Evening star., 1898-04-22
AS TO PRIVATEER1NG
Action of the United States Received by the
Powers With Favor.
Spain May BE Compelled to Change
Her IntentiOn of Pursuing
That Course.

There are strong Indications that II the
Spanish government persists In the present
announced policy of commissioning priva-
teers to prey on commerce effective infiu-
ences will be brought to bear upon her by
several Of the great commercial powers.
particularly Great Britain and Germany,
to stop this privateering, or to make it
practically ineffective and harmless. The
action Of the United States government in
declaring that it would not resort to priva
teering has been received with great salts
faction in the foreign embassies and lega-
tions here. Negotiations along this line
had been pending here for some time, and
are shifted to Madrid, where the British
charge d'affaires is making strong repre-
sentations to Premier Sagasta to prevent
prvateerinS. Whether this will be con-
coded by Spain is doubtful. her chief re-
lance for prOtracting a war is through
commissioning privateers to harass Amer
ican merchant ships neutral ships car
rying American goods.
Operate Against Great britain.
But it has developed that this course by
Spain, while nominally directed against the
United States, would operate much more
injuriously against the shipping of Great
Britain, Germany and other commercial
powers, the bulk of commerce to and
from this country is carried in foreign
ships. British ships, it Is eStima ted, carry
50 per cent of the commerce between the
United States and Great Britain while
German and French merchant ships also
handle considerable portions of the trade.
This has given these powers material in
terest against privateering, which would
subject to search and seizure any of their
ships carrying American goods. These in
terests are so great that it is regarded as
certain in the best posted diplomatic quar-
h.yf main
watering voluntarily she will practice it
at her peril as against Great Britain Ger
many and possibly some other powers 1t
IS understood that the British government
mas not determined upon it's final line of
action except that British merchant ships
shall be protected at any hazard, even if
British warships are called upon to estab-
lish protective patrol across the Atlantic.
II Is thought to be probable however,
that no defensive step of this character
VIII be taken until an actual search or
seizure of a British or German merchant
man Dy Spanish privateer has occurred
IN tnls case, II Is expected, the Spanish
government will be held accountable and
exact limitation placed upon her privateer-
ing. so Tar as France Is concerned her
commercial interests are against priyateer-
ing put her sentiments are toward allow
ing spain TO prosecute about the only eff
1ect1ve means of warfare at her disposaI
RUSSIA, Austria, Italy and nearly all of the
nations of Europe and South America
hta
treaty OF Paris against privateering brt
this finds them alone and does not require
tnem 10 exert influence on Spain to stop
lhls mode of warfare 1t is the direct COM
iherclai interests of Great Britain and Ger
many which lead them to limit or mi an
end to this policy.
United States Action Favored.
The action of the United States was re-
ceived with great favor, aside from its
bearing on the approaching conflict. as il
Is SAID to give American adherence for the
iuture to the abolition of privateering. al
thoush this country has refused that aG-
herence for the last forty-two years. The
present action, while not accompanied hy
any formal signing of the treaty of Paris.
here. and is so made known to foreign GOV
ernments, as a full adherence of the United
states to the principles of that treaty.
me nrst article of the treaty of Paris,
and remains abolished" The original
parties to the declaration were Great Brit
ain, France, Russia, Prussia, Austria. Sar.
dinia and Turkey. Other countries follow
ana spain alone holding out against it
Inc United States now accedes, leaving
SPAN alone In a resort to privateering. 1t
Is one OF the terms of the declaration that
.ne nations which accede to it shall enter
into no treaty with a nation not a Marty to
1t on any of the subjects it embraces
Wnicn does not adopt the four points of the
declaration. N '"e
Proposals were made to the United States
TO accede to the declaration but Mr.. Mar
cy, then Secretary of State, declined to
sign. The United States, he held, was at a
ta aisaovantase with powers maintaining
large navies, and against them reserved the
rlght to employ privateers. Its extended
seacoast. he pointed out, also placed it at
a disadvantages. Since then. however in
the Mexican war and the civil war tho
United States did not resort to priyateers
although Congress authorized the use of
pr1Vateers In the civil war With new
navy 1ast approaching dimensions of other
naval powers. and the extended seacoast
fortified at all vital points, the obiections
raised by Mr.. Marcy no longer apply and
thls DOUBTLESS contributed to the deterr1i-
abolition OF privateering.