The record-union., 1898-05-24
AMERICAN
AND SPANISH
FLEETS.
Navy Department in Pos
session of No News
As to the Present Whereabouts
Of Ships of Either.
Nothing Expected Until a Decisive
Engagement Occurs.
Tho pnnnrt Tkn4 Mnrh und Dam pnnniunh
Nothing Expected Until a Decisive
Engagement Occurs,
The Report That Word Had Been Received
at the Department of the Arrival
of the Oregon at Key
West Denied.

WASHINGTON. May 23-It was
stated at the Navy Department to-day
at the close of office hours that no dis
patches of any kind relating TO the
movements of the fleets or the prospect
of an engagement had been received
during the day, and that the only dis
patch received related to an inconsa-
quential prize case. AS the ships are
now at sea, there is no expectation Of
reports until a decisive engagement oc-
ours and a dispatch boat gets to a
port. or it is found that Cerver1 has
eluded our search In the meantime,
there is a complete lack of official data
by which to forecast the coming en-
gagement.
A report was current during the day
that the big battleship Oregon had ar
rived at Key West, but the department
officials would notice it only by enter
ing a general denial that word has been
received of any important vessels
movements or arrivals.
Late in the day in the Associated
Press dispatches from Madrid, giving
the sharp debate in the Cortes over the
alleged flying of the Spanish flag ~
American warships created much cGrn.
ment in naval circles. Spain's protest
to the Powers that this use of the flag
was "cowardly and iniquitOus" was dis
missed by naval officers with the state
ment that international law writer's
agreed on the right to use an enemy's
flag for purposes of deceit, so long as
the flag is taken down before a shot is
fired The United States naval regula-
tions make specific provision on this
point. The Navy Department recently
issued an edition of SHOWS Naval
Precedence a standard work on naval
usage in time Of peace and war. In this
the doctrine on the use of an enemy's
flag is stated as follows:
The regulations of the United States
navy state that the use of a foreign flag
to deceive an enemy is permissible, but
that it must be hauled down before a
gun is fired, and under no circum-
stances is an action to be commenced
or an engagement fought without the
display of the national ensign"
The foregoing rule, both by regulation
and by the textbook distributed to the
navy is a guide for all naval officers.
Practically the same rule is applicable
to the use of an enemy's uniform.
The statement made by the Spanish
eminent is likely to resort to privateer-
ing does not cause any apprehension
among officials here. One of the high
est authorities of the Navy Department
she felt it to be to her interest without
waiting for this country to give any
pretext for such action. 1t is felt. how
ever, that Great Britain. Germany and
France viii have considerable to say
in case Spain resorts to privateering
The commerce of these countries Will
the United States would suffer very Sc
verely by Spanish privateering. and its
effect would be far more disastrous ID
these foreign interests than to the snip
L
influence of Great Britain, Germany
and France which forced Spain reluc-
tantly to forego privateering, and it is
not thought probable the foreign influ-
ences will now consent to have their
commerce destroyed.
Commander Hemphill who has
charge of the naval enlistment. has
made out a table showing that the re-
cent recruiting of the navy has swelled
that branch of the service by recruits
from the following States: Maine 80;
New Hampshire. -; Massachusetts.
1.474: Rhode Island, 100; New York.
1.7S0: New Jersey, 31S; Pennsylvania,
406: Maryland. 444: District of Colum-
bia. 4O1: Ohio, 81: Michigan, 304; IL
linois. 1S2: Wisconsin, b; Minnesota.
154: Missouri. n: Virginia. 2i5; North
Carolina. %: South Carolina, 113; Ten
nessee. s; Louisiana. $50: Texas, 81;
Florida. 113; California, COG.
The French Government has taken
opportunity to pay graceful compli-
ment to this country by informing the
French Embassy that an artist has
been instructed to make copy of the
famous picture The Battle of York
town" which is one of the priceless
treasures of the French National CAL
lery at Versailles. to be sent to the
Embassy at Washington. The picture