WAR INEVITABLE.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 278, 23 April 1898, Page 2

WAR INEVITABLE.

AMERICA'S ULTIMATUM. SPANISH MINISTER LEFT. GREAT EXCITEMENT. AMERICAN POLICY DENOUNCED. CUBANS SIDE WITH SPAIN. Washington, April 21. President MoKinley bus signed an ultimatum notifying that America will begin war after six o'clock on Saturday morning unless Spain yields. It is expected the American squadron will blockade Cuba and Puerto Rico, a large island on the ea9t coast of Cuba, and that an army will be landed in Cuba. The first call of the militia resulted in 80,000 enlistments for three years. The movement of troops coastwards is being hastened. . The American ultimatum has been formally transmitted to Spain. The American Government has offi* cially announced that it will not resort to privateering. Great Britain is pressing Spain to make a similar declaration. It is reported that the American Government has purchased the steamers Etruria and Umbria, and four steamers of the Beaver line for cruisers. President McKinley's ultimatum evoked a remarkably patriotic outburst throughout America. A number of persons became insane through over-excitement, while some committed suicide. The House of Representatives passed a Bill authorising the summoning of volunteers. Seuor Bernabe, the Spanish Minister, has applied for his passports and has quitted Washington. He has entrusted the interests of Spain to the Fr6nch and Austrian Ministers at Washington. Madrid, April 21. The opening of the Cortes was an impressive and brilliant scene. All the wealth and beauty of Madrid wer9 present. Queen Christina, the Regent, and the young King Alfonso were received with intense enthusiasm. The Queen-Regent's speech declared that part of the American people, fearing that autono'my in Cuba would frustrate the rebels' scheme, had indulged in threats and intolerable provocations. The action of the Pope and the European Powers had strengthened the conviction that Spain deserved universal sympathy. Her Majesty had every confidence that the Cortes would defend her throne, honour and territory at whatever sacrifice. She concluded with an eloquent peroration, expressing supremo confidence that the natiot would emerge triumphant from a crisis which had been provoked without reason or justice. The speech evoked tremendous applause. Their Royalties received a great ovation in the streets. Eighty-three thousand volunteers in Cuba have offered to co-operate with Marshal Blanco. London, April 21. The Continental newspapers strongly condemn America's hypocritical policy, which they declare is due to speculators' influence. Pretoria, April 2J. Prominent Americans in the Transvaal have offered 2000 men, and to defray the cost of transport to anywhere they are wanted. A NAVAL OFFICER'S OPINION. (BY TELEGRAPH—OWN CORBESPONPENTp Auckland, Last Night. Capt. Brown, of H.M.S. Tauranga, now in port, interviewed on the war, said he had 'seen the cablegram from Sydney in which Admiral Pearson's views were set forth, and he coincided with the Admiral in the opinion that America must wh>. The officers of America are among the best trained officers in the world. Spain, he considers, will not forego the privilege of sending out privateers, as it would be to her great advantage to fit out privateers and send them abroad to prey on American shipping, for they could do a great deal of damage in that way. America's commerce on the seas in proportion to Spain's would be about one hundred to one, and it is easily seen the immense harm privateers could do American shipping, more particularly on the Atlantic. Spain's carrying trade is principally in the Mediterranean, and the American vessels would not be likely to do much damage there. Asked as to the danger of privateers interfering with British commerce, Capt. Brown questions whether England would stand it or be likely to allow Spanish privateers to stick up British vessels whenever and wherever they pleased and overhaul them. He was sure this would cause trouble, or at any rate unpleasantness, with the Mother Country. He believed that if privateering he resorted to in the war it will be very like the privateering in past days, And that was really nothing but piracy. There is the probability, too, that the Spanish privateer 3 and vessels carrying letters of marque will include some ruffianly characters. No doubt some of the South American Republics will send out privateers to help Spain. These vessels will be under the Spanish flag, but little or nothing short of pirates. The American-China squadron will ba sent straight to the Phillipines, as Spain is unlikely to do much damage in the Pacific as far as cruisers .are concerned ; but what American shipping will have to fear in the Pacific will be privateers from the South American Republics. The Americans, however, are preparing to combat the privateers by purchasing and chartering large merchant steamers to be used as armed cruisers. He regarded the seat of war as sure to be Cuba, and in the initial proceedings tomorrow Capt. Brown does not think the U.S. fleet will attempt to seize Havanna by a coup d* main, because the harbour entrance is narrow and easily defended by torpedoes, but there is nothing to prevent the fleet landing troops on many points on the Cuba coast, and with long range guns the American ships could shell the city of Havanna. When Cuba is gone Spain is prastically done for, because she would have no base of operations on tho American side of the Atlantic. Puerto Rico, which Capt. Browne visited, has no defences and would very soon be occupied by the United States forces and Spain expelled from that island. In conclusion Capt. Brown said he did not think England would be likely to be drawn into the war. Spanish privateers certainly were, however, a source of danger, as their operations m would be apt to cause unpleasant relations with England.