Evening star., 1898-12-31

/ ton was also raised to the presence of the
| United States feet ct Key West
! On April IL President Mckinley addressed
| To Congress message. in which ne asked
/ for authority to intervene for the purpose
! OF stopping the war in Cuba between the
i Spanish and the insurgents.
! on April ~ the two houses of Congress
! Crncurred in the following resolution which
! was sent to the President and by him ap-
! proved the next day:
| Resolved by the Senate and House Of
! Representatives of the United States of
| America in Congress assembled:
| L fhat the people of the Island of Cuba
| are and of right ought to be free and
| independent.
| -. Fhat ii is the duty of the United
| states to demand and the government of
! the United States does hereby demand that
! the government of Spain at once relinquish
i lis adthorty and government in the Island
| OF Cuba and withdraw its land and naval
| forces from Cuba and Cuban waters.
| y That the President of the United
| States be and he is hereby directed and
| empowered to use the entire land and ma
| val forces of the United States and TO call
! into the actual service of the United States
[ the militia of the several states to such
! extent as may be necessary to carry these
| resolutions into effect.
Il. Th2t the United States hereby dis
| claims any disposition or intention to exer-
! else sovereignty jurisdiction or control over
| said island. except for the pacifcation
thereof. and asserts its determination when
| Il at is accomplished TO leave the govern
rrent and control of the island to its peo-
| pie
on April Is matters between the two
governments had reached such an acute
stage that Spain issued an appeal to the
/ powers in which she denied the reports of
cruelty to the Cubans by her troops in
the island. and asserting innocence of any
completely in the Maine disaster She also
announced that under no consideration
would she surrender her sovereignty in
Cuba.
Diplomatic Relations Severed.
Two days later came the memorable an
nouncemeht by the United States Con-
sress, demanding that Spain should with
draw her troops from the island On the
day Of the passage of the act Senor Ber-
| nabe the Spanish minister, requested his
! passports and started for Canada The
| government of Spain responded to the act
OF our Congress by an order from the oueen
regent cOnVening the cOrtes and appealing
| 10 the Spanish people to defend their
rights. The next day Spain severed dIpIo-
I mauc relations with the United States by
hdndlnS Minister WoOdfOrd his passports
blockade of the principal ports of Cuba
was proclaimed by the President April -
( rms order marked the actual beginning of
/ the war. and resulted in the Immediate con-
| tuFe OF number Of Spanish meUchantmcu
as prizes by the United States fleet
Inc Spanish government responded on
! April n With a decree that q state of war
| existed between Spain and the United
I states In this declaration Spain reserved
I the right to commission privateers up-
/ ho4"ihS IT'S right to grant letters of maroue
I 10 force of auxiliary cruisers to cooper
ate with her navy.
| our state Department had previously is
| sued a declaration which said:
! In the event of hostilities between the
/ nitHd States and Spain it will be the poll
/ icy Of this government not to resort to
/ privateerlng. The government will adhere
/ 10 the following rules:
[ ba
/ with the exception of the contraband OF
| war.
| -. Neutral goods not contrahaud of war
! are not liable 10 cOnfscation under the
{ ensmy's flag.
| -. Blockades in order to be binding must
| be effective"
/ On April % the President issued procla-
| nation calling for 12jGp0 volunteer soldiers
/ 70 serve for two years unless sooner dis
/ charged. A second call for volunteers was
| issued May -, for $1,000 men.
! The first attack of the American fleet
/ vas made at MantanZas April -, in which
! Admiral Sampson. with the New York.
/ Puritan and Cincinnati, bombarded some
| eirthworks which the Spanish garrison at
! Ihat point was engaged in constructing.
! The Spanish batteries Were siienced with
! out loss on part of the fleet
| The Spanish loss as reported officially
| consisted of the destruction of one mule
| ON May II the torpedo boat Wiuslow and
! the revenue cutter Hudson and the gun
1 boat Wilmington entered the harbor of
| Carderas for the purpose of DESTROYING
| three Spanish eunboats anchored within
/ shell from one of the shore batteries
! struck the Winslow, rendering her help
| less, and while the Hudson was prepar-
! ing 70 tow the disabled vessel out of range
| second shell exploded among the crew
| of the WinslOw, killing Ensign Worth Bag
| ley and four others of the crew.
| number of bOmbardments of towns on
| the Spanish coast by the fleet, under the
! command of Admiral sampson, took place
| AZ various times during the month of May
! and June. On May II, more serious ac-
| inn was engaged in by the bombardment
| o. the forts OF the harbor of San Juan
| Porto Rico No material results 50 far as
| injury to the feet or the permanent re-
duction of these forts was accomplished.
| Dewey at Manila
| In the meantime, however Il signal vic
| tory had been won by the American arms
in another part of the world. When war
| was declared Commodore George +. Dewey
| was in Chinese waters in command of the
| Asiatic squadron. This fleet, which had
rendezvoused at Hong Kong. in the latter
| part of April was notified by the English
| government that under the neutrality law
/ X could not longer remain in that
| port Commodore Dewey was ordered by
Secretary Long of the Navy to proceed
| TO Manila and capture or destroy
| the Spanish feet which had gathered at
| that point. He sailed from Hong Kong on
| AprH - with the following ships: The
| olympia Baltimore, Boston, Raleigh, Con-
cord, Petral and the revenue cutter Nc
| CuHough, carrying total personnel of
| 1.6!H officers and men.
! The Spanish naval force in Manila, under
| command of Admiral Montejo, consisted of
/ the following ships: Reina Cristina Cas-
| tlla, Nelasco, Don Antonio de Ulloa Don
Juan de Austria and the gunboats General
| Lezzo, Ell Cano, Marques de Elredo Isla
| de Cuba and Isla de Luzou, and the mail
| boat Isla de Mindanao. comprising a total
| personnel of ]. IS4 officers and men.
| The result of the action was summed up
| in the following telegram to the Secretary
| of the Navy:
| MANILA, May 1.-Squadron arrived at
| diately engaged the enemy and DESTROYED
| the following Spanish vessels:
| Renia Cristina, Castillo Don Antonio de
| Clloa, 1sla de La=on. lsla de Cuba General
/ LeZo, Marques del Duera. Cano Valasco'
| Isla de Mind2nao, t-assoo-t and q water