Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-04-30
ALL LARE NEUTRAL
"A world-wide Answer to the Dec
lhration of War.
GntIrlnE Efforts are Being Mado by the
War once to Prepare tho Volunteers
for the Coming Campaign-Ca
Mahan is Ordered to Re-
port for Duty.

Washington are rapidly settling down
TO those of actual war. Notices came
TO the state department from the four
quarters of the globe yesterday, show
ing that the nations as IL rule are pre-
pared to assume an attitude of strict
neutrality as between the United States
and Spain in the present struggle. In
most cases they were in answer to the
note sent out by the state department
TO all United States embassies and lc
cations instructing them to inform the
governments to which they are accred-
tied that war has existed since April
81.
Great Britain always has taken an
advanced stand in the principles OF
neutrality, so that it was with great
interest that the news was received
here of the terms of the neutrality
proclamation issued in London. On
the whole the officials are disposed to
take the view that a strict adherence
by England to these rules will be
rather more advantageous to the Uni
ted States than to Spain, particularly
as we are now operating in the naval
sense close to our own base OF supplies,
and in all probability soon will cut
now has in the neighborhood of Cuba.
The president issued proclamation
during the day laying down rules as to
the seizure of prizes and the result, it
is believed, will be the release of some
of the ships already captured, though
1t will be for the prize courts to deter
mine in each case whether the con-
ditions under which the ship was cap
tured are such to warrant release The
impression prevails that the Buena
Ventura will be declared no prize. The
case of the Panama, whose seizure was
reported yesterday, is more complicat-
ed, owing to the fact that while other
wise exempt the ship was reported to
have contained supplies for the Span
ish army in Cuba, which are contra
band. However, it may be said that
while the settlement of these questions
will be left to the courts, the admins
tration believes the greatest liberality
should be shown in the application of
the laws where a vessel is not contra
band or attempting to run the block
ade. That is shown in the liberal
terms of the proclamation, by which
the prize courts must be guided.
1t is noted also that the administra-
ton has not been deferred by any crit
icism in congress from again formally
pledging itself to the nations of the
world to refrain from privateering and
abide by the declaration of Paris of
1856.
In the war department preparations
went on with ceaseless energy for the
organization of the volunteer army.
All the officers We're detailed who are
TO be sent to the various states and
territories to muster the guardsmcn
into the service of the United States.
The plans for the full organization
of the army We're also perfected. To
provide officers for the regular army
and volunteers, Secretary Alger or
dered the assignment to duty of all the
cadets at the West Point military acad-
emy who would have graduated in
June.
The greatest anxiety was shown at
the navy department for news from
the blockading squadron. Notwith
standing the frequent reports that
came from two unofficial sources of en-
gagements between the fleet and the
shore batteries, no word of confrma-
ton came officially. The three prizes
LdSU repOrJcu 10 nave DeSn SclZeu Dy
the fleet were not referred to in the
official dispatches, but the press re-
ports of the seizures were received with
great satisfaction by the officers of the
department, who in some cases did not
hesitate to declare their envy of their
more fortunate brother officers with
the fleet 1t is becoming very hard for
Secretary Long to retain in the service
of the department the officers who are
absolutely required, in view of their
desire to go to the front.
Among the orders issued yesterday
was one directing Capt. A. p. Mahan,
the author and world-renowned au-
thority on naval tactics to report for
duty at the navy department. Capt,
Mahan is a retired officer and will be
assigned to IL position on the strategy
board. Probably he will replace Ad-
mirai Walker, who is to be assigned to
duty of the highest Importance in the
immediate future.