Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-04-27
Help from England.

support given us by England and the
popular sympathy with our cause in
that country have been invaluable.
Now she has taken Il step that is a
greater help to us than anything be-
fore In proclaiming neutrality and or
dering belligerent craft from her ports
she is merely complying with interna
tional usage, but she does so at a time
most favorable to us, and takes step
of vital Importance toward forcing the
definite test of strength and strategy
which we seek.
1t was most positive proof of SYM
pathy with the American cause, and a
direct help to us when the English gov
crnment served notice on both the
United States and Spain that any men
of-war in her ports belonging to either
belligerent must be Withdrawn within
"a hours. In the first place, this is no.
tice to the world of stricteSt neutrality.
In the second place. it is a recognition
of the existence of war through the act
ford. inaSmuch as such notice was pro-
mulgated in advance of the Spanish
declaration Finally, it must force the
other powers to take definite position
at once, compelling the withdrawal Of
the Spanish fleet from the Cape Verde
Islands on notice from Portugal, or
place Portugal squarely on record as
an active ally of Spain. Furthermore,
the moral effect upon Europe in gener-
al. in preventing intervention in behalf
of Spain to which the greatest naval
power must decline to be Il party. cam
not be other than valuable To the cause
Of free Cuba.
1t is true that England's s act deprives
US of the use of the unfinished cruiser
Albany, now in the Newcastle ship
yard, and of the torpedo boat Somers.
the time limi<. But this is tritlng when
compared with the benefits conferred
1t is now comparatively certain that
we Will receive British support in the
contention that a state Of war actually
existed when We blockaded the port Of
Havana and captured our first prize
Spain will be compelled tor weigh an
chor with her fleet in advance of her
proposed time-thus embarrassing the
Madrid Sovernment-and either move
at once toward Porto Rico, as We de-
sire, or seek a base of operations at the
Canaries, a Spanish possession, and
more distant from Cuba than the pres
ent base.
Spain has been playing a waiting
game in the hope of securing or ar
ranging for an adequate coal supply.
She must now advance westward to
meet us without this, or beat "a retreat
to a point from which the ultimate ad-
consumption. 1t is this question of
coal supply that renders superfluous all
fear that the Spanish fleet, in crossing
the Atlantic, could afford to take a
long northward course for the purpose
of assailing our New England or mid
die Atlantic ports-with Halifax closed
save for repairs and limited supplies
The Spanish policy of procrastination
is apparently to be terminated by force
of England's attitude. Spain must
come out of hiding and meet us in the
open, in self-defenSe and without de-
lay, or give up all plans of a naval
struggle. We will move from Hong
Kong upon the Philippines at once
without danger Of European protest
The Apglo-Saxon combination is on
view before the Word-frank. formid-
able and fearless. Spain may read the
writing on the wall. if she WILL