Consulate of the United States,
Kingston, Jamaica, April
26, 1898.
No. 90.]
I confirm my cable above referred to as follows:
Governor to-day issued neutrality proclamation following
prohibitory rules, war vessels British ports can not resort
for equipment of warlike purposes. Can not remain even
twenty-four hours except stress weather or when needing
provisions or repairs, when must depart soon supplies
secured immediate use, or twenty-four hours after repairs
completed. Can not depart within twenty-four hours after war
or merchant vessel opposing power. Can only take sufficient
coal carry to nearest port or own country, or some nearer
destination. Can not take coal again within three months
without special permission. Can not carry prizes into
British ports. Coal provision is evasive. Not according to
statement of colonial secretary my telegram 16th.
[Inclosure.]
The Jamaica Gazette extraordinary.
Colonial Secretary’s Office, April 23, 1898.
Saturday, April 23, 1898.
government notice.
His excellency has received intimation from the secretary of state
for the colonies that a state of war unhappily exists between the
Kingdom of Spain and the Republic of the United States of
America.
His excellency therefore hereby strictly charges and commands British
subjects and others in the colony to observe a strict and impartial
neutrality in and during the aforesaid war, and to abstain from
violating or contravening the foreign enlistment act, and the rules
following shall be in force and shall be strictly observed from this
date:
- 1.
- During the continuance of the present state of war, all
ships of war of either belligerent are prohibited from
making use of any port or roadstead in the United Kingdom,
the Isle of Man, or the channel islands, or in any of Her
Majesty’s colonies or foreign possessions or dependencies,
or of any waters subject to the territorial jurisdiction of
the British Crown, as a station or place of resort for any
warlike purpose, or for the purpose of obtaining any
facilities for warlike equipment; and no ship of war of
either belligerent shall hereafter be permitted to sail out
of or leave any port, roadstead, or waters subject to
British jurisdiction, from which any vessel of the other
belligerent (whether the same shall be a ship of war or a
merchant ship) shall have previously departed, until after
the expiration of at least twenty-four hours from the
departure of such last-mentioned vessel beyond the
territorial jurisdiction of Her Majesty.
- 2.
- If any ship of war of either belligerent shall, after the
time when this order shall be first notified and put in
force in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the
Channel Islands, and in the several colonies and foreign
possessions or dependencies of Her Majesty, respectively,
enter any port, roadstead, or waters belonging to Her
Majesty, either in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, or
the Channel Islands, or in any of Her Majesty’s colonies or
foreign possessions or dependencies, such vessel shall be
required to depart and to put to sea within twenty-four
hours after her entrance into such port, roadstead, or
waters, except in case of stress of
[Page 878]
weather, or of her requiring
provisions or things necessary for the subsistence of her
crew, or repairs; in either of which cases the authorities
of the port, or of tne nearest port (as the case may be),
shall require her to put to sea as soon as possible after
the expiration of such period of twenty-four hours, without
permitting her to take in supplies beyond what may be
necessary for her immediate use, and no such vessel which
may have been allowed to remain within British waters for
the purpose of repair shall continue in any such port,
roadstead, or waters, for a longer period than twenty-four
hours after her necessary repairs shall have been completed.
Provided, nevertheless, that in all cases in which there
shall be any vessel (whether ships of war or merchant ships)
of the said belligerent parties in the same port, roadstead,
or waters within the territorial jurisdiction of Her
Majesty, there shall be an interval of not less than
twenty-four hours between the departure therefrom of any
such vessel (whether a ship of war or merchant ship) of the
one belligerent, and the subsequent departure thereform of
any ship of war of the other belligerent, and the time
hereby limited for the departure of such ships of war
respectively shall always, in case of necessity, be extended
so far as may be requisite for giving effect to this
proviso, but no further or otherwise.
- 3.
- No ship of war of either beiligerant shall hereafter be
permitted, while in any port, roadstead, or waters subject
to the territorial jurisdiction of Her Majesty, to take in
any supplies, except provisions and such other things as may
be requisite for the subsistence of her crew, and except so
much coal only as may be sufficient to carry such vessel to
the nearest port of her own country, or to some nearer
destination, and no coal shall again be supplied to any such
ship of war in the same or any other port, roadstead, or
waters subject to the territorial jurisdiction of Her
Majesty, without special permission, until after the
expiration of three months from the time when such coal may
have been last supplied to her within British waters as
aforesaid.
- 4.
- Armed ships of either party are interdicted from carrying
prizes made by them into the ports, harbors, roadsteads, or
waters of the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, the Channel
Islands, or any of Her Majesty’s colonies or possessions
abroad.
By command.
Fred. Evans,
Colonial Secretary.
