The herald., 1898-04-22

day. as reported to the state department
in a telegram, indicated that he was foi-
lowing a carefully prepared program. A
significant feature Of his message was a
statement that the Spanish government
notified him that it regarded its with
drawal of Minister Polo yesterday as
terminating diplomatic negotiations, show
Ing that it was not disposed to accept the
expressed intention of our government to
continue Mr.. Woodford as a medium. OF
communication until Saturday noon. Mr..
Woodford also announced that he had In
structed Consul-General Bowen at Bar
celona to cause all the American consuJs
in Spain to Immediately withdraw from
the country. He further stated that he
had informed the Spanish government,
after asking for his passports, that he had
placed the American legation in Madrid
and American interests in Spain generally
in the hands of the British ambassador.
The ambassador, Right Hon. Sir II. Frye
Drummon Wolff, is not at present in Mad
rid, so American interests will be confided
to the British charge d'affaires, Sir George
r. Bonham, Bart. To all intents and pur-
poses this relieves the state department
from further negotiations as to Cuba, save
those relating to privateering, neutrality
observances and the like.
1t was found necessary to frame q notice
to the powers of the intention of our gov
ornment to establish a blockade of Ha-
vana, a notification required by interna-
tional law.
Enlarging the Navy
The navy department today, aside from
giving orders to the squadron, continued
the work of adding to the navy, and pur-
chased another ship at Norfolk, as IN
auxiliary cruiser, and some small yachts.
The news of the actual beginning of war
was received with gravity at the depart
ment, and there were many speculations
as to the destination Of the Spanish squad
ron. One suggestion was that it is head
ing to cut off the fine battleship Oregon,
now on it's way from the Pacific coast
around the Horn to join Capt. SIMPSONS
command. There Is also some fear that
the Oregon may be taken at an unfair ad~
vantage, without knowledge of the exist
once of war, by the Spanish torpedo boat
destroyer Temmerarie, which is now lying
at Buenos Ayres. Possibly with view to
avoiding a conflict in the Straits of Ma
gellan, where she would be at disadvant-
age, the Oregon has been ordered to go
around Cape Horn.
The Lake Navy
Relative to the news that comes from
Chicago, that the three revenue cutters
on the lakes cannot be availed Of for naval
purposes, it is said at the navy depart
ment that the department had some time
ago abandoned the idea Of using these
craft, owing to the difficulty in getting
them out to the Atlantic seaboard. 1t was,
however, denied that any international OBJ
stacle had been encountered in the shape
of notice from the Canadian government
that the passage of the ships would not
be permitted. The little Bancroft, now at
Boston, has been placed under command
OF Capt. Glover, who will meet the ship at
Norfolk within a few days and take 1t to
Key West.
In the war department many orders flew
to and fro relative to the concentration of
troops in the south, and Secretary Alger
was several times in consultation with the
president, resulting in the determination
to call for 100000 volunteers as soon as con-