The record-union., 1898-05-15

| ish authorities at Cuba and Porto Rico.
! He said this doubtless was without the
knowledge of the company. He then
| laid down certain classes of forbidden
messages. This included messages be-
tween Spanish officials, in code or ci-
| pher. and messages inimieal to the
United States in its present war against
Spain Exceptions were made of mes
sages signed by the President and
members of the Cabinet, and also mes
sages from neutral Governments and
their representatives in Washington.
General Greelv said that he had no
desire to exercise military control or
supervision over the French cable lines.
/ and, as long as the necessities of war
permit, preferred that the company
should look after its own affairs. While
granting this permission, hokever,
| General Greely said it was with the
! distinct provision that the company
would allow its agents and employees to
refuse to receive any messages which
he had forbidden to be sent. Mr..
Lurienne, the manager of the company.
gave General Greely written assur-
ances that all the foregoing conditions
| would he fully observed. so that the
| United States authorities are now fully
| safeguarded against the use of the cable
| for purposes inimical to the Govern
ment
| The officials OF the State and Navy
Departments strongly deprecate as mis-
| chievous and dangerous the efforts to
| create the impression that France is not
acting up to the rule in the observance
of strict neutrality between the United
States and Spain. They say that. even
were there some slight foundation for
the statement, the time is very inoppor-
tune for newspaper attacks that might
even involve France in the present hos
tilities. AS matter of fact. they say
there is no disposition on the part of
the French Colonial Office in the West
indies to discriminate against the
United States and favor Spain. If there
has been any delay in the transmission
| of cablegrams from Martinique to the
| United States, or reverse direction. our
! Government is not in possession of any
| evidence tending in the slightest degree
| to show that obstacles were purposely
| interposed.
AS far as the matter of coaling is
concerned, there is also an entire alb
sence, as yet at least, of any evidence
that the Spanish fleet was accorded any
undue privilege. If they took coal at
Martinique (and even this is not GER
tainly known), much would depend
upon the quantity allowed The prac-
tice is to give a ship in such circum-
! stances just enough to carry it to the
| nearest home port, which might be
| Porto Rico or Cuba If the Spaniards
replenished their coal bunkers from col
| liers lying in the port another interest
| ing question would be raised. In fact.
| the application of neutrality laws to
| such cases as are now presented by
| the frequent movements of both Amer
ican and Spanish warships is very
| much beclouded
DISTINGUISHED officer pointed out
the fact that there were no precedents
of value to guide a neutral Government
! just now, and the probabilities are that
by the time the present war is at an
end the United States, just as it did in
the war Of the rebellion will make a
good many precedents and a great deal
of international law for the guidance
of the family of nations hereafter Such
a question as that presented by the ac-
tion Of the French authorities in de-
| tanning the United States ship Harvard
at St Pierre for twenty-four hours
! after the departure Of the Spanish tor
| pedoboat destroyer Terror. which she
| found in that port, raises in itself a
/ host of interesting questions. and re-
! veals the fact that there is absolutely
| nothing like uniform rule in the mat
| ter. Some nations require, when two
/ belligerent vessels meet in their ports.
| that the first conner shall depart first.
while the other shall be detained twen-
! ty-four hours. Another rule is that the
weaker vessel should be allowed to de-
| part first. in order to prevent the
! stronger from lying in wait for her out
| side. In other cases still, the second
boat is not detained in port twenty-four
| hours, but the neutral contents itself
with a pledge from the commanding Of
! ficer of the belligerent ship that he will
not engage in hostilities with the other
| ship until twenty-four hours shall have
/ elapsed after his departure from port.
Generally these rules are founded on
| the old practice during the days of
| sailing ships, and they have yet to be
modified to meet the needs of modern
naval service. The matter of coal sup
! ply is also obscured by doubtful inter-
pretations in construction.
As far as the Harvard is concerned.
| the rule has not worked to our hard
ship. On the contrary, the officials
here are rather inclined to be grateful
to the French authorities for their con-
cession of the privilege to the Harvard
to remain in port until she has COM
pleted the necessary repairs to her ma
chinery. With Spanish torpedo boats
and cruisers lurking around Martinique.
there is no disposition on the part of
the naval authorities to expose to their
attack a vessel like the Harvard. alb
solutely without protection against the
smallest gun fire and without defensive
power.
The State Department satisfied itself.
as far as was possible to do so. before
| making the statement yesterday that
no French artillerymen had been land
ed by the Lafayette at Havana. They
are now inclined to think that the
whole basis for this absurd story grew
out of a remark by some naval officers
that the superior gun fire of the Span
ish at Cardenas made it very evident
in view of their wretched shooting be-
fore that, that some Frenchmen must
have come over to help them out.
One of the brightest most popular
and expert young officers in the Ord
nance Bureau. Ensign G.. L. Lattimer.
at his own request, has been designated
to take the place of Ensign Bagley as
second in command of the Winslow. He
will leave Washington tomorrow and
proceed directly to Key West. 1t is
believed that the injuries to the Wins
low can be repaired at that place but
the constructors report must be await
ed before deciding positively on that