Hutchinson gazette., 1898-04-21
COAL SCONTRABAND
its Shipments to Spanish Ports Is
Prohibited.
SPAIN MUST NOW SEEK ELSEWHERE.
Her Coal supply in the Cape Verde
Island Is Running Snort Great
Britain w Not sup
ply Her.

the New York Herald from Washing
ton says; ''ln view of Spain's efforts
! to collect coal at Havana and SaI
Juan, no doubt exists in political cir
cles that the naval plan for the Span
.sh government contemplates the
dispatch of the fleet to western
waters.
1T is officially admitted that thi
government has determined not Il
i.ermit American coal to be taken t.
the Cape Verde island on board the
British tramp steamship Hampstead
and that negotiations are under way
for the sale of that vessel and hei
cargo to the United States. The
hampstead, although she was t
have sailed Saturday, has not gone
and her purchase will probably be
announced.
1T is admitted by officials that they
are trying to meet trick with trick
There is only small amount of Goa
at st. Vincent and it would be neces.
sary for the Spanish feet to go to
some other point for fuel within q
short time. as the supply at Cape
Verde cannot last any length of time
1t was to help the fleet now gathered
at that point that the Hampstead
was ordered to proceed to Cape Verde
after purchasing a supply at Lam
bert's Point.
"The United States is in great need
cf colliers, especially one already
loaded with coal, and it would, there
FIRE, be only too glad to take from
Spain the vessel and her cargo and
use her for offensive purposes against
her first employer.
"Official information received by
the authorities also indicates that
there is only small quantity of coal
at the Canary islands. A desperate
effort is being made by Spain to ship
supplies to that point and also to
Cape Verde, which is evidently to be
the anchorage of the fleet until war
breaks out. 1t is impossible for
rain to procure al in England be-
cause 'of the strike now in progress
in the coal mines. and also because
the English coal dealers refuse to re-
ceiye promises to pay, and will only
sell to the Madrid government for
cash
"It is known that Spain has been
floating considerable paper in con-
tinental Europe, but she has been
unable to force any of it on the Eng
lish merchants. Whether Spain pays
cash for goods purchased in the
United States is not known. but it is
believed that what little money she
has she is spending for protection
and the coal she is sending to Ha-
vana."
A dispatch to the New York Her
aid from st. Vincent. Cape Verde is
lands. SAYS: "The Spanish cruisers
Tnfanta Maria Teresa and Cristobal
Colon are filing their coal bunkers
here. The supply is running short
It is understood that 1000 tons will
be brought here in few days, prob
ably from the United States, where it
is known orders have been placed.
Spanish officers bought $40 tons
from a local dealer April 7, and inn
mediately made a contract for 1000
tons additional, which has not ar
rived"
A dispatch to the Herald from
Washington says: "In directing her
colonies to regard coal as contraband
of war in the event of hostilities be-
tween the United States and Spain,
Great Britain has taken action, adj
ministration officials say, in line. with
the wishes of the President and ma
val authorities.
Pressure will be exerted upon
France, Hayti and San Domingo to
accomplish the same result. and some
attention is being given by the State
department TO South American coun-
tries with a view to securing from
them declaration of the contraband
character of coal. as well as an an
nOunced determination on their part
not to sell either to Spanish or
American men-of-war a supply of
fuel greater than that necessary to
enable the belligerent vessel to steam
to the next home port.
$50 far as the Danish West Indies
are concerned. the authorities have
purchased in their ports all the coal
that it is possible to secure With
coal a declared contraband of war,
administration officials and naval ex-
Derts say it win be impossible for
Snanish vessels TO Operate in the
West Indies or in the Pacific. and. az
a result. the chances of success for
American arms will be immeasurably
enhanced.
Great Britain's declaration Of the
rOntrnband character of coal will az
feet the United States at only one
the Far East. The United
States now has at Hong Kong a feet
of six vessels-the cruisers Baltimore.
Olympia, Raleigh and Boston. and
gunboats Concord and Petrel-and
these ships nre awaiting the word 10
rush to Manila.
The Cologne Gazette prints an ex-
pert's advice to Spain to station her
ships in the harbor Of Baracoa and
Nipe on the north coast Of Cuba,
whence they could cruise betwe9:
Lobos, Crooked island and Cayos on
the north coast to prevent the land
ing OF troops in Cuba and command
and Windward passage between Cubs
and Hayti and the bahama channel.