sooner discharged. The details for this
object will be immediately communicated to the proper authorities
through the War Department.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed.

[SEAL.]

Done at the city of Washington, this 23d day of April, A.D. 1898, and of
the Independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-second.

WILLIAM McKINLEY.

By the President:
JOHN SHERMAN,
_Secretary of State_.

[Footnote 25: See p. 155.]

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas by an act of Congress approved April 25, 1898,[26] it is
declared that war exists and that war has existed since the 21st day of
April, A.D. 1898, including said day, between the United States of
America and the Kingdom of Spain; and

Whereas, it being desirable that such war should be conducted upon
principles in harmony with the present views of nations and sanctioned
by their recent practice, it has already been announced that the policy
of this Government will be not to resort to privateering, but to adhere
to the rules of the Declaration of Paris:

Now, therefore, I, William McKinley, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the power vested in me by the Constitution and the
laws, do hereby declare and proclaim:

1. The neutral flag covers enemy's goods with the exception of
contraband of war.

2. Neutral goods not contraband of war are not liable to confiscation
under the enemy's flag.

3. Blockades in order to be binding must be effective.

4. Spanish merchant vessels in any ports or places within the United
States shall be allowed till May 21, 1898, inclusive, for loading their
cargoes and departing from such ports or places; and such Spanish
merchant vessels, if met at sea by any United States ship, shall be
permitted to continue their voyage if on examination of their papers
it shall appear that their cargoes were taken on board before the
expiration of the above term: _Provided_, That nothing herein
contained shall apply to Spanish vessels having on board any officer in
the military or naval service of the enemy, or any coal (except such as
may be necessary for their voyage), or any other article prohibited or
contraband of war, or any dispatch of or to the Spanish Government.

5. Any Spanish merchant vessel which prior to April 21, 1898, shall have
sailed from any foreign port bound for any port or