The record-union., 1898-05-15
FRANCES FRIENDLY ATTITUDE
Shown in Her Answer to a Protest
From Spain.

| WASHINGTON, May 14.-Oficial in
| formation reached here to-day that the
Spanish Government had filed protest
at the Foreign Office in Paris against
the permission given by the French
authorities at Martinique to the Unit
ed States cruiser Harvard to remain
in the harbor of ST. Pierre, Martinique,
for seven days to make necessary re-
pairs. The French Government has
taken speedy action on the protest, and
insists that the United States cruiser,
being disabled, has a full right to re-
main seven days, or such time as may
be necessary to complete her repairs,
and that in the meantime no steps will
be taken to have her leave the French
port.
The Spanish protest is an important
development in the present critical sit
uation of the West Indies, as it serves
to permit France to give a conspicuous
evidence her friendly attitude tow
ard the United States and to offset the
| insinuations which have been made as
to the French favoritism to Spain.
1t also makes clear for the first time
the plans of the Spanish Admiral to
have the Harvard forced out of the
harbor at Martinique. and then to cap
ture her with his swift cruisers and
! destroyers. 1t impossible for the Span
ish warships to attack her while she
is inside the harbor. The most the
Spanish Admiral can do is to wait out
side the harbor, in hopes of taking the
Harvard as she leaves
| 1t is evident from the filing of Spain's
protest that she had fully expected the
Harvard to leave ST. Pierre, and that
the Spanish ships were lying in waiting
/ for her. But wait of seven days
would be futile, as other American
ships can go to the relief of the Har-
ward before that time. Moreover,
while the capture of the Harvard
would be a valuable incident to the
movement of the Spanish squadron, it
! is obvious that it cannot shape it's en-
tire movements for the next seven
days to effect this one capture. Had
the French authorities decided. in view
of the protest, that the Harvard must
/ leave at once. her position would have
been extremely critical, as her bat
teries are insignificant compared with
+ those of the big Spanish warships and
/ her feetnes would not avail when the
i Spanish ships commanded the harbor
! entrance and had thirty-knot vessels
among their number. As it is the
Navy Department is relieved of all Sc
! rious apprehension as to the Harvard
as the French Government insures her
safety.
BY a strange coincidence the French
ownership of Martinique is bringing
protests from both quarters. the Unit
ed States as well as Spain. although
! those from this country are entirely
unofficial and are expressly discoun-
tenanced by the State Department
They relate to the use of the French
cable system between the United States
and the West I ndies, intimations being
!. that these served to assist the Spanish
authorities and to embarrass the Off
Gals at Washington There appears
to be no ground for this suspicion, as
| it is pointed out that the French Cable
Company is working against its own in
terests by such a course of action. and
that. moreover. it would subject itself
to the danger of having its cable cut at
Coney Island, where it makes the
/ landing.
It deve1oned to-day that General
Greely. Chief Of the Signal Service
had laid down strict course of action
for the cable company. to which the
company fully acceded. On Thursday
General Greedy notified the company
that the Government was reliably ad-