The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-05-17
LONG TO ISSUE BULLETINS

SECRETARY'S ACTION REGARDING
 THE GIVING OUT OF NEWS. Only Information of Such Facts as Have Actually Occurred and Are Not Com nected With Existing or Projected Movements to be Given Out in the Future-Some Unpatriotic American Papers Have DivuIged Plans From Which Spain Has Benefited-Yester- days Bulletin.
 Washington, May 16-The navy de- partment issued the following bulletin at the close of office hours to-day en- bodying such official information of the day as the department regarded proper for publication:
 Admiral Dewey was informed that off, cers, men and supplies would be sent, out to Manila by the City of Picking. About 1,200 troops will go.
 MT. Knight, correspondent of the London
 
 mission from the Spanish government to land at Havana, if conveyed to that port by a neutral vessel has been granted per passage passage by the the German Gn ee' steamer Polaria, which vessel Is given permission to pass the blockade. The department hopes to make an exchange of prisoners at an early date.
 The British steamer Myrtledene has been granted the same permission to go to Oar denas as was previously granted to the IN ar~yryfer tnT 0
 The Austrian man-of-war, the Empress Maria Teresa, will visit Cuban ports.
 Washington, May 16.-An order post ed this morning, signed by Secretary Long and relating to the publication of news emanating from the navy depart ment had the effect to-day of consid- erably curtailing the supply of inform ation that heretofore has been rather freely given out. The secretarys order was directed to Captain Crowinshield, chief of the navigation bureau, and he in turn gave 1t effect by making an or der in his own name that no -persnn connected with his bureau in any ca- pacity should have any conversation whatever upon subjects in any way pertaining to the navy with representa- lives of the press.
 As an offset, it was ordered that bull 1etins of such facts as have actually occurred and are proper for publication. and are not connected with existing or projected movements, shall be prepared and posted on the bulletin board. The sum total of the information published by the bulletin board to-day under this rule was notice of the intention to start the Philippine relief expedition and of the permission given to some foreign neutral vessels to pass the blockade at Havana. In explanation of the issue of this order the naval au- thorities say that some of the leading American newspapers have been so far lacking in patriotism as to print alleged plans of campaigns and projected move- ments of naval ships, with the result that the war board has at times been obliged to completely revise it's plans in the knowledge that the Spaniards had promptly taken notice of the pub lications and were prepared to profit by them Complaint was made to Secre- tary Long that the newspapers were working injury to the government in such cases. It is not the purpose of the secretary to prevent the press having
 
 to cause a change of plans.
 The opening of the blockade at Ha- vana to certain vessels is rather cu- rious proceeding that may lead to a very considerable widening of the blockade itself so that in the end the neutral vessels not loaded with contra band or supplies, the carrying of which into Havana would interfere with the military operations of our government, may pass the blockade under suitable regulations laid down by the United States The statemen that the navy department still hopes to make an ex- change of prisoners at an early day shows that the mission of the Uncas yesterday was by no means complete failure, as has been stated.
 The marines who have been lying in Key West harbor on board the Panther sWeltering under a semi-tropical sun are to be transferred to more con- fortable vessel, the Resolute, which will easily accommodate the 400 men aboard. Limitations have been receiv- ed here that Captain General Blanco at Havana is very short of ammuni- tion in which case the powerful batter
 
 would be deprived of a large part of their defensive strength. This state of affairs may lead to some desperate at- tempts at blockade running on the part of the Spaniards in the hope of getting more ammunition into Havana. It is believed that the supplies so frequently referred to as being on the Spanish flying squadron were of this character, rather than food supplies, which makes it all the more important that Samp- son and Schley should succeed in keep ing Admiral Cervera from reaching Havana or Cienfuegos or any port in Cuba. Commodore Schley probably is well down on the Florida coast now and should be able to guard the Flori- da straits by tomorrow or next day. His appearance on this side would en- able Sampson to bring his ironclads with perfect safety to Cienfuegos on the south side and with this disposition of our naval forces it is hard to see how the Spanish fleet can escape from the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean sea,