The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-15

coal at Martinique, and even this is rot GER
fanny known, much would depend on the
quantity allowed. The practice is to give
ships in such circumstances just enough to
carry it to the nearest home port, which
might be Porto Rico or Cuba If the Span
iards replenished their coal bunkers from
Golfers lying in the port, another interest
ing question would be raised
In fact the application of neutrality laws
to such cases as are now presented by the
frequent movements of both American and
Spanish is very much beclouded A distin-
guished Official one of the leading lights
in the construction of international law,
pointed to the fact that there were few
precedents of value to guide neutral gov
eminent just now, and the probabilities are
that by the time the present war is at an
end, the United States, just as it did in the
war of the rebellion, will make a good
many precedents and a good deal of inter-
national law for the guidance of the family
of nations hereafter.
Such question as that presented by the
action of the French authorities in detain-
ing the United States ship Harvard at St.
Pierre for twenty-four hours after the de-
partuTe Of the Spanish torpedo boat de-
stroyer Terror, which she found in the port.
raises in itself a host of interesting ques-
tons and reveals the fact that there is
absolutely nothing like a uniform rule in
the matter. Some nations require when two
belligerent vessels meet in their ports that
the first conner shall depart first, while the
other shall be detained twenty-four hours.
Another rule is that the weaker vessel shall
be allowed to depart first in order to pre-
vent the stronger from lying in wait for
her outside. In other cases still the second
boat is not detained in port twenty-four
hours, but the neutral contents itself with a
pledge from the commanding officer of the
belligerent ship that he will not engage in
hostilities with the other ship until twenty
four hours have elapsed after his departure
from port. Generally these rules were
founded on the old practice that obtained
in the days of sailing ships and they have
not been modified to meet the needs OF
modern naval service. The matter of coal
supply is also obscured by doubtful inter-
pretations of construction.
AS far as the Harvard is concerned, the
rule has not worked to our hardship. On
the contrary, the officials here are rather
inclined to be grateful to the French au-
thorities for their concession of privileges
to the Harvard to remain in port until she
has completed some necessary repairs to her
WIN a humber OIL OptiliSAi
torpedo boats and cruisers lurking around
Martinique there is no disposition on the
part of the Navy Department officials to ex-
pose to their attack a vessel like the Har-
ward, which is without defense power.
The State Department satisfied itself as
far as was possible to do SO before making
the statement yesterday that no French
artillersts were landed by the Lafayette
at Havana. They are now inclined to think,
after looking at the matter carefully, that
the whole basis for this absurd story grew
out of a remark by some naval officers that
the superior gunfire Of the Spanish at Car
denas made it very evident, in view of their
wretched shooting before that, that some
Frenchmen must have come over to help
them out.