Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 66, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1898 — NEUTRALITY LAWS. [ARTICLE]

NEUTRALITY LAWS.

Will Be Strictly Observed by Us on the High Seas. FOREIGN POWERS ARE SO NOTIFIED. Spain Refuses to Renounce the Ri*ht of Privateering:—Description of Articles Which Are Known as Contraband of ’War. Washington, April 23. —There were two further important steps in Washington towards actual hostilities, not to mention tha overt act involved in the seizure of the Spanish vessel Buena Venture, off Key West. The first was the issue by the president of his proclamation announcing to the world a blockade of a number of Cuban ports, and the second was the signing by him of the bill providing for the utilization of the volunteer forces in war. Foreign Powers Notified. Following up the formalities beginning with the blockade proclamation, the state department addressed an identical note to all of the representatives of the foreign nations accredited to Washington notifying them of the policy to be pursued by this government in the matter of privateering and neutrality. This was followed by the sending of cable messages to all American embassies and legations abroad containing the same information In a little more succinct form for presentation to the governments to which they are accredited. The statement in brief declares that our government will not resort to privateering; that enemy’s

goods in neutral bottoms, save contraband, are exempt from seizure; that neutral goods not contraband under enemy’s flag are safe from seizure, and that blockades to be binding must be effective. In substance these are the principles laid down in the agreement of Paris of 1856. The offielals are not disturbed at the semiofficial notice from Madrid that Spain will refuse to be bound by the same principles and forbid privateering, for they are satisfied that the great commercial powers will not tolerate the practice of privateering under the Spanish flag. Inasmuch as there exists a great deal of misapprehension not only amongforeign countries but also among American shippers as to the character cf merchandise that Is contraband and liable to seizure during the progress of the war, the following unofficial but authentic statement has been obtained from a high official of the government: Contraband of War. In determining, according to the law of nations, whether merchandise is contraband of war, it is classified: 1. Absolute contraband. 2. Occasional or conditional contraband. t. Goods not contraband. The first class Includes all (roods of an essentially warlike character. The seoond class Includes provisions, naval stores, coal, horses, certain kinds of machinery, certain forms of steel, Iron, Me., which are subservient to warlike use and which are destined for the use of the enemy. They are contraband or not, according to occasions and conditions as to their character, shipment and destined use. Every such oaae depends on its own facts. The third class Includes articles not suited to warlike use, such as ohuroh service and musical InMrumonta, household wares and goods and other such like articles, and Including many that are purely mercantile In character. No article of merchandise is contraband unless transported beyond the territorial waters and jurisdlotion of a neutral state, nor unless destined for an enemy port or for enemy use or for an enemy ship upon the high seas, which belligerent eh Ips are permitted to polios in search of enemy ships and contraband of war. No final and exhaustive definition of contraband artloles can be given. They are changing with the progress of inventions. Homo articles were formerly 0001 raband which now are not; and the converse Is true. Each belligerent government Is competent to determine what it will treat as contraband. Its prescription of contraband artloles is conclusive. It euch proscription should be made in outrageous disregard of international law or of treaty rights, neutral states affected would probably interpose Neither belligerent can treat goods as contraband in violation of his treaty stipulations with a neutral power as regards th% subjects of that power. Anyone desiring to ship goods to a foreign port In neutral vessels would profitably consult any existing treaties between Spain and the government of that port. Net ■ nrr of IfawiilL Inquiry at the navy department es to the story that our government had arranged seizure of the Hawaiian Islands and the establishment of n coaling station in Hawaii failed to secure any positive statement on the subject. There Is good authority for believing that the story is exaggerated and that

all that has been done is to provide for I the establishment of a coaling depot and its adequate protection. Members of tie senate committee on 1 foreign relations are generally without ' Information as to the plans of the administration in Hawaii, but some of them i n< lorse the idea of securing ths Pacino islands by seizure at this time in view of their strategic Importance. Senator Davis, chairman of the committee, is among those who hold this view. He said that he considered that the United States would be entirely justified in taking the islands in case of >var as a war measure. Transportation Problem. For the purpose of transporting the army to Cuba, the quartermaster general’s office has under consideration the question of the charter of ships having the carrying capacity of 60,000 men. No charters have, however, been closed. A formal order was issued by the war department increasing the equipment of light batteries of artillery to six guns, six caissons, one combined forge and battery wagon and 100 horses. The ! enforcement of this order will require 600 additional horses which the quar- 1 termaster’s department will purchase ' in Tennessee. _ Troops nt Clilcknuinugn. Chattanooga, Tenn., April 23. —It is Camp George 11. Thomas. Maj. Gen. Brooke on Friday issued formal orders so naming the Chickamauga park rendezvous of the United States troops and henceforth until the park is deserted by the boys in blue, it will be known by tlrat name. The number of troops at Chickamauga park was increased to about 3,000. Fifteen train loads of infantry, cavalry and artillery arrived during the day and were conveyed as rapidly as possible to the park, where their camping grounds had been al>

ready selected for them. With one exception the arrivals were all from the west. - Censorship Established. Key West, Fla., April 23.—The United Statea government has established censorship of telegrams, forbidding the transmission of code messages to or from Havana. This begins at once.