The herald., 1898-04-07

OF cousreSs. and in view Of tho action q
the Senate in rejecting the Lodge resol,z1
ltion for the purchase Of the Danish Wen
ndies, 1t 10 evident to the adninistratio1
that . treaty with San Domingo for th1
lcession of SamAna B11 would meet VITA
similar fate.
| But in the event Of war the naya) aueAeTN
titles would undoubtedly seize poent In tht
West Indies, possibly samana Bay. ant
lemploy 1t as Q base Of operations against
Porto Rico.
This could be done with the consent Of
San Domingo. but that government would
probably object, at least on the surface. to
such action, in order to prevent herself
from liability growing out of violation Of
neutrality.
Anticipating that American men-of-war
lcruising against Porto Rico will need coal,
instructions were sent some days ago to
the American consul at st. Thomas direct.
Ing him to purchase as much bituminous
coal at that point as his discretion dic-
tated. This coal Is now the property Of the
United States and cannot therefore be OBJ
ltained by Spanish vessels. The authorities
are confident that Denmark will not cone
slider that she is violating her neutral OBJ
legations by permitting American vessels
to get their own coal. In order to prevent
any protest. 1t is proposed to have mum,
ber of lighters take the coal out to AnneriA
can men-of-war II necessary.
| The authorities deeply regret the action
Of the Senate in rejecting at this time the
proposition to purchase the Danish West
indies, and they say 1t may have an i'm
lportant bearing upon the relations between
1.-THE United States and Denmark In tho
event of a war.
Naturally Spain Is trying to work UP q
sentiment against the United States. and
1t is expected she will use the st. Thomas
matter as the basis of her insinuations.
Confident that Great Britain will remain
neutral the authorities are making no at.
tempt to purchase coal in Jamaica. It has
been decided to abandon the effort to es-
ltablish coaling stations on Swan and Ma
vassa islands.
In fact, Hayti might object to the use Of
Navassa island as a coaling station. An
attache Of the Haytien legation stated that
the Hayti had prior claim to the island
and II the United States were to use 1t as
q coaling station his government might
be liable to Spain for damages. On the
other hand, 1t Is contended by the authori.
| les that Navassa island Is a guano island
owned by an American corporation and Is
therefore the property Of the United States.
GUARDING THE COAL PILE
| NEW YORK, April GA dispatch to the
Herald from San Juan, Porto Rico, saysl
The Spanish cruisers vizcaya and AlmiA
rante Oquendo, which sailed from Havana
last Friday have arrived here and are at
anchor in the harbor. They were received
| with the greatest enthusiasm. AS SOON -
| they had reached their anchorages they
| were visited by the representatives Of tho
colonial government and the whole day
was one Of rejoicing on shore and in the
| harbor.
| 1t Is understood that the Spanish tor
pedo f1otilla will be here soon and that the
cruisers have come to protect It on its way
to Cuba. The harbor Of San Juan ID rec
ognized among naval men as the best point
at which Spain could put the hotllla for
strategic purposes, and It is Q matter Of
| wonderment here that the United 9tatos
did not take some action before the Span
ish cruisers departed from Havana.
| Once In this harbor the fiotilla will bO
safe, because It can go among the tortuous
channels in the island where no warshIp
can handle it. and be out and away to
Cuba before the United States warships
could solve the problem OF it, where.
abouts.