The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-19
Government Officials Have Made An
Important Discovery.
BLANCO USES THE WIRES
KEPT THOROUGHLY POSTED ON
THE WAR MOVEMENTS.
Administration at Washington Has
Just Found This Out and Announ-
ces, With Considerable Flourish,
That It Purposes to Cut the Gables
Some Time In the Future.

| Washington, May 1S-The complete
isolation of General Blanco from the
outside world is now looked upon by
leading military and naval authorities
as an essential move TO be expected at
the earliest possible moment The
pressing need of this has become more
evident within the last few days. since
General Blanco is known to have been
constantly in communication with the
admiral of the Spanish squadron, and
also with Madrid. He has thus been
an intermediary between the govern
ment and the admiral, informing them
Of his own condition and advising them
on matters of policy.
The authorities here feel the need of
bringing this communication TO an
end, and official inquiry has developed
that there will be little difficulty in iso-
lating Captain General Blanco if the
necessary steps are Immediately and
energetically taken.
Havana's communication with the
outside world is carried on by means of
five distinct cable lines. Two of these
run to the United States. and are. of
course. closed against General Blanco.
The remaining three cable exits from
Havana are by way of Santiago on the
south coast of Cuba.
Havana is connected by two land
lines with Santiago and also by one
shore cable with Santiago.
The actual departure of the cables
from Cuba occurs at Santiago. two OF
the lines running thence TO Jamaica
and one to Hayti.
When a message has once left Cuba
by one of the three lines still open it
has no less than six different routes ii
can adopt after leaving Jamaica or
Hayti. From Jamaica one route goes
TO Colon, Cape Verde Islands and
thence to Spain; third route goes to
Venezuela, Pernambuco, Cape Verde
and thence to Spain: fourth route
goes to the Windward Islands, Dutch
Guiana, Pernambuco. Cape Verde and
Spain. From Hayti there are two
routes, one to Venezuela, Pernambuco.
Cape Verde and Spain, and a second
by way of the Windward Islands to
British Guiana The authorities here
have, with much labor figured out all
of these various means by which Cen
eral Blanco can keep up his commune
cations. They are satisfied that the
three cables running to Santiago are
the routes from which all these various
branches spring, and if this triple route
is cut the entire system of Cuba and
the outside world viii be at an end.
Santiago is not a strongly fortified
little danger attending the cutting of
the three cables at that point.
Right 10 cut these cables is not doubt |
ed by the authorities here, although |
most OF them are British cables. Cen I
eval Greeley first advanced the prin- /
cirle that in time of war the right ex- |
listed to destroy property found in an /
enemy's territory, and in the case Of 1
cables that the right existed to de- |
stroy than within the three marine /
leagues constituting SPANS jurisdic-
ton. The principle has now been ac- l
cepted, and is the policy on which me /
government is acting.
When the cables at Santiago Will be |
cut is not disclosed. but there is strong /
pressure towards having the work
done Immediately, for until it is done.
sc neral Blanco maintains his commune
cation. and is thus enabled to embar-
rass the operations of the military and
naval forces.