Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-04-28
A DAY OF GREAT EVENTS.
Cuban Resolution and Ultinatum
to Spain are Signed.
The Spanish Minister at Washington Asks
for and is Given His Passports and He
Departs-The Ultimatum Gives Spain
48 Hours in Which to Comply
with the Demands of the
United States.

United states.
Washington, April 81. Wednesday
was "a day of great events in the his
tory of the Cuban question. The sig
nature by the president of the joint
resolution requiring intervention in
Cuba; the notification of that action to
the Spanish minister here: his demand
for passports; the departments prompt
reply to that demand; the departure of
the Spanish minister and the transmits
sion of our ultimatum that Spain must
evacuatc Cuba and must make answer
by Saturday through Minister Wood
ford followed in rapid succession. The
next step is Spain's answer, if she is to
make any, and the movement of the
United States army and navy on Cuba.
Early in the morning the execution
of the programme for the day began
with conference between Assistant
Secretary Day, eX-Secretary Foster
and Second Assistant Secretary Adee
in which the wishes of the president
and ca abinet as to the ultimatum were
reduced to diplomatic form. The other
events succeeded each other with
rapdity. The ultimatum was sent to
the Spanish minister by Judge Days
personal messenger Edward Savoy.
The messenger was not kept waiting
long at the legation, but in the course
of an hour had returned to the state
department with the minister's appli-
cation for his passports. 1t was not
until 1880 p. IN. that Savoy made his
second trip, carrying with him the de-
sired paper This was a passport for
1t was not in the usual form, but IS
what is known as a special passport.
In general terms it is similar to that
presented to Lord Sackville West when
that minister was obliged to retire.
At first there was some expectation
at the state department that response
from Minister Woodford might be eX-
pected yesterday. Later on, however,
after Judge Day had calculated the
length of time that would be consumed
in the cabling of the ultimatum 10 Min
lister Woodford, its translation into ci-
pher and retranslation, he became con-
vinced that it would be practically i'm
possible to receive any response We'd
nesdav Therefore the following state
ment was posted at the department:
THE text of the ultimatum to Spain
will be given out by Mr. Porter, secre-
tary to the president, at the White
House some time tomorrow, probably
The next move must now be made
| by Spain, according to the department
| officials. If the Spanish government
| takes a view that the congressional
resolution is insulting, it may promptly
| hand Mr.. Woodford his passports upon
receipt of this communication and thus
| bring the negotiations to "A crisis and
cause a breach of diplomatic relations
| within the next "a hours
If, on the other hand, it should neg
| leCt to return a satisfactory answer be-
| fore Saturday noon, that line of policy
| will be quite as effective as positive
| act. inasmuch as it would amount to
refusal of the demands of the United
| States. In such case the president
would proceed Immediately to use the
naval and military forces of the United
| States to execute the will of congress.
| How this will be done, what steps shall
| first be taken, whether Havana shall
| be blockaded or whether an attempt
| shall be made to make speedy cam
| paign by hurting a large force of troops
| to Havana under cover of lombard
| ment by fleet, are all matters of mere
| speculation.
| An outline of the policy to be fol-
| lowed by this government in the treat
| ment of neutrals and the matter of
| privateering is contained in the follow
| ing official statement ''In the event
| of hostilities between the United States
| and Spain, it will be the policy of this
| government not to resort to privateer-
| ing. The government will adhere to
the following rules: First, neutral
flag covers the enemy's goods with the
| exception of contraband of war; second,
| neutral goods not contraband Of war
| are not liable to contscation under
| enemv's flag: third, blockades in order
to be binding must be effective"
This doctrine places the United
States in a most advanced position so
far as the protection of individual
property and neutral goods at sea is
concerned. BY it Spanish goods are
made free from seizure on the seas in
the bottoms of neutral power.
| Word came to the navy department
that the Spanish cruisers Pelayo, Viz
caya and Oquendo are all at Cape
Verde islands, in company with the
torpedo boat tlotilla. This constitutes
a most formidable naval force, in the
opinion of experts equal to our flying
squadron now lying in Hampton Roads.
| Exit Bernabe.
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