The herald., 1898-04-27
THE NATIONS NOTIFIED
THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS
DECLARED WAR
NEUTRALITY PROCLAMATIONS
Promptly Issued, and England's Out
giving Has Tied UP the Torpedo
Boat SomerS
Associated Press Special Wire

WASHINGTON, April 26.-The State De-
partment has conveyed notice to all the
powers and nations with which the United
States holds friendly relations of the dec
laration Of war yesterday by the govern
ment of the United States. This Is a neces-
sary formaility in order to set in motion
the neutrality laws in many countries and
to stop claims for damages on the part of
the neutrals of the vessels detained and
turned back at blockades without due not
ice. The instructions which were sent to
all the United States legations abroad di-
rected attention to the fact that the war
has existed since April q, when tho Span
ism government broke off diplomatic rela-
tions in order to avoid accepting the ulti-
matum at the hands of Minister Wood
ford.
The text of the instructions is as fol-
lows:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
April %, 1893.
"A joint resolution of Congress, ap-
proved April 20, directed Intervention for
the pacihcation and independence of the
island of Cuba. The Spanish government
on April 21 informed our Minister at Mad
rid that 1t considered this resolution equi-
valent to a declaration of war and that it
had accordingly withdrawn it's Minister
from Washington and terminated all dip
lomatic relations. Congress has, there
fore, by an act approved today, declared
that state of war exists between the two
countries since and including April q. You
will inform the government to which you
are accredited so that it: neutrality may
be assured in the existing war.
SHERMAN"
Responses have already begun to flow
in. First among all neurrals to take cog
niZance of the situation and of the exist
ence of state of war are the British COL
onies. 1t may not be of particular signif-
icance, yet it goes In measure to support
the contention of this government that
war actually existed before the declara-
ton by Congress yesterday that the Brit
ish colonies in all cases have acted and
made their proclamations Of neutrality in
advance of the action by Congress. Thus
it happens that the British government
Of the strait settlement of Singapore is
sued their proclamation yesterday fore
noon. The news was contained in the fol-
lowing cablegram to the State Department
from United States Consul Pratt at Singa,
pore:
secretary of State, Washington. Neu-
trality proclaimed here today"
This dispatch was received here at 2:4O
pm. yesterday, indicating that the straits
government had passed it's declaration.
The State Department of this govern
ment has taken notice of the semi-official
statement from Germany to the effect that
that nation will not at present issue a
neutrality proclamation. They are not
very much concerned however, believing
that any advantage to be gained by Ger
many in refraining from adopting the
usual course in this respect, will be rather
technical than practical Certainly all of
the advantages to be reaped by the United
States from the enforcement of the Ger
man neutrality law would be claimed by
our government and it is not doubted that
the laws will be put in operation in Ger
many whether or not proclamation is is
sued at this time.
Britain's Proclamation
LONDON, April 26.-An extraordinary
issue of the London Gazette this morning
contained the customary royal prociama-
ton of neutrality, defining the attitude
OF British officials and British subjects
during the war between Spain and the
United States. 1t is identical with the
proclamation issued at the time Of the
China-Japan war.
The instructions of the Foreign Office
to the Admiralty and the colonial author
tiles, regulating the belligerents' use of
British ports, is dated April %, and gives
the belligerents twenty-four hours to
leave. This accounts for the departure of
the United States squadron from Hong
Kong and the orders given to the Spanish
torpedo boat Audaz to leave Queenstown,
The proclamation fills four pages of the
Gazette and begins:
"Victoria r. Whereas, we are happily
at peace with all sovereigns, powers and
states; and
"Whereas, a state of war unhappily ex-
lists between his majesty, the King of
Spain, and in his name and during his
minority between her majesty, the Queen
Regent of the King, and the United States
of America, and between the respective
subjects, citizens and others inhabiting
within the countries, territories or domin.
IONS" etc.
Some of the newspapers here assert
that the rule in regard to coal being con-
traband is new, but it is identical with
Lord Granville's proclamation of 1870, at
the time of the outbreak of the Franco
Prussian war and identical with the proc