The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-15
Concession by France That DispOses
of Some of the Charges that she
Was Partial to Spaniards.
NEUTRALITY TO BE ENFORCED
NO EVIDENCE THAT SPAIN HAS BEEN
FAVORED IN USE OF CABLES.
Agent of the French Press Said to BE
Seeking a "subsidy" from the
Washington Government.


WASHINGTON, May 14.-Oficial infor-
nation reached here to-day that the Spanish
government had filed a protest at the For
eign Office in Paris against the permission
given by the French authorities at Mar
tinique to the United States auxiliary
cruiser Harvard to remain in the harhor of
st. Pierre, Martinique, for seven days to
make necessary repairs. The French gov
eminent has taken speedy action on the
protest, and insists that the United States
cruiser, being disabled has full right to
remain seven days or such time as may be
necessary to complete her repairs, and that
in the meantime no steps will be taken to
have her leave the French port.
The Spanish protest is an important de-
velopment in the present critical naval stu
alton in the West Indies, as it serves to
permit France to give g conspicuous evil
dence of her friendly feeling toward the
United States and to Offset the inSinuationS
which have been made as to French favorit-
ism to Spain. 1t also makes clear for the
first time the plans for the Spanish adj
miral to have the Harvard forced out of the
harbor at Martinique and then to capture
her by his swift cruisers and destroyers.
1t is impossible for the Spanish war ships
to attack her while she is inside the har-
Dor. The most the Spanish admiral can do
is to wait outsides the harbor in hopes of
taking the Harvard as she leaves. 1t is evil
dent from the filing of Spain's protest that
she had fully expected the Harvard to leave
st. Pierre and that Spanish ships were lying
in wait for her. But wait of seven days
would be futile, as other Americans can go
to the relief of the Harvard before that
time. Moreover, while the capture of the
Harvard would be a valuable incident to the
movement of the Spanish squadron, it is
obvious that it cannot. shape its entire
movements for the next seven days in or
der to effect this one capture. Had the
French authorities decided, in view Of the
protest, that the Harvard must leave at
once her position would have been extreme
ly critical, as her batteries are insignificant
compared with the big Spanish war ships,
and her fleetnesS would not avail when the
Spanish ships commanded the harbor en-
trance and had thirty-knot vessels among
their number AS it is, the Navy Depart
ment is relieved Of all serious apprehension
for the Harvard, as the action of the French
government insuFes her safety.
BY "a strange coincidence, the French own
ership Of Martinique is bringing protests
from both quarters-the United States as
we'll as from Spain--although those from
this country are unofficial and are expressly
discoUntenaced by the State Department.
They relate to the use of the French cable
system between the United States and the
West Indies, intimations being made that
these served to assist the Spanish author
tiles and to embarrass the officials at Wash
ington. There appears to be no ground for
this suspicion, assit is pointed out that the
French Gable Company would be working
against it's interests by such course of
action and, moreover, would subject itself
to the danger of having its cable cut at Con-
ey island, where it makes landing.
1t developed to-day that General Greeley,
chief of the signal service, had laid down a
strict course of action for the cable COM
pany. to which the company fully acceded.
On thursday last General Greeley notified
the company that the government was relia-
bly, advised that Spain was secretly using
the French line to send messages from the
Spanish officials in London to the Spanish
authorities at Cuba and Porto Rico. He
said this doubtless was without the knowl-
edge of the company. He then laid down
certain classes of forbidden messages These
included messages between Spanish officials,
code or cipher messages or messages mimi
cal to the United States, in it's present war
against Spain. Exceptions were made to
messages signed by the President and MEM
bers of the Cabinet and also to messages
from neutral governments and their repre-
sentatives in Washington. General Greeley
stated that he had no desire to exercise
military control or supervision over the
French cable lines and, as long as the ne
cessities of war permit. preferred that the
company should look after it's own affairs.
While granting this permission. however,
General Greeley said it was with the dis
tinct proviso that the company would order
all its agents and employees to refuse to re-
ceive or transmit any of the messages he
had forbidden to be sent. Mr. Lurrien. the
agent of the company, gave General Greeley
written assurance that all the foregoing
conditions would be fully observed, so that
the United States authorities are now fully
safeguarded against the use of the cable
for purposes inimical to the government.
The officials of the State and Navy De-
partments strongly deprecate as mischiev-
Gus and dangerous the efforts to create the
impression that France is not acting up to
the rule in the observance of strict neutral
ity between the United States and Spain.
They say that even If there were some
slight foundation for their statements the
time is very inopportune for newspaper at
tacks that might even involve France in the
present hostilities. AS a matter of fact.
they say, there is no evidence of any dis
position on the part of the French colonial
officials in the West Indies to discriminate
against the United States and favor Spain.
If there has been any delay in the trans
mission of cablegrams from Martinique to
the United States government or in the re-
verse direction, our government is not in
possession of any evidence tending in the
slightest degree to show that obstacles were
purposely interposed. AS far as the matter
of coaling is concerned. there is also an en-
tire absence as yet. at least of any evidence
that the Spanish feet was accorded any un-
due advantage in this respect. If they took