The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-05-24

WAsuINGTON. May e3.-It was stated
at the Navy Department to-day at the
close of office hours that no dispatches of
any Bind relating to tho movements of
the fleets or the prospect of an engage
mont had been received during the day
and that the only dispatch received relat-
ed 90 am inconsequcnual prize case.
As the ships are now at sea there is no
expectation of reports until decisive
cnqaecmcnt occurs and a dispatch boat
gets TO "a port or IL SIS found Ccrvera has
eluded our search In the meantime there
is "a complete lack of official data by
which TO forecast tho coming engage
mcnt.
A report was current during the day
that the big battlcship oregon had ar
rived az Key West. bat the Department
officials would notice it only 10y entering
general denial that word had been re-
Cciycd of any important vessels move
monis or arrivals
FIXING SPANS FLAG.
Later in the day press dispatches came
from Madrid giving the sharp debate IN
the Cortcs over the alleged flying OF the
Spanish flag by American warships cre-
NIfu LIMIM hNlAilfNN AlA AAtNttAA
SPANS protest 90 the Powers that TINS
use of the nagt was "cowardly and in
iqut0us" was dismissed by naval officers
Win the statement 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 hauled down before
shot SIS fired
The United States naval regulations
pake specific provision on this point
The statement made by the Spanish
Minister of Interior that the government
Is likely 20 resort 20 privateerlng uoes
not cause any apprehension among oih-
cials here. III is felt that Great Bri-
tain. Germany. and ffan'e VII
have considerable 90 say in case SPAN
resorts 20 privatcering.
The commerce of these Obuntries with
the United States would suffer very~se-
voroly by Spanish privateering. and ITS
effect would Doe far more disastrous 10
these foreign interests that TO the SNIP
ping of AN United states.
VIRGINIA HEADS THE LIST.
Commander Hemphiu who has charge
o. the naval enlistment, has made out a
table showing that the recent recruiting
OF the navy has sWelled that branch or
the service 61-9.
The following are some of the state
which recruits have been secured: Nir-
cinla 265. North Carolina %. South caro-
lima 1l-. Georgia d.. Florida. ll3.
me French Government has taken op-
portunlty TO pay a graceful compliment
10 this country. boy informing the French
embassy that am artist has been instruct
al TO make "a copy OF the famous picture
OF "The Battle of Yorktown which is
one OF the priceless treasures of the
French National Gallery al Versailles, 10
be sent 20 the embassy at Washington.
n
dent in American history when the Britt
ish Commander. Lord CORVALLIS sur
rendered 90 General Washington
The announcement by way q Paris
that the Italian government had pro-
tested against the continuance OF the
blockade of the Cuban coast ON the
ground that 70 was ineffective, met de-
nial at the State Department and So can
bo stated definitely that neither in Wash
inpton nor in Rome has any representa-
ton on this subject been addressed to
the United States government As to the
allegation that tho blockade IS ineflcc-
tive 80 S. said that on the contrary st
has been sngularly successful and that
90 FAR as known not a single neutral
shin subject 60 detention has passed the
lines without the consent OF our gov
crnmcnt
CANNOT PROTEST.
The Montscrrat. it is true. did enter
Cicnfuegos harbor before our blockading
shlns had time To- get around the south
side OF Cuba and establish the blockade
and She did manage TO get out at night
but she SIS "a Spanish ship. and Spain IS
perhaps the only nation I'm the world
that has lost the power TO enter a protest
araist q blockade, being combatant
herself 10 is only FOR neutral powers TO
enter such protests and none of them has