ready for trial tomorrow. She will be
sent at once to Norfolk to have the fin.
ishing touches added and then will join
the squadron.
!. In the War Department there is
growing belief that the campaign proper
in Cuba will not be in full swing before
next fall, when the rainy season has end
ed. That belief, however, has not pre-
vented the officers whose duty Il is to get
the troops together, from pushing their
work with the greatest energy. Thus
within twelve hours after the Hull bill
became law, the Department was abla
to begin to send out circulars prescribing
the methods to be followed in recruiting
the regular army up to it's full strength
of 81 900 men. The enormous amount
OF work involved in thus increasing the
army, regular and volunteer, has caused
General Miles to abandon his southern
trip for the present.
The officials of the Department. were
overwhelmed today with all sorts of pro-
tests and appeals against their action in
making the assignments of troops among
the volunteer forces and many changes
may be looked..for
Tho State Department posted notice
today stating it had been officially adj
v1sed OF the issuance of neutrality orders
BY Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland,
Norway and Sweden, Russia and Colom-
bia. To these should be added Great
Britain, that country having issued
neutrality proclamation, although the
state Department has not yet been offic-
Tally advised Of the fact. 1t is supposed
also that the official notice of Frances
neutrality will be received by tomorrow
as press dispatches announce proclama-
tlon was agreed upon at yesterdays cabi-
net council at Paris. Up to tonight, how
ever, the French ambassador, NJ Cambon,
had not received any notice Of such a
proclamation.
Including France four out of the six
great powers Of Europe have declared
their neutrality. namely:
Great Britain, Franco, Italy and Rus
STA.
tHe TWO oUner great powers, Germany
and Austria. have not yet acted. The
delay of Austria does not cause surprise,
as Austria's sympathy with Spain is more
pronounced than that Of any other coun-
try of Europe. 1t is not doubted, how
ever, that Austria will assume the neu-
trality attitude sooner or later. The de-
lay OF Germany is felt to be due solely to
Germany's consulting her own CONNER
o1al interest before shaping the exact
terms Of her neutrality proclamation.
From the first Germany and Great Brit
ain havesoepposed the right of search as
detrimental to British and German COM
merce. Thus far Spain has announced
a much more radical doctrine than the
United States in this matter. The. Span
ish order published in the Official Gazette
last Monday announced the purpose of
exercising the right of search on all mer-
chant ship on the high seas. The Presi-
DENTS proclamation of yesterday qualified
the right of search by saying that it SIS
to be exercised with sUrict regard of the
right OF neutrals and the voyages Of mail
steamers are not to be interferred with,
except on the clearest ground of suspic-
ion. 1t is said this matter OF right of
search is causing the hesitation on the
part OF Germany, and that, If it is salts
factorily established that German mer-
chant ships shall not be subject to har-
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