NEWS BY THE WARRIMOO.

Manawatu Herald, 31 May 1898, Page 2

NEWS BY THE WARRIMOO.

' Wellington, May 30. [ News by the Warrimoo states that ! five hundred submarine mines were ! being placed in San Francisco harbour. It is expected the war appropriations for six months will make the deficiency reach $120,000. Fitzhugh Lee has been nominated Major-General by the President. . The blockade of Cuba is more or less a failure. Numbers of small craft have succeeded in reaching Havana and Matanzas with supplies. In order to get transport for soldiers to the Phillipines, the American Government was expected to take advantage of the law giving them power to impress steamers suitable for auxilliary cruisers. At the bombardment of Matanzas the Puritan's first shell smashed in the

whole side of a fort and the loss on the Spanish side was very great* On the Spanish side their plans in* elude a scheme for reconquering Florida. > A Madrid telegram of April 24 saya Germany has issued a note declaring she would not allow Manilla to beT bombarded. No attention 1b pai^i the States to growls about the bkltfade and the threats to prevent it. During the Civil war the same thing occurred, but came to nothing. United States officials are seizing as contraband of war all letters for Spain, and in thia way allege they nave secured important reports from Blanco and other Spanish officials in Cuba, Prince. Bismarck was Credited with giving the opinion that Germany ought not to He its hands by proclairr««j neutrality. The first shot in the war was fired by Patrick Mullen, gunner of the Nashville, across the bow of the Spanish steamer Buena Venture on the morning of April aand. The Spanish Government threatens, if Havana is bombarded, to do the same with the great American ports. The dynamite cruiser Nietheoy was partly disabled by an accident to her machinery. Spanish newspapers complain of the inclusion of coal as contraband of war, which is held to give an unfair advantage to the United States. They cite the strong opposition of England in 1889 to the action of France during the Tonquin war in declaring rice contraband. On April 28, a deputation waited on President McKinley and for two hours strongly urged him to annex Hawaii. The Government of the Islands is said to be in favour of it. The President, while favoring the annexation, was not disposed to act without the consent of the Senate, especially as there was a strong party opposed to it. He had no desire to become involved further in inter-national complications. The war with Spain, he said, was not being urged for the purpose of acquiring additional territory. At the latest advices nothing is being done, though the importance of Hawaii as a coaling station is becoming daily more fully recognised.