The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 26, 1898, Page 1

[ 4 Call to be taken from ! { fapy, et rary. the Lib VOLUME LXXXII._NO. 147. SAN FRANCISCO, TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 189S. PRICE FIVE CENTS. S = = = L = — — 9 CONGRES WASHINGTON, D. C., April 25.—The following bill declaring that war exists between the United | States of America and the kingdom of Spain was passed by Congress to-day and signed by the President : “Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled : “First—That war be and the same is hereby declared to exist, and that war has existed since | the 21st of April, A. D. 1898, including said day, between the United States of America and the /(Ihg-‘ dom of Spain. ““Second—That the President of the United States be and he is hereby directed and empowered to use the entire land and naval forces of the United States, and to call into actual service of the United States the militia of the several States to such an extent as may be necessary to carry this act| into effect.” S HAS GIVEN NOTICE ~.TO -THE -WORLD s ]morning and kept their| MANILA TO BE ATTACKED., MARINES LAND IN CUBA i S VINC;ENT. CaDeIgae@eo@@@@e@@e@@@@@@@@‘@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@3 Verde Islands, April 25. : ? —The Spanish l)atptleshilflg BATTLESHIP DRAWS |Pelayo and the twog THE FIRE OF THE | swift cruisers which | bwcre expellb ot s GUNS OF MATANZAS. land for which the for- ¢ 'midable fleet now inthis| 2 HAVANA, Cuba, 6 p. m., April 24 (via _ 'harbor has been waiting | 2 Kingston, Jamaica, April 25).-——The day 'have not arrived. As | ¢ Passed quictly, with no change in the > P R cd e Herald-{Z position of the blockading ships. A | | |« battleship and a torpedo boat before ¢ |Call from time to time, 'the four first - class | pedo-boatsand the three | fires banked waiting for the Pelayo and the other ships. They were | to start at once on their| | westward voyage. | All is changed this| evening. There is a re-| 'port, which I was as-| sured by one in author-| ity is not without foun- | |dation, that the Pelayo| and two crack cruisers| PRESIDENT SIGNS THE WAR MEASURE| Naval Men Get Ready for the Greatest Sea Fight of Modern Times. Call Office, Riggs House, Washington, April 25. With a gold pen in "a polished ebony holder, President McKinley at 6:18 o’clock this evening signed the resolutions passed by Congress de- claring a state of war to exist be- twen the United States and the king- dom of Spain. There were but two witnesses to. this interesting cere- mony, Attorney-General Griggs and faithful Sergeant Loeffler, who acted as private doorkeeper to sident since Lincoln first e White House. the I based upon transmitted | ay, and after 7 the House were itive session by veral amendments ed, but all were defeated votes, the sentiment of tjority of Senators being that no time should be lost in per- fecting the record on which this coultry must stand in the eyes of the civilized world. | It was just ten minutes past .5 o'clock when Deputies Buchanan and s of the Senate and - House. ex- | st:ffs started for the White House with the resolution engmssedl on parchment.. When they reached the executive mansion the President had retired to his private rcoms for a little rest, and they waited forty minutes in the anteroom. As soon as the President reappeared in hig office a telephone message brought Attorney-General Griggs, who cast the critical eye of a lawyer over the \ document and pronounced it regular in form and substance. The President then took the pen both Speaker Reed and Vice-President Hobart had used, and which was furnished by Bepresentative Allen Smith, and | ITHE MESSAGE = CALLING THE | DECLARATION WASHINGTON, April 25 following message recomm showing the t. Upon comur which. it sh Minister ative from t two countr United S s, and v its pani The position of United States b Spain, I ha: e ferred upon me by t April 22, 189, a block tweén Cardenas and Bahia Hond order to carry into éffect the hereunto appended. e measury m such other measures pressed will of the e ne mend to your honorable body the adoption of a joint resolution declaring that a state of war exists between the United States of America and the Kingdom speedy action thereon to the end that the definition of of the United States as a belligerent power may be made known, and the assertion of all its rights and the maintenance of all its duties in the conduct of a public war may be assured. of Spain and I urge the international status Executive Mansion, Washington, April 25, 1898. —The President to-day sent to Congress the ding a declaration of war against Spain: er at Madrid, and through the latter, with < action taken under the joint resolution , for the rocognition of the independence of the people of it the Government of Spain relinquish its authority and the island of Cuba, and to withdraw its land and naval forces i Cuban waters, and directing the President of the United States a and naval forces of the United States to carry these resolu- nicating to the Spanish Minister in Washington the demand the duty of the executive to address to the GoVvernment of , the said Minister asked for his passports Minister at Madrid was in turn notified by flairs that the withdrawal of the Spanish s had terminated diplomatic relations be- 1t all official communications between the re- on the note directed to the United States ter for Foreign Affairs on the 21st in- n was conveyed. 18 cognizance of the joint resolution of the and in vlew of things wbich the President Is to do, responds by treating the demands of hostility, following with that instant and com- on which, by usage of nations, accom- r between sovereign powers. ng thus made known, and the demands of the h a complete rupture in - the intercourse with he exercise of the power and authority con- ition aforesald to proclalm, under date of ports of the north coast of Cuba, lying be- and of the port of Clenfuegos on the south coast of Cuba; and further, in exercise of my constitutional powers, and using the authority conferred upon me by the act of Congress approved April 1898, to issue my proclamation dated April 23, 1895, calling for volunteers fin of the Spanish navy, ac-| |cruisers, the three tor-| ¢ Matanzas intimated to neutrai vesseis | to put to sea. They captured a small . Spanish schooner. Later in the day | ¢ ecvents were forced by another battie- ¢ + ship which steamed close in reconnoit- = ¢ -ering. Morill Fort opened fire on her, * ¢ and she retired without returning fire. - . Demonstrations ‘were made against | ¢ Cardenas an Maricl, one vessel against +» the former and three against the latter. HPPOPOOIPVPOOOOPPIOVI 66660006 0006 o pedo-boats and fourtor |[some time ago which pedo - boat destroyers, was to the effect that have gone across the|Spain would soon strike Atlantic. I was also as-|a blow that would open sured by the same au- America’s eyes to the thority that the officials fact that she is still one of the Madrid Govern- of the powers of Europe ment will endeavor to andcapable ofdefending make good the state- her rights. companied by three tor- ment attributed to them'! [ was also informed! that the squadron now in port would sail to- morrow morning to join the Pelayo and her fleet. I was unable to confirm this, but from indica- tions it is evident that the fleet will not remain long in this harbor. Four cruisers were to-day filled with coal. Not only were the bunkers filled, but every avail- able place in the ships was utilized. This is shown by the fact that ‘about 7000 tons was placed aboard the four cruisers. I made every effort to - ascertainauthoritatively the names of vessels with the Pelayo, but was unable to do so in time to cable to-night. It was officially reported that the Pelayo sailed from Cadiz on Aprill7,and on April 20 she was re- enforced by the armored Continued on Second Page. attack Manila. steamer. Saturday. It will be perceived be no delay on this score. The Spaniards have one less than 1200 tons and half z, | fighting value, MANILA WILL BE ATTACKED | BY SATURDAY Copyrighted, 1898, by James Gordon Bennett. HONGKONG, April 26.—1 A. M.—Before this dis- patch appears in type Commodore Dewey’s squadron of seven fine warships will have sailed from Mirs Bay to Consul Williams will arrive here early to-day and will be taken to Mirs Bay The fleet will sail immediately after his arrival. attack on Manila will probably have been made by next | Reina Christina of 3500 tons, four effective gunboats of | ON ju a specially chartered in Cuba supplies for the An meat-is stated to be $2 a good cruiser at Manila, t.hegat loact a el : | Copyrighted, 1598, by James Gordon Bennett. a dozen smaller craft of no| Manila has a few modern guns mounted, but will be |boat Sommers N. Smith, with| aid resolution of April 20, 1898. Copies of these o ssary to enable me to-carry out the ex- of the United States in the premises, I now recom- and with a view to the adoption ,of WILLIAM McKINLEY. sixty seconds later The Call bulletin service had flashed the news to San Francisco that the resolutions had been signed by the Chief Executive. Now that all technicalities under the strictest construction of interna- tional law have been complied with and it has been advertised to the world that we are at war with Spain, the Navy Department is anxious to | give the order that will mean the Continucd on Second Plge. powerless against such a force as that of the American fleet. NEW YORK, April 25.—The Herald’s Washington correspondent telegraphs: Navy Department offi- cials expect that within three days a decisive battle will have been fought between the American and Spanish naval forces operating in the ‘vaters of the Philippines. Commodore Dewey’s squadron steaming at the rate of»ten knots an hour ought to reach Manila by to-morrow afternoon and it is ex- pected by Secretary Long and other department officials that the ves- sels will be in action immediately after their arrival unless the Spanish men-of-war should prefer to remain inside mined harbors. Continued on Second Page. Of primary importance, the offi- | blockading squadron off Havana, April 25.—There is still no bom- bardment of Havana. The peace- | ful blockade continues, and deeds of heroism are being performed by the American navy. Here is |one: The torpedo boat Porter is as fleet as an express train, has a dare-devil crew and an intrepid commander. Lieutenant John C. Fremont is the commander’s name. He is a son of the famous Path-' BOLD AMERICAN MARINES LANDED CUBAN SOIL On board Herald-Call dispatch boat Somers N. | Smith, with blockading ileet off Havana, April 25.— Yesterday we lay quite close in, in a little cove twenty miles west of Havana, and news reached us that food has already-. reached famine prices in Havana sincz the war commenced. For three years popuiation have had to be procured from the United States. Now this source is closed and the price of fresh pound in Havana. What Commodore Dewey regards Mr. Williams’ work in | must be the condition of the reconcentrados under Manila so highly that he will not start till Mr. Williams | this state of afiairs may be imagined. The officers is ready to accompany him, but-it is believed there will ;¢ the Fern, wito know something of the situation there, say Havana has been eating mule flesh for | finder, and a “chip of the old | ONBOARD Call-Herald dispatch block.” Under the darkness lof last night Licuten= |ant Fremont with the Porter made a landing on the north coast of 'Cuba with a small |force in search of in= |formation. He did not meet any Spanish troops, but was ready |to tight them if he had met them, and he