CONGRESS. (PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



1Y9 



This resolution was approved by the Executive 

 on the next day, April 20. A copy was at once 

 communicated to the Spanish minister at this 

 capital, who forthwith announced that his con- 

 tinuance in Washington had thereby become im- 

 possible, and asked for his passports, which were 

 given him. He thereupon withdrew from Wash- 

 ington, leaving the protection of Spanish interests 

 in the United States to the French ambassador 

 and the Austro-Hungarian minister. Simultane- 

 ously with its communication to the Spanish 

 minister here, Gen. Woodford, the American min- 

 ister 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 its 

 authority and government in the island of Cuba 

 and withdraw its forces therefrom, coupling this 

 demand with announcement of the intentions of 

 this Government as to the future of the island, 

 in conformity with the fourth clause of the reso- 

 lution, and giving Spain until noon of April 23 

 to reply. 



That demand, although, as above shown, offi- 

 cially made known to the Spanish envoy here, 

 was not delivered at Madrid. After the instruc- 

 tion reached Gen. Woodford, on the morning of 

 April 21, but before he could present it, the Span- 

 ish Minister of State notified him that upon the 

 President's approval of the joint resolution the 

 Madrid Government, regarding the act as " equiv- 

 alent to an evident declaration of war," had or- 

 dered its minister in Washington to withdraw, 

 thereby breaking off diplomatic relations between 

 the two countries and ceasing all official com- 

 munication between their respective representa- 

 tives. Gen. Woodford thereupon demanded his 

 passports, and quitted Madrid the same day. 



Spain having thus denied the demand of the 

 United States and initiated that complete form 

 of rupture of relations which attends a state of 

 war, the executive powers authorized by the reso- 

 lution were at once used by me to meet the en- 

 larged contingency of actual war between sover- 

 eign states. On April 22 I proclaimed a blockade 

 of the north 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 I called for volunteers to 

 execute the purpose of the resolution. By my 

 message of April 25 the Congress was informed 

 of the situation, and I recommended formal dec- 

 laration of the existence of a state of war be- 

 tween the United States and Spain. The Con- 

 gress accordingly voted on the same day the act 

 approved April 25, 1898, declaring the existence 

 of such war from and including the 21st day of 

 April, and re-enacted the provision of the resolu- 

 tion of April 20, 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 maintain relations, in order that 

 their neutrality might be assured during the war. 

 The various governments responded with procla- 

 mations of neutrality, each after its own methods. 

 It is not among the least gratifying incidents 

 of the struggle that the obligations of neutrality 

 were impartially discharged by all, often under 

 delicate and difficult circumstances. 



In further fulfillment of international duty I 

 issued, April 26, 1898, a proclamation announcing 

 the treatment proposed to be accorded to vessels 

 and their cargoes as to blockade, contraband, the 

 exercise of the right of search, and the immunity of 

 neutral flags and neutral goods under the enemy's 



flag. A similar proclamation was made by the 

 Spanish Government. In the conduct of hostili- 

 ties the rules of the Declaration of Paris, includ- 

 ing abstention from resort to privateering, have 

 accordingly been observed by both belligerents, 

 although neither was a party to that declaration. 

 Our country thus, after an interval of half a 

 century of peace with all nations, found itself en- 

 gaged in deadly conflict with a foreign enemy. 

 Every nerve was strained to meet the emergency. 

 The response to the initial call for 125,000 volun- 

 teers was instant and complete, as was also the 

 result of the second call of May 25 for 75,000 

 additional volunteers. The ranks of the regular 

 army were increased to the limits provided by 

 the act of April 2(3, 1898. 



The enlisted force of the navy on the 15th day 

 of August, when it reached its maximum, num- 

 bered 24,123 men and apprentices. One hundred 

 and three vessels were added to the navy by pur- 

 chase, 1 was presented to the Government, 1 

 leased, and the 4 vessels of the International 

 Navigation Company the St. Paul, St. Louis, 

 New York, and Paris were chartered. In addi- 

 tion to these the revenue cutters and lighthouse 

 tenders were turned over to the Navy Depart- 

 ment and became temporarily a part of the aux- 

 iliary navy. 



The maximum effective fighting force of the 

 navy during the war, separated into classes, was 

 as follows: 



Four battle ships of the first class; 1 battle 

 ship of the second class; 2 armored cruisers; 6 

 coast-defense monitors; 1 armored ram; 12 pro- 

 tected cruisers; 3 unprotected cruisers; 18 gun- 

 boats: 1 dynamite cruiser; 11 torpedo boats; ves- 

 sels of the old navy, including monitors, 14. Aux- 

 ilary navy: Eleven auxiliary cruisers; 28 con- 

 verted yachts; 27 converted tugs; 19 converted 

 colliers; 15 revenue cutters; 4 lighthouse tenders; 

 and 19 miscellaneous vessels. 



Much alarm was felt along our entire Atlantic 

 seaboard lest some 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; infantry and light- 

 batteries were drawn from the volunteer force. 

 About 12,000 troops were thus employed. The 

 coast-signal service was established for observing 

 the approach of an enemy's ships to the coast of 

 the United States, and the life-saving and light- 

 house services co-operated, which enabled the 

 Navy Department to have all portions of the At- 

 lantic coast, from Maine to Texas, under observa- 

 tion. 



The auxiliary navy was created under the au- 

 thority of Congress, and was officered and manned 

 by the naval militia of the several States. This 

 organization patrolled the coast, and performed 

 the duty of a second line of defense. 



Under the direction of the chief of engineers 

 submarine mines were placed at the most ex- 

 posed points. Before the outbreak of the war 

 permanent mining casemates and cable galleries 

 had been constructed at nearly all important har- 

 bors. Most of the torpedo material was not to 

 be found in the market, and had to be specially 

 manufactured. Under date of April 19 district 

 officers were directed to take all preliminary 

 measures, short of the actual attaching of the 

 loaded mines to the cables, and on April 22 tele- 

 graphic orders were issued to place the loaded 

 mines in position. 



The aggregate number of mines placed was 

 1,535, at the principal harbors from Maine to 

 California. Preparations were also made for the 



