The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-12


neutrality had not been properly OBJ
served, that, although popular sympa-
thy in the cantons De Vaude and Gen.
eva was all in favor of the French.
L can recall seeing Swiss sentinels
standing along the shore of the lake
shooting to kill at French soldiers who
were endeavOring to escape across the
| water to the French shore on the OPP
posite side scarcely couple of hours
row distant.
1t is in view of eventualities of an
analogous kind on this side of the At
lantic that Great Britain is now going
to the trouble and expense of dispatch
| ing large body of troops, several thou
sand men, in fact, to Jamaica, and
| that, too, at the most unhealthy season
! of the year, the regiments which have
| been stationed at Halifax during the
winter being especially likely to suf-
| fer from the change of climate. ia
maica is the nearest neutral territory
| to Cuba. In fact, there are places
where the distance from shore to shore
| is even less than twenty miles. There
fore, it is natural when the Spanish
troops are routed by the American
forces, as England anticipates is GER
tain to be the case, the defeated off,
GERS and soldiers will seek refuge in
the island of jamaica
1t will thereupon become the impera-
tive duty of England TO treat the Span
ish fugitives in identically the same
manner as the French army of Gen.
Bourbaki was treated by the Swiss of
1870; that is TO say, the officers will be
nnrfnitfpd n reside in
tain specified towns and settlements
of the island, reporting themselves to
the authorities on regularly appointed
days, while the rank and file will be
placed under strict guard in camps or
within the precincts Of fortresses, as
far removed as possible from the coast
At the present moment the British
forces in the island of Jamaica consist
in the main of sO-Called "blackfoot
regiment: that is to say, a corps of
West Indian negroes, differed by white
men, who are not precisely the cream
of the holders of Queen VictoTia's COM
mission, but rather the reverse: while
of white troops there are not more than
about 100, half company of Berkshire
infantry. These forces, of course, would
be wholly unable to keep under proper
control a horde of several thousand
armed and desperate Spanish fusitives.
who might either turn their attention
to piliage or else use the less frequent
ed portions of the Jamaica coast as a
basis for renewed attacks upon Cuba
Two thousand English troops have
already been ordered TO the island. and
it is probable that more will follow
from England as quickly as possible.
The English soldiers assigned to this
duty are hardly likely to enjoy the job.
for of all the tasks that fall within the
province of the army this is assuredly
the most disagreeable. especially when
it has to be performed in so dreary
an island as Jamaica. at the most I'M
healthy, depressing and demoraliZing
period of the year. The troops have
to undergo all the hardships of cam
paigning without receiving any OF the
customary rewards in the shape of pro- |
motion. medals or fame. Yet. were |
they to be remiss in the performance !
of this work, disagreeabe though it |
may be. the United States Government |
would have a valid cause for demand |
ing heavy damages from England for |
any harm to life or property that Span
iards escaping from Jamaica and re- /
turning to Cuba might perpetrate.
The new governor of jamaica is a |
man of considerable energy and |
strength of character. whose tenure of |
office as governor of British Guinea
has notoriously inspired him with
profound dislike for the Spanish races,
both those indigenous to the soil of the
Western hemisphere as well as those
who hail from the land of Don Quixote.
Sir Augustus Heming may be relied
Ipon. therefore, to see that every Span
ard or every Cuban who sets his foot
IN the island of Jamaica after the war
has once begun is put under lock and
Key and kept there safely until the
struggle is at an end, at the expense,
If course. of the Spanish governnSnt.
Another question which is going to
rive rise to a good deal of trouble is
hat of a blockade. The United States
will probably declare a blockade of the
'uban coast, and it is extremely doubt
ul whether any English or other neu-
raj ship will attempt to evade it's pro-
isions but il is announced at Madrid. !
S well as other European capitals. that |
he Spanish propose to declare a block !
de of the entire Atlantic coast of the |
United States. from Boston down to
Jew Orleans. insisting that IL has a |
naval force to render ii eff
ective without q blockade neutral ,
hips flying neutral flags and carrying !
american freight not contraband of ,
FAR are perfectly safe from capture
V virtue of the terms of the Paris con- |
ention of 1856, and of a treaty con- :
luded between the United States and .
pain in 1918. If a blockade be de- !
Jared of the American coast by the +
parish government, the latter can, C
assert the right not mere
to search, but TO capture and even
nix every neutral vessel attempting
either enter or leave a United States
Ort Thus, if the Spaniards were to
lclude New York in their blockade.
5 they certainly WILL the Cunard.
Thite Star, Campagnie, Transatlan-
que and other Old World lines of
Gamers would have to suspend their
.rvice, unless they wished to expose
lemselves to the risk of being cap
red or sunk by the first Spanish war
Zip which they may happen to run
to.