The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-05-19
BETs1GUf0H'
PUBLICATION rs DISASTROUS
Injuries Our Cause By Giving
Pointers to Spaniards.
stAsoo SHORT OF AMMUNITION.


N Therefore Becomes Extremely important
That the Fissts Of Sampson and sehlsy
Shall Prsvsnt Admiral cssvsra's Spanish
rlsst From Getting Within Reach Of the
cubaa cspital-Two Spanish Prisoner
Of War win b Exchanged for I've
Americans conAnsd At Fort cabanas.
washington, May 17.-An order post
ed yesterday morning and signed by
Secretary Long, relative to the publi-
cation Of news emanating from the
navy department. will have the effect
Of considerably curtailing the supply
Of information that heretofore has
been rather freely given out. The Sec
retary's order was directed to Captain
Crowninsfeld, chief Of the navigation
bureau. and he In turn gave It effect
BY making an order In his own name
that no person connected with his
bureau In any capacity should have
any conversation whatever upon sub
jects in any way pertaining to the navy
with representatives Of the press. As
an Offset, It was ordered that bulletins
Of such facts as have actually occurred
and are proper for publication. and are
not connected with existing or pro-
tected movements, shall be prepared
and posted on the bulletin board.
The sum total Of the Information
published by the bulletin board yester-
day under this rule was q notice Of the
intention to start the Philippine relief
expedition, and q the permission
given to some foreign neutral vessels
to pass the blockade at Havana.
In explanation Of the issue Of this
order, the naval authorities say that
some Of the leading American news
papers have been 80 far lacking in
patriotism % to print plans of cam
paign and projsched movements Of
naval vessels, with the result that the
war board has been obliged to COM
pletely revise its plans, in the knowl-
edge that the Spaniards had promptly
taken notice Of the publications and
were prepared to profit by them. Com.
plaint was then made to Secretary
Long that the newspapers were work
ing injury to the government in such
eases. 1t ID mot the purpose Of the sec
retary to prevent the press having my
Information that is not calculated to
cause miscarriage Of the plans Of the
department, but It remains to be seen
whether the naval officers to whom the
order has been directed will not, by
their fnterpfetAtion Of It., bring about
q modification, In the interest of liber-
ality.
The opening Of the blockade at fIa-
vana to certain vessels is a rather
curious proceeding. that may lead to q
very considerable widening Of the
blockade itself. SO that in the end the
neutral vessels not loaded with con-
traband or supplies, the carrying OF
which into Havana would interfere
with the naval and military opera
tions Of our government, may pass the
blockade under suitable regulations
laid down by the United States.
The troops going to Manila are to be
prepared for six months stay, and
preparations for their departure are
being pressed with the greatest energy.
1ntimations have been received here
that Captain General BlancO, at Ha-
vana, is very short Of ammunition, in
which case the powerful batteries at
the entrance Of Havana harbor, of
course, would be deprived of large
part Of their defensive strength. This
state OF affairs may lead to some des-
perate attempts at blockade running
on the part of the Spaniards, in the
hope Of getting more ammunition into
It is believed that the sup
plies SO frequently referred to as being
On the Spanish flying squadron were
of this character. rather than food sup
plies, which makes 1t all the more i'm.
portant that Sampson and Schlsy
should succeed In keeping Admiral
Cervera from reaching Havana, Cien-
[uegos or any port in Cuba connected
with Havana by rail.
Commodore Schley probably Is we'll
iown on the Florida coast now, and
should soon be able to guard the
Florida straits. His appearance on
hat side Of Cuba would enable Samp-
ION to bring his ironclads with perfect
'afety to Cienfuegos, on the south side,
md with this disposition Of our naval
'orce, and the free use Of consider
lble number Of our scouting vessels,
is hard to see how the Spanish fleet
an escape from the Gulf of Mexico or
he Caribbean sea. |
r0EXCHANGE PRISONERS OF WAR |
Freedom For Two Americans VIII
Release Two Spaniards.