Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-09
TALK ON THE WAR SITUATION.
What Britain Would Do In Case of War
In Regard to Unfinished Warships,
Ammunition, and Coal.

New York, March "a dispatch TO
the Tribune from London says:
The stock market is less feverish, but
without any decided return of conf
dence in the American list. The stu
alton in America was regarded In the
street as more pacific since the with
drawal of the demand for the recall
OF Gen. Lee removed the most alarm
ing menace of war. National defense
bills are always considered in Eng
land as peace measures. and this is the
Interpretation placed here on the vote
of a credit of s5O,O00 900 There is little
comment in the press on the prospects
of war, but what there is of 1t Is
friendly to America.
The rumored purchase by Spain of
six warships now In England ana
French dock yards Is repeated with
series of denials from. all the legations
interested. 1t is probable that the re-
fusal of these vessels has been OBJ
tanned, but that there is still some un-
certainty respecting their delivery.
Only two of them can be ready for sea
within month and the completion
of the remaining four VIII require
from three to nine months. The pur-
chase of these vessels IL effected, will
ment considers war likely to occur
within two or within nine months, for
no ship not finished before the out
break of hostilities can be delivered
by any neutral country.
The Manchester Guardian announces
that Mr.. Goshen may announce the
purchase of several of these ships for
England.
The Spanish government undoubted-
ly has money available in London for
buying war vessels. II she can get
them.
United States naval agents will find
few war ships in the European mar
ket for early delivery, unless the
Spanish options are given up.
The text of the neutral acts passed
by parliament in 1890 as a sequence
to the Alabama arbitration. provides
explicitly for any emergency which
may arise. II either Spain or the
United States buvs unfinished ships,
the arming and fitting out such vessels
OF war after the outbreak of hostilities
Is prohibited, and they viii be for
feited to the British government. The
sale of arms, ammunition and other
military stores to a belligerent Is not
prohibited. but they must not go out of
port in any warship. hence 1t will be
practicable for Spain to receive, after
the outbreak of hostilities, guns and
other war material contraband Of war
which may he ordered in time of
peace, and 1t is probable that n portion
of the fund now available in London
for Spanish use viii be expended in
contracts of this kind.
The important question now dis
cussed by naval and diplomatic off,
GERS relates to the coal supply of the
belligerents from neutral ports.
During the war OF 1870 large guam
titles of coal We're exported from Eng
protested against 1t. II the same prac-
tice were repeated. English coal could
be shipped to Havana for the use OF
the Spanish fleet in time of war. More
over, while 1t would he breach OF
neutrality to, convert Nassau, Kingston
or other British West Indian ports into
regular coalinv stations for the Spanish
fleet. the opinion OF some experts here
IL that any belliGerent ship entering
neutral waters can obtain sufficient
coal to carry her to the nearest harbor
under her own fing, Coal IL as essen
tial as powder or gyms 10 naval war
fare, hut the neutrality practice re-
specting It has not been settled. even by
the Geneva award, Havana is now
mainly supplied with coal from Eng
land for naval use, but no unusual con-
tracts have vet been made for storing
great quantity " II there. with a
view to the possible outbreak Of hos
tlities.