Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1898-06-02


There is an interesting piece of his
tory attaching to the way in which our
government obtained the news which
it vaguely said it regarded as "reli-
able" as to Cervera's fleet being bot
tied up in Santiago. The cable from
that city is open to Jamaica, but it is
of course strictly censored and con-
trolled by the Spanish authorities.
But even their censorship could not
prevent the consul of a friendly power
sending cipher dispatch to an official
of his government The British con-
sui at Santiago cabled the governor of
Jamaica that the Spanish feet was in
the harbor and that an American fleet
was outside. The governor of ia
maica transmitted this important
piece of news to the British ambassa-
dor here, Sir Julian Pauncefote, and
Sir Julian kindly allowed Secretary
Day to glance over translation of the
dispatch. That is why Secretary
Long stated he believed the dispatch
to be reliable Otherwise we might
never have known the fact till too
late for decisive aclon.
1t is NO secret here that the recently
ordered advance all along the line
was brought about by the vigorous per-
sonal interposition of the president
He has grown tired of the continued
excuses that the quartermaster's de-
partment is not ready yet; that there
are not enough uniforms, guns or
shoes to properly equip the volun-
teers; and he has especially made his
indignation felt ae1nereports received
from all the volunteer camps of in
'sufhcient food and deficient water sup
ply. Mr.. Mckinley has taken suff1-
cient time to escape from the horrible
pressure brought to bear upon him by
congressman and others for commits
sions for their henchmen In the vol
unteers army (which has been worse
than the Office seeking pressure the
first few weeks OF his administration
to look into these matters, and he has
made his views, known In no uncertain
manner.
Postmaster General Charles Emery
Smith is reported to be very indig.
nant at the way in which steamship
lines heretofore favored by the United
States with big postal subsidies have
played into the hands of. the Spaniards
The Hamburg-American and North
German Lloyds, steamship lines ply
ing between New York and South.
ampton, though to some extent distinc,
organizations, have pooling arrange
ment and work together. Without
ANY apparent necessity, because theil
ships flying the German flag coult
have profltably continued in the trans
| atlantic service, these companies have
made haste to turn them over tt
Spain to be converted into auxiliar!
cruisers or privateers The Hambur:
line, before openly selling the bis
steamers Normannia and Columbia tt
Spain, made a pretext of Offering then
| to the United States at an exorbitan
| price, but the North German. Lloyd.
resorted to subterfuge and sole
one of his vessels the Havel, nomi
nally to a French Mediterranean com
pany, which Immediately transferred
it to the Spanish government, and 1
is understood to be meditating a sim
liar course in regard to others of it:
ships.
The United States was bound, no
only by contract engagement, but b.
other considerations, to take the foul
4, big vessels OF the American line, tn,
Paris, New York. ST. Paul and ST
Louis, into the navy, because the.
could not have continued in the ser
vice without risk of capture, but Their
was no such exigency in regard To h,
German ships. The vessels OF the tive
German lines received from tn,
United States last year in postal sub
sides close upon S150,O00 for servic,
which practically cost them nothing
The selection of the ships which shall
carry the transatlantic mails is &
matter entirely within the discretion
of the postmaster-g general. When the
German steamers seek to renew theil
transatlantic carrying trade they will
probably find that the mails will gC
by British or American liners ex.
clusively.
A still more fragrant case is under.
CT IN hn hot 1f