The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-01

mooore DeBeyss 0eet fafh 20 eGect . sn4d-
Ing on the Philippines and - ,sliged 70
seek some opsn port With IA A1erscan
feet In Assafic waters. n becomes hazard
Gus unless bsiiixerens part is captured or
. neutral part remains open Up TO sos3<y
MI countries occucyinx Eastern As1sfic
territory had declared neutrality <xcsps
cnira. The notice OF Korea wss elvsn two
days ago, thus eioslaG the port o. cnensssi-
poo Japan gave notice today. thss clos
ing all japanese ports. Including Yekessa-
ma. which ID the mass aAsHnsag-oas hsr-
Dor Ia Asiasic waters and nearer the Pill
tppinss than any other pert. The British
ana vfsncA DEGREES closed Hcngxonx and
tn psrts a. British India and Frencn Ton
asaa. When Wa Ting Fang wss seen at
tia chinssa legation ssnighs he said that
having received no notice of Cnina's ness-
tra1ity. he presumed none had been issued
by the imperial government. At the safne
time he had noticed in the press diseatcfes
that the American n~et ieft Mutm bay,
which n q Chinese possession. owing 10 a
snys this proclamation. n made. was given
- the vfceroy. and applies osssss to the prov
irsce Of Canton. AZ to whether the emperor
WIN decree neutrality, he b not able to
say. II In remembered. however. that no
decree Of n>utrssity was iswued during sss
Franco-P russ.an war. and that China has
no; been In the habit Of issuing neutrality
DEGREES ON the outbreak OF wars In other
rats of the world. Now. however. that
China n keeping in touch with the methods
Of international procedure. this former In
action may give way 10 the adoption OF an
attitude of neutrality. This would have
bean done during the Ffsnco-Prnssan war
nss net President Grant used his good Of
Aces to bring abou. an arrangement by
which the Fr~nch and German ships 1t
Asta,,c ports RETAINED from hostiHties
while there.
while China enser,alns the most friendly
fss,sn9s toward the United States. Mr.. Wu
facts that ihia would not justify the with
nAAinx Of neutrality. n 1t In any way
op4rated TO the advantage OF the United
states ~ aSsinat Spain, ~ that would
Array Spain against China. China has
large number OF treaty ports with hne
harbor. scaisersd along her coast. They
ara well equipped with coal and other
supplies. and any one OF them would be
most advantageous as a harbor for the
American feet In case ens vas required
IN shs far East.
II II said. however. that even Without
neutrality decree by China these harbots
could not be ussd A. naval base OK
operations. At most they could only b
used for Temporary refuge for such coal
ana supplies ~ would take the American
f3ees to the neat port.
The authorities feel that the United
States would have profited much by s-
curing . coal.ng station from China dur
Ing the recent controversies. which led to
Germany selxsng kiaochau bay as a coal
ing station. Russia securing Port Arthur
and England weihsiwei. There is good
Tsason to believe that the friendly spirit
Of China toward ti.e United States would
have made II possible for the United
States TO have secured the harbor OF Muirs
hay or some other advantageous port on
the Chinese coast, Al the present time.
however. Il n Aid that China could not
giant. without assuming dis
t.netly hostile attitude toward Spain, any
portion of her coast.
The Portuguese minister called AZ the
IA AaA xx(x4 A.
notice Of Postugars neutrality. Afterward
tho Minister expressed regret at the pub
Iished reports astribuiinx the delay Of
Portugal a. disposition to favor fpa!n
a. against the United States. The min
'stvr -ays that seeh reports are unwar-
Ianted. and the official dispatch. which
he received from Lisbon last night, shows
that ths authorities al I.lsben acted with
The Dispatch stated that the notice o.
n declaration OF war was received at Lis
bon on the 18th whereupon a meeting Of
The council OF state was called immediate
~ fog the following day. This is not the
regular cabinet. bat Is political organ
lxatton which mas. he convoked. OF dis
tinguIshed persons, The council met on
he 9Th ard agreed upon the decree. II
WIS presented TO the king on the 18th and
received his signature. Tie minister says
this action shows unusual dispatch. The
dispatches he received from Lisbon stated
that the warshins of the helligerent pow
crs would not be allowed to make more
than brief stay IN their ports. As to tina
return OF several OF the spsn.sh torpedo
boats to the Cape Verde islands because
ef injary resulting frem a collision. the
minister say. such Injuries. II bona siie.
permit wsrshins 10 remain long enough "a
repair the damage, This eanno. be made
an excuse fer extended stay, however.