The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-04-25
VIII Be Formally Issued by Con-
grsss Today.
OF INTEREST TO MERCHANTS.

terday afternoon at the White House,
at conference at which President Nc
Kinley, Attorney General Griggs, As
sistant Secretary Day and Senators
Davis and Hale participated. and on it's
breaking up announcement was made
that congress would be asked to de-
clare what 1t Is held already exists This
was the most important Washington
development on the first war Sunday,
The president sent message to con-
gress today setting forth the facts in
the case, and asking congress to for
mally declare war in order that there
may be no misunderstanding on the
part of other nations. The most i'm
portant point in the message Is the an
nouncement that Spain has made for
NAL reply to our ultimatum. The docu-
ment is formal acknowledgment by
Spain and also an acceptance by that
country Of the ultimatum as a virtual
declaration Of war. Congress is there
fore asked to recognize this condition
Of affairs. and to declare 1t to the
world. using Spain's concession as a
reason for 1t. The resolution will prob
ably be rushed through both houses to-
day.
Adjutant General CorbIn and Secre
tafy Alger conferred yesterday afternoon
respecting arrangements for calling on
the governors of states and territories
for the quota of troops they are to fur
nish under the presidents proclama-
ton, Issued Saturday, asking for 125, 900
men. The number Of men in each
branch of the service, viz, infantry,
cavalry and artillery, remains to be
settled, besides many other matters of
detail.
In the state, war and navy depart
ments many of the officials were at
their desks directing the execution of
policies heretofore determined upon.
Neither Secretary Alger nor Secretary
Long were on hand, but Assistant Sec
rotary Meikeljohn and Assistant Secre-
tary Roosevelt were on duty for sew
eral hours. Mr.. Meikeljohn has already
received large number of applications
from newspapers to permit their rep
resentatives to accompany the army.
but the number to be accorded the
privilege Will be limited.
The Spanish decree published in Mad
rid yesterday as to the attitude of that
government regarding privateering,
and the question whether or not coal
shall be held as contraband of war,
was discussed by the state department
officials yesterday. In response to
questions put to him by newspaper
representative Judge William L. PEN
field, the solicitor of the department,
made the following unofficial state
ment, which he said is not to be re-
garded as indicating in any way the
action and policy of this government,
but Is given for the information of mer-
chants and shippers:
This government has not yet Of
icially presented list Of articles which
It will treat as contraband of war.
Each government Is competent to pre-
scribe its own list for the guidance Of
Its own authorities. Such list Is con-
elusive upon the government making 1t
and upon all neutral nations, in the
absence of any disregard of treaty en-
Any gross disregard Of such law or
treaty obligation would perhaps pro-
yoke the interposition of any neutral
state affected.
Until such list is prescribed the
question whether articles captured are
of war will be governed
generally by the law of nations, and
specifically by the treaty stipulations
the belligerent captor and the
neutral state to whose subject the arti-
lies belong.
TT follows that If such lists should
be prepared by the United States and
widely divergent, depending on the
policy of each government.
This government has already an
nounced that it will not resort to
Spain has announced the
same policy. In the light of the pre-
vious declaration by this government
SPANS further announcement that she
will treat our privateers as pirates is
worthy of Don Quixote. The Spanish
government has published its intention
to exercise the right of search. The
right to do so is undoubted. But the
right can be lawfully exercised only for
atty of the ship and its destination,
whether Its goods are neutral or enemy,
whether contraband ornot, and whether
It's conduct is unneutral or neutral
If Spain adopts the policy announced
by this government, that the neutral
flag protects the goods, If the vessel
and its conduct are neutral, only con-
traband goods in such ships are sub
ect to capture. OF course all merchant
ships must respect an effective block
ide on the penalty of capture and con-
lscation."
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt today |
that the government had
purchased the steam Yacht Allen for
he auxiliary navy. This vessel, like so
many others that have been acquired,
s Of light draught and excellently fit
ed for patrol duty in shallow waters.
She is of ISL tons gross register, 119 |
'eet ong and 20 feet beam. She was
quilt at Chester, Pa, and her home
1ort Is New York.
1t was said at the navy department |
hat no additional information had
)een received of the movements of the |
spanish fleets rcndezvouzed at Cadiz |
md at the Cape de Verde Islands,
Every step taken by these fleets ia
reported to the department
~ the agents abroad. One officer ex-
blamed that it was very necessary to
'eceve with the greatest caution re-
'orts of the movements of the Span
sh ships, as Spain naturally viii try in
very way to mislead the United States.
70 Eura Combination Earexs=