The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-30
CAPITAL KEPT IN A STIR
MORE ROMANCE THAN NEWS
AT WASHINGTON
Decree of Neutrality
Was the Only Development of the
Day of Real Significance-NO
News From Dewey of Naval
port From Admiral Sampson,

4
News From Dewey of Naval
| Battle in the Orient--Brief Re-
| port From Admiral Sampson.
| WASHINGTON, April 29.-This was
a day OF alarming rumors, running all
| the way from the blowing up of a big
| monitor to the detection and punish
ment Of traitors, but fortunately all of
them turned out on inquiry to be with
out foundation.
| Actual events of Importance were
few in number. The news of the day
| of most interest was the departure from
| Cape Verde of the Spanish fleet, the
stay of which at ST. Vincent has been
a source Of anxiety on the part of the
| officials here, because it seemed to indi-
| cate the sympathy of Portugal for
| Spain might lead her to wink at vio-
lation Of neutrality laws in favor Of
| Spain.
| Late in the afternoon a cablegram
came to the state department from
Cape Verde, bearing no signature, an
Eouncing that four battleships and
| three torpedo boats had started north,
and some of the transports for Cuba,
and that the northern fleet returned
| shortly having been in collision. Be
| cause there was no signature attached
| the officials did not know what i'm
| portance to attach to this message, as
| these are not times to accept what ap-
| pears to be information without close
| scrutiny.
| Capt. Sampson sent telegram rela-
tive to the firing at the Matanzas forts.
1t was disappointingly lacking in de-
tail, but the few words contained in
| the dispatch went to confirm the Off
cial view that the affair was nothing
more than q naval reconnaissance.
| No TODAY from Admiral
| Dewey's squadron now on it's way to
| the Philippines to do battle with the
| Spanish fleet.
One officer pointed out today that IT.
Admiral Dewey succeeded in defeating
| the Spanish fleet, the Spanish officials
who control the cable connecting the
| island with the rest Of the world In all
probability may suppress the news or
| distOrt the facts into a Spanish victory.
| Presuming that the admiral is bound
| directly for Manila the calculations
made at the navy department show he
will arrive about 2 o'clock Saturday
morning, Manila time, which is about
| twelve hours earlier than our own.
Pressure for Pluns.
The pressure continues unabated on
the war department for changes In the
plans already announced as to mobili-
Zation Of the volunteer troops, and
very much against it's will and judg-
ment the department is making some
concessions in this matter.
large number Of callers are bring
ing forward candidates for the many
plums within the gift Of the president
and Secretary Alger in the shape Of
appointments to grades above regimen
| tai in the army. Gen. Lee and Gen.
| Dodge spent a good part of the day In
| conference with officials, giving color
| to the reports that they are among
those selected for appointments as
| major generals.
| The announcement that the State of
i Texas, laden with supplies for the re-
| concentrates, is destined for Sagua, has
| led to the surmise that it is probably
| this port instead of MatanZas which
| has been selected for the landing place
| Of the first attack of the United States
| troops.
Regarding the harmless growIs that
| appear In the European papers, and
threats to interfere to prevent the Unit
| ed States forces from blockading the
Philippines, it may be STATED that this
| was fully expected During the Civil
| war there were great many attempts
| and threats of interference, ali of which
came to naught from the firm attitude
assumed by the secretary of state.
In the present case the conditions of
lIiC SuCdI OiOChduS are HiuCH more
| liberal towards the powers than ever
imposed before. In anticipation of the
action of the German commercial in
| tereStS, in combining to secure exemp-
| ton from search for their mail steam
ers, 1t Is pointed out that the presi-
| dent in his proclamation, declaring the
existence of war, explicitly announced
| that the voyages of mail steamers are
not to be interfered with except on the
| clearest grounds Of suspicion of viola
| tion Of law in respect to contra band
| or blockade.
POrtugaIs Position.
Viscount de Santo Thyrso, the Portu-
guese minister, looked over the dis
patch from Lisbon giving the substance
Of the neutrality decree gazetted there
today and said it was evidently ac-
curate and covered the entire subject.
He had not, however. up to late hour
today, received an official notification
Of the neutrality decree. The viscount
! says that Article 9, which permits
belligerents to make a short stop at
Portuguese ports. probably will be bet
ter understood by saying that belliger-
| ents will not be permitted to make long
stays at Portuguese ports. Under the
usual rules of international law the
stay is likely to be confined to a day
or two.
In this connection the minister drew
| attention to the privileges permitted
when warships of both belligerent ma
| tions were In the same port In that
| case, if the warship of one power leave
| port, the warship of the other power
cannot leave in pursuit within twenty
| four hours, that much time being al
lowed the ship first departing to go on
her way without molestation
| Portugal has been very insistent
| upon this particular rule, and notable
instance of it occurred when the IA
nous Confederate privateer Alabama
was at Lisbon during the Civil war.
harbor while the Alabama was there
| and the Alabama Immediately with
drew. The United States ship appar-
emily started in pursuit, whereupon the
| Portuguese batteries fired warning
| guns and were prepared to make armed
resistance to the departure Of the Sec
| ond warship before the first one had
her full twenty -four hours start
| 1t turned out that the Northern ship
| had net intended to chase the Ala
bama, but was moving her buoys so
that trouble was averted. This same
rule allowing twenty-four hours start
to the warship Of either country will
| be again observed In the present con-
fict between the United States and
| Spain.
The British and French ambassadors
here have received instructions rela-
tive to the tonnage tax provision in the
war tariff bill, which passed the house
| of representatives today. It is UNDER