The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-04-29

the execution Of plans Of the campaign,
but the orders given to him cannot be
made public. z.
p The President and cabinet will consld-
erto-morrow the large number of appli-
cations that have been made for ap-
potntment to the posts Of major general
and brigadler general. and there Is some
expectation that he will be able to nomi-
nate a few of these officers tomorrow.
General Lees Visit.
General Fitzhugh Lee arrived here
late to-day. after ten days visit to his
family in Virginia. With him came
Miss Clsneros, the young Cuban girl,
rescued from Cabanas. who has been
the guest OF Miss Lee. The general
shared the keen public interest in the
report OF the shelling OF Natanzas. He
had visited this city frequently. and
was familiar with the lay OF the land
and the defenses. He said the batteries
were antiquated and were not likely TO
offer any formidable resistance. Cen
eral Lee will call at the state depart
ment tomorrow morning. Being still
an official he asked to be excused from
discussing the war situation, and was
very ret!cent concerning his prospec-
tive appointment as major general.
General Lee says he has not vet re-
ceived challenge to fight a duel sent
by Lieutenant De Carranza, late naval
attache at Washington. It Is understood
that three or four people have offered
to accommodate Lieutenant Carranza II
he desires meeting.
The French embassy has received 4
cable dispatch from the foreign Office at
Paris, announcing that decree OF neu-
trality between the United States and
Spain has been issued and that de-
tailed copy will be forwarded by, mali.
On the receipt OF the dispatch the
French ambassador, II. Cambon, wrote
to the state department informing them
OF Frances neutrality. The cable no.
tice is brief, stating only that the de-
cree follows the treaty OF Paris in 1856.
The state department has also been In
formed that Mexico, Argentine Repuo-
lie. Korea, Belgium have proclaimed
neutrality. Korea's neutrality Is con-
sidered important, owing to her prox-
Unity to the Philippines. (,
The state department has heard MOTH
ing from Germany, but this causes no
apprehension. owing to the strong as.
surances Germany has given that she
will observe strict neutrality between
the two belligerents. This assurance
was conveyed to Ambassador White.
and Is looked upon as practically equiv
alent to formal declaration Of neu-
trality. Germany, Austria and Portu-
gal are the Inst OF the important Eu-.
ropean nations to declare their attitude.
Portugal ySli be Neutral.
The apprehension as to Portugars
course was considerably removed to-
day, by the call OF vlscount De Santo-
Thyrso who gave strong assurances to
the state department that Portugal
would remain strictly neutral The Por-
tuguese minister expects the official
declaration almost hourly. Although
Portugal e1plains her delay on the
ground that the declaration OF war was
not made Until the oath inst, yet Great
Britain declared neutrality with un-
usual promptness. The effect OF Great
Britain's speedy action was to force the
United States feet to leave Hong Kong
while the effect Of Portugals delay has
been to permit the Spanish fleet TO re-
main at the Cape Verde islands. Thus
speedy action IN tho first case was
harmful to American interests, while
delayed action in the second case was
equally harmful to American interests.
Attention Is now being centered on
the course OF Austria. Her delay in de-
claring neutrality causes no material
Inconvenience, as Austria has no ports
at which Spanish ships can take refuge,
but It discloses that Austria's strong
tendencies are with Spain. owing to the
dynastic relations between the thrones
Of Austria and Spain.
Tho Tonnage TnI.
Foreign governments through their
representatives at Washington, are be-
ginning to show much concern over that
feature OF the war tariff bill now be-
fore Congress, which increases the ton
mage tax on transatlantic shipping 20
zoe per ton. 1t Is said this increase Is
about 800 per cent, the present rate be-
ing about three cents per ton and that
nearly the entire burden OF the 500 per
cent Increase falls on the trans-AtlantIc
shipping OF Great Britain. Germany.
France and one or two other CONNER
clal nations. A leading diplomatic off,.
cial stated to-day that, roughly speak,
the1y taiG <hkNiHhiS lIsiuC hGh SttI.
ried on by about one hundred AmerI-
can steamships, and about, 1000 Brit
ish. French, German and other foreign
steamships, so that the heavy tonnage
tax. would be practically insignificant.
as against American steamships, while
1t would be very onerous against for
eign shipping. A TRANSATLANTIC liner
OF 10000 tons, he said. would pay at zoe
per ton, 5000 every time It entered on
American port. Thus far, however, no
official action has been taken on the
subject by foreign nations, and It does
not seem likely that such official action
Is possible as the heavy tonnage tax Is
considered u war cxpedIent which for
eign shipping must bear so long rs they
use American ports There are intlma-
tions, however. that 1t may have the
effect OF diverting shipping away from
American ports to Halifax, Montreal
and other Canadian ports. llPS
NJ In other respects the war tariff bill
attracts little attention in foreign quar-
tiers rs the main course of taxation is
on articles OF domestic consumption,
while duties on foreign imports remain
practically unchanged.
.3. .'aI..H .------------------ 10
A WARNING
hs to Spanish Spies Who nro Billed 10 do
tE'H .ti .sHE.it Dnsfnrt rttly Work. tTt'5 H.-s5 e j