The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-17
CURTA|LS THE VIEWS
-
Secretary Longs Order Af-
fecting Newspaper
Representatives.
HARMFUL PUBLICITY
FOREIGN NEUTRAL VESSELS
AND THE CUBAN BLOCKADE.
TO PASS UNDER CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS
Sampson and Schley are Preparing a Net
inWhOse Meshes il is Hoped the Span
ish Fleet will Soon be Hope.
IessIY Involved.

tC~otJ iHtONCus
Washington, ID. c.. May 16.-An order
posted this morning and signed by Secre-
tary Long relative to the publication of
news emanating from the Navy Depart
ment had the effect to-day of considera-
bly, eurtailing the supply of information
that heretofore has been rather freely
given out. The Secretary's order was
directed to Captain Crowninshield, chief
of the Navigation Bureau, and he in
turn gave it effect by making an order in
his own name that persons connected
with his bureau in any capacity should
have no conversation whatever upon sub
jects III any way pertaining to the navy
with representatives of the press. As an
offset il was ordered that bulletins of such
facts as have actually occurred and are
proper for publication and are not con-
nected with existing or projected move
menfs, shall be prepared and posted on
the bulletin board. The sum total of
the information published by the bulletn
board to-day under this rule was n no
tice of the intention to start the Philip
pine relief expedition, and of the permis-
sion given to some foreign neutral yes-
sells to pass the blockade at Havana.
In explanation Of the issue of the order
the naval authorities say that some of
the leading American newspapers have
been SO far lacking in patriotism as to-
print plans Of campaigns and
projected movements of the naval
ships, with the result that the
War Board has been obliged to com
pletely revise its plans in the knowledge
that the Spaniards had promptly taken
notice of the publications and were pre-
pared to profit by them. Complaint was
made to Secretary Long that the news
papers were working injury to the gov
ernment in such cases. 1t is not the pur-
pose of the Secretary to prevent the
press having any information that is not
calculated to cause miscarriage of the
plans of the department
The opening of the blockade ut Ha-
yana to certain vessels is q rather Gu
rious proceeding that may lead to very
considerable widening of the blockade
itself, so that in the end neutral vessels
not loaded with contraband of war sup
plies, the carrying of which into Havana
would interfere with the naval and mill
tary operations of our government, may
pass the blockade under suitable regu-
lations laid down by the United States
The statement that the Navy Depart
ment still hopes to make an exchange of
prisoners at an early day shows that the
mission of the Uncas yesterday was by
no means as complete Il failure as has
been stated.
The troops going to Manila are to be
prepared for a six months stay according
to the number of rations furnished
100000, and preparations for their de
parture are being pressed with the great
est energy. The Charleston should have
sailed to-day from San Francisco.
The marines who have been lying in
Key West harbor on board the Pan
ther sweltering under semi-tropical sun,
are to be transferred to more comfor
table vessel, the Resolnte, which will
easily accommodate the 500 men aboard
Intimations have been received here thai
Captain General Blanco at Havana is
very short OF ammunition, in which case
the powerful batteries at the entranc.
Of Havana harbor, of course, would bc
deprived of large part of their de
fensive strength. This state of affairs
may lead to some desperate attempts at
blockade running on the part Of the
Spaniards in the hope of getting more
ammunition into Havana. 1T is be-
lieved that the supplies so frequently re-
ferred to as being on the Spanish Flying
Squadron were Of this character rather
than food supplies. which makes it all
the more important that Sampson ano
Schley should succeed which makes
II all the more important that Sampson
and Schley should succeed in keeping
Admiral Ceryera from reaching Haya-
ma, or Cienfuegos or any port i'm Cuba
connected with Havana by rail Comma
dore Schley probably is well down on the
Florida coast now and should be abI.
to guard the Florida straights by to.
morrow or next day. His appearance on,
that side Of Cuba would enable Sampson
TO bring his iron-clads with perfect saf fe
ty to Cienfuegos on the south side. ana
with this disposition of our naval force
and the free use of Il considerable num-
ber of our scouting vessels ii is hard
to see how the Spanish feet can escape
from the Gulf of Mexico or the Carib-
bean sea.
The Navy Department is getting n
better quality of armor, as the contracts
expire. A thirteen inch plate tested ut
Indian Head Saturday with ten inch
gun showed itself to be equal or SUI
perior to any piece of armor that has
ever been made. for with the highest
velocity at 1916 feet per second, the
shot Penetrated only II inches, without
fackihg the plate. 1t was the very