Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-05-05

Washington, April 29.-The war sit
uation is substantially this: The
blockading squadron remains passive
before Havana with no present pur
pose of bombarding or of drawing the
fire of the shore batteries. The
strategic purpose of effective blockade
of the Cuban capital is being accom-
plished to the entire satisfaction of
the authorities here. There is no indi-
cation that a part of the fleet will be
withdrawn for the purpose Of afford
ing additional protection to North At
lantic ports. AS to the reports of the
imminence of a naval battle off the
Philippine islands, the naval authors
ties here seriously doubt whether the
Spanish fleet will make u stand
against the American ships. Their
reason for this belief is that the Span
ish fleet is very inferior to the Ameri-
| can force under Admiral Dewey. The
department, therefore, is satisfied that
the Spanish fleet will not go to do bat
| tie OH the high seas with Admiral
| Dewey, but will remain in port to Sc
cure the protection Of the batteries of
Manila, and the department is not
Expecting an Engagement
for about two days Without giving
any explanation for setting this time,
the department allows it to be sur
missed that the estimate is based on it's
knowledge of Admiral Dewey's where
abouts. There is no certainty that
there will be an engagement at all in
the immediate future, the main pur
pose of the American expedition being
to seize and hold some suitable Span
ish territory in the Philippines as a
base Of operations in Asiatic waters.
| 1t is possible that this can be done
without attacking the other at all by
Selling a suitable point at some adj
| jacent island without Notifications,
the sympathies of whose inhabitants
are toward the insurgents.
No word had come to the depart
ment up to the close of Office hours Of
the arrival Of the NIontserrat at Glen
fuegos. The officials are inclined to
believe that if she had gotten into that
port she did so before the blockade Of
Cienfuegos was begun. The very fact
that the Madrid officials have rather
ostentatiously declared that the Span
ish fleet has sailed to lombard the
cities on the North Atlantic coast is
taken as & certain indication at the
navy department of the
Utter ImprObability
of such a movement. If this were
contemplated the Spanish officials
would be the very last to make their
purpose public. The navy department.
as yet has made no arrangements for
the care Of prisoners taken by our
warships, but the legal officers of the
department think they should be sent
to the Boston naval prison. Some
vexation was felt at the injury of the
Gushing. 1t is said that this is the
first serious breakdown she has suf-
fered in the nine years of her service.
Luckily the department is able to re-
place her very shortly, fcr President
Master, of the Columbian iron works,
called at the navy department in the
afternoon to announce that the tOlpe-
do boat Mckee, 20-knotter, would
be ready for trial to-day. She will be
sent at once to Norfolk to have the
finishing touches added and will then
join the squadron.
In the war DEPARTMENT. there is a
growing belief that the campaign
proper in Cuba will not be in full
swing before next fall when the rainy
season is ended That belief, however,
has not prevented the officers whose
duty it is to
Get the Troops Together
from puching their work with the
greatest energy. The officials of the
department were overwhelmed with
all sorts OF protests and appeals
against their action in maj'ing the as
signments of troops amc.;; The volun-
teer forces and many c31oses may be
looked for.
Including France. four out of the
six great powers of Europe have de-
clared their neutrality, namely, Great
Britain, Italy, France ard Russia.
There remain of the foreign powers
Germany and Austria, neither OF
which have yet acted. I>he delay OF
Austria does not cause surprise. as
Austria's sympathy with Spain is
more pronounced than that of any 9TH
er country of Europe. 1t is not doubt
ed, however, that Austria will assume
a neutral attitude sooner or later. The
delay Of Germany is felt to be due
only to Germany's consulting her own
commercial interests before shaping
the exact terms of her neutrality proc
lamation. Members Of the diplomatic
corps dismiss the report coming from
Europe that another move toward Eu-
ropean intervention will be made as
soon as Spain suffers a decisive re-
verse. This is said to be purely con-
jectureal, as no such move has taken
form thus far by the exchange Of
notes.