There is a conflict of evidence on the subject of the cutting of the Manila cable, and those that know do not appear to have thought it necessary to take the public into their confidence. As bearing upon this question, the following extract from leading article in The Times is interesting Modern civilisation is constantly providing new problems to be solved by some extension of ancient rules. One of these arising just now is the position of lines of ocean telegraph in case of war. It is said that the American Government contemplates cutting the telegraph to Cuba in order to prevent communication with Spain, and also that the cable in question is the property of an English company. Is a telegraph cable contraband of war? To maintain such a proposition is surely to give a violent and unnatural extension to the phrase, and to open the door by analogy to many things condemned by the spirit if not by the words of the Declaration of Paris. If the property of neutrals is to be respected even under the enemy's flag, how much more ought it not to be respected under a neutral flag? -That is really the position of a cable owned by neutrals and crossing the high seas. It is therefore to be hoped that the American Government does not intend to set: so evil a precedent, which, by the way, might be held by Spain' to justify the cutting of any cable one end of which is on American soil. Diplomacy is now happily relieved of the necessity 10 concern itself with the more familiar questions arising from war between nations which have not signed the Declaration of Paris, but it might perhaps with advantage consider the new questions sug-guested by various forms of " peaceful enterprise which may incidentally become involved in belligerent action.—Japan Mail.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.