The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-30

ations have been opened with Wash
ington to obtain permission for the
Spaniards in the Ladrone islands to go
to Manila, as the situation in the La
drones is extremely critical. Great
preparations are being made at Vigo
and Pontevedra for the repatriated
soldiers who are expected to arrive
there shortly. All possible sanitary
precautions are being made.
Commandant Emilio Diaz de Moreu,
former captain Of the cruiser Cristo-
bal Colon, promises to conduct a live
ly anti-government campaign in the
cortes on his return to Spain. 1t is
pointed out, however, that he, as we'll
as all the other commanders of Ad-
miral Servera's squadron, will have to
appear before a court martial before
anything else is done. AS soon as the
cOmnandant arrives the government
will ask the cOrteS for authority to
prosecute him, as he is a deputy and
this authorization is necessary.
A semi-official denial is made of the
statement that Admiral Cervera has
written letter. published in the
American press, praising the American
navy. His authorship is repudiated.
PHILIPPINES IN EUROPE.
London, August 27.-The Philippine
Islands committee in Europe has ad-
dressed a letter to President McKin-
ley regarding the appeals made to him
by high Roman Catholic eccleSiastics
in America. to protect the religious
ders in the islands. The expulsion of
the friars, the committee contends, is
"a necessary antecedent to moral SAN
itation." The letter names particularly
the archbishop of Manila and the
bishops of Nueva SagOvia and Nueva
CaSereS, whose acts of hostility
against both natives and Americans
and against the Jesuites and other re-
Spected religious institutions are con-
demned by every one" The committee
urges President Mckinley to laid the
Philippines to suppress the immorali-
ty of the diabolical institutions foster
ed by these monks" and the letter con-
cludeS as follows:
Your name can never be associat-
ed with that of the friars; and in a
sense of right of the noble nation at
whose head you are placed will never
permit the ever-victOriOus and human
itarian stars and stripes to protect
them"
RUPTURE BETWEEN CHINA AND
ENGLAND.
London, August 27.-Authoritativ
confirmation has been received of the
dispatch from Pekin to The Daily Mail
this morning asserting that the rela-
-tions between the Tsung Ii Yamen and
Sir Claude Macdonald, the British
minister to China, are strained to the
point of rupture and that Sir Claude
has intimated that Great Britain will
regard as a casus belli any failure on
the part of China to observe her
ich bot es;f ftny,
between Great Britain and China is
acute, Sir Claude Macdonald strenu-
Ously insisting that China shall OBJ
serve her engagements to the British
syndicates and demanding satisfactory
explanations with regard to the Pekin-
EankOw railway. If necessary, the
British squadron now assembled at
Wei-Hai-Wei will support the Brit
iSh minister's demands. Meanwhile it
is stated the negotiations that are be-
ing conducted by Sir Charles Scott,
the British ambassador at st. Peters,
burg, to define the respective British
anu Russian spheres of influence are
proceeding in friendly spirit.
TIE GERMANS ON THE QUESTION
OF PEACE.
(Copyright by Associated Press.)
Berlin. August 27-The German press
continues to discuss the peace condi-
tiorls from various view points, a ma
jority OF the papers according to the
United States high praise for the mod
GRAFTON tbe American government has
Displayed. Most of them seem to eX-
pect that difficulties will arise over the
ultimate disposition and control of the
Philippines, nut, as a rule, the argu-
ments advanced are repeTitions and
threadSa5re.
The KoelnisCsle Zeitung's editorial
may be worth .euotng, as there is the
best reason for believing that it was
inspired IT say.:: Before q definite
. peace is concluded considerable time
must Ella pse. Meanwhile the irsterna-
4ional situation in she Philippines and
tile far east generally may have
changed materially. 1t is not I2kely
thai Spain and the United States will
agree to a definite settlement of the
Philippine question without taking the
advise of the powers interested, pas
.ticular9y Russia and France"
The foreign office maintains absc-
lute retAcence as to the present atti-
tuGe of the government on the sub
ject."
AFFAIRS IN PORTO RICO.
Gueyama Porto Rico, August 81
General Brooke has not yet received
his Instructions and credentials as a
member of the Porto Rican commits
sion, which he VIII await before pro-
ceeding to San Juan. A troop Of the
Sixth cavalry will escort him over
land to San Juan unless objection is
offered by Governor Gen eral Macias,
in which case he will proceed by sea.
Batteries B, of Pennsylvania; a, Of