Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-05-05
THE RUMORS OF War
Many Startling Reports Proved to
be Without Foundation.
ACCIDENT TO THE SPANISH FLEET.
Capt. SIMPSONS Report of the Firing ON
Matanzas Disappointingiy Lacking
In Detau-The Affair Probably
Only q Reconnaissance.

ming 6iA the way IrOn the blowing up
of a big monitor to the detection and
punishment of traitors; but fortunately
oil of them turned out, on inquiry, to
be without foundation. Actual events
of Importance were few In number.
The news of the day of most interest
was the departure from Cape Verde of
the Spanish feet, the stay of which at
st. Vincent had been q source of
anxiety on the part of the officials
here, because it seemed to indicate the
sympathy of Portugal for Spain might
lead her to wink at a violation of lei
trality laws in favor Of Spain.
Late IN the afternoon q cablegram
came to the state department from
Cape Verde, bearing no signature, an
nouncing that four battleships and
three torpedo boats had started north
and some OF the transports for Cuba,
and that the northern feet returned
shortly, having been Ia collision.
Because there was NJ signature at
tached, the officials did not know what
Importance to attach to this message,
as these are not times to accept what
appears to be information without
close scrutiny.
Capt. Sampson tent a telegram reIa-
tive to the firing at the Matanzas forts,
but 1t was disappointingly lacking in
detail, but the few words contained in
the dispatch went to confirm the Off
cial view that the affair was nothing
more than O naval reconnaissance.
No news came from Admiral Dewey's
squadron now on its way to the Phil
ippines ito do battle with the Spanish
fleet. One officer pointed out that if
Admiral Dewey succeeded In detecting
the Spanish feet, the Spanish officials,
who control the cable connecting the
island with the rest of the world, In
all probability may suppress the news
or distort the facts into a Spanish VIC
tory.
~Presuming that the admiral is bound
directly for Manila, the calculation
made at the navy yard shows he would
arrive about two O'Clock this (Satur-
day. morning, Manila time, which is
about IL hours earlier than our own.
The pressure continues undated on
the war department for changes in the
plans already announced as to mobili-
cation of the volunteer troops, and,
very much against It's will and judgc
ment, the department is making some
concessions in this matter.
A large number of callers are bring
ing forward candidates for the many
plums within the gift of the president
and Secretary Alger in the shape of
appointments to grades above regi-
mental in the army.
Gen. Lee and Gen. Dodge spent a
good part of the day in conference with
officials, giving color to the reports
that they are among those selected for
appointment as major generals.
The Announcement that the State of
Texas, laden with supplies for the re-
concentrates, Is destined for Sagua
has led to the surmlse that 1t is proba-
bly, this port instead of Matanzas which
has been selected for the landing place
of the first attack of the United States
troops.
Regarding the harmless growls that
appear in the European papers, and
threats to interfere to prevent the
United States forces from blockading
the Philippines, 1t may be stated that
this was fully expected. During the
civil war there were a great many at
tempts On the part of the European
nations to disregard our blockade and
threats of interference, all of which
came to naught from the firm attitude
assumed by the secretary of state.
In the present case the conditions of
the Cuban blockade are much more lib
eral towards the Powers than ever i'm
posed before. In anticipation of the
action of the German commercial In
terests, in combining TO secure exemp-
ton from search for their mail steam
ers, 1t is pointed out that the president,
in his proclamation declaring the ex-
istence of war, explicitly announced
that the voyages Of mail steamers are
not to be interfered with, except on
the ~clearest grounds of suspicion of a
violation of law in respect to contra
band of blockade.
Viscount De Santo Thyrsol, the Por-
tuguese minister, looked over the cable
dispatch from Lisbon giving the sub
Of the neutrality decree ga
zetted there yesterday, and said it was
evidently accurate and covered the
entire subject. He had not, how
ever, up to a late hour, re-
eeived an official notification
of the neutrality decreee. He says
that article 8, which permits bel1iger-
ents to make a short stop at Portu-
guese ports probably will be better I'M
derstood by saying that belligerents
will not be permitted to make long
stays at Portuguese ports. Under the
usual rules of international law the
stay is likely to be confined to a day or
two.
In this connection the minister drew
attention to the privileges permitted
when war ships of both belligerent ma
tions were in the same port. In that
case, IL the war ship of one power leave
port, the war ship of the other power
cannot leave in pursuit within "a hours
that much time being allowed the ship
first departing to go on her way with
out molestation. Portugal has been
very insistent upon this particular rule,
and a notable instance of it occurred
when the famous confederate %privateer
Alabama was at Lisbon during the civil
war.
A United States ship entered Lisbon
harbor while the Alabama was there,
the Alabama Immediately withdrew.