The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-12-09

] troll over said island except for the pacif-
cation thereof. and asserts its determine
! ton, when that is accomplished, to leave
the government and control Of the island
to it's people,
Rupture of Negotiations.
This resolution was approved by the ex-
! ecutiye on the next day, April 90 A
copy was at once communicated to the
| Spanish minister at this capital, who
/ forthwith announced that his continuance
| in Washington had thereby become impos-
sible, and asked for his passports, which
were given him. He thereupon withdrew
from Washington, leaving the protection
of Spanish interests in the United States
to the French ambassador and the Aus
| tro-Hungarian minister.
simultaneously with its communication
to the Spanish minister, General Wood
ford, the American minister at Madrid,
was telegraphed confirmation of the
text of the joint resolution and directed
to communicate it to the government of
Spain with the formal demand that it at
once relinquish it's authority and govern
ment in the island of Cuba, and withdraw
its forces therefrom, coupling this demand
with announcements of the intentions of
this government as to the future of the
island, in conformity with the fourth
clause of the resolution, and giving Spain
until noon Of April % to reply.
The demand, although, as above shown,
officially made known to the Span
ieh envoy here, was not delivered at Mad
rid. After the instructions reached Cen
eral Woodford on the morning OF April 81,
but before he could present them,
the Spanish minister of state no.
titled him that upon the presi-
dents approval of the joint res
olution the Madrid government, regarding 8:
the act as equivalent to an evident dec
laration of war" had ordered it's minister
in Washington to withdraw, thereby
breaking off diplomatic relations between
the two countries and ceasing all official
communication between their respective
countries General Woodford thereupon
demanded his passports and quilted Mad
rid on the same day.
Spain, having thus denied the demand of
the United States, and initiated that COM
plete form of rupture of relations which
attends state of war, the executive DOW
ers authorized by the resolution were used
by me to meet the enlarged contingency of
actual war between Spain and the United
States.
On April % I proclaimed a blockade Of
the northern coast of Cuba, including
ports on said coast between Cardenas and
Bahia Honda and the port of Cienfuegos,
on the south coast of Cuba; and on the 23d
L called for volunteers to execute the pur-
pose of the resolution
me DECLARATION OF war.
BY my message of April 25. congress was
informed of the situation, and I recon-
mended formal declaration of the exist
ence of a state of war between the United
States and Spain. Congress accordingly
voted on the same day the act approved
April rs, 1898, declaring the existence of
such war from and including the Dist day
of April and re-enacted the provision of
the resolution of April TO- directing the
president to. use all the armed forces of the
nation to carry that act into effect.
Due notification of the existence of war
as aforesaid was given April 25 by tele-
graph to all the governments with which
the United States maintained relations, in
order that their neutrality might be as
sured during the war. The various govern
ments responded with proclamations of
neutrality, each after it's own method 1t
is not among the least gratifying incidents
OF the struggle that the obligations of
neutrality were impartialy discharged by
all. often under delicate and difficult cir
cumstances.
In further fulfllment of international
duty, issued, April 26, a proclamation an
nounc1ng the treatment proposed to be ac-
corded to vessels and their cargoes as to
blockade. contraband, the exercise of the
right of subjects and the immunity of neu-
trail flags and neutral goods under the
enemy's flag. A similar proclamation was
made by the Spanish government In the
conduct Of hostilities. the rules of the
declaration of Paris. including abstention
from resort to privateering, have accord
ingly been observed by both belligerents,
although neither was party to that dec
laration.
Meeting the Emergency.
Our country thus, after an interval Of
half a century of peace with all nations,
found itself engaged in deadly conflict with
a foreign enemy. Every nerve was strained
to meet the emergency. The response to
the initial call for 125,000 volunteers was
instant and complete as was also the re-
suit of the second call, of May 5, for 75O 900
additional volunteers. The ranks of the
regular army were increased to the limit
provided by the act of April %. The en-
listed force of the navy on the 18th of
August, when it reached it's maximum,
numbered 24,123 men and apprentices. One
hundred and three vessels were added to
the navy by purchase one was presented
to the government, one leased and four YES
sells of the international Navigation Com
pany, the ST. Paul, ST. Louis,
New York and Paris, were char
tered In addition to these the
revenue cutters and lighthouse tenders
were turned over to the navy department
and became temporarily a part of the aux
y
ing force of the navy during the war, sep
arated into classes was as follows:
Four battle-ships of the first class, bat
tle-shiD of the second class, armored
cruisers, coast-defense monitors, 1 ar
mored ram, II protected cruisers 8 unpro-
tected cruisers Is gunboats, l dynamite
cruiser, II torpedo-boats, IA old vessels Of
the old navy, including monitors.
Auxiliary cruisers-28 converted yachts
q converted tugs, 10 converted golfers,
revenue cutters, lighthouse tenders and
10 miscellaneous vessels.
Much alarm was felt along the entire
Atlantic seaboard lest an attack might be
made by the enemy. Every precaution'
was taken to prevent possible injury to
our great cities lying along the coast
Temporary garrisons were provided, drawn
from the state militia and infantry, and
light batteries were drawn from the volun-
teer force. About $4,000 troops were thus
employed. The coast signal service was
established for observing the approach of
an enemy's ships to the coast of the Unit
ed States and the lighthouse service CO.
operated, which enabled the navy depart
ment to have all portions of the Atlantic
coast from Maine to Texas under observa-
ton
The auxiliary navy was created under
the authority of congress. and was Off
cered and manned by the naval militia of
the several states. This organization pa
of a second arm of defense.
Defense of the Coast Line.
Under the direction of the chief engi-