that complete form of rupture of relations which attends a state of war,
the executive powers authorized by the resolution were at once used by
me to meet the enlarged contingency of actual war between sovereign
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,[14] and on the 23d I
called for volunteers to execute the purpose of the resolution.[15] By
my message of April 25 the Congress was informed of the situation, and
I recommended formal declaration of the existence of a state of war
between the United States and Spain. [16] The Congress 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,[17] and reenacted
the provision of the resolution of April 20 directing the President
to use all the armed forces of the nation to carry that act into
effect.[18] Due notification of the existence of war as aforesaid was
given April 25 by telegraph 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
proclamations 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
enemy's flag.[19] A similar proclamation was made by the Spanish
Government. In the conduct of hostilities the rules of the Declaration
of Paris, including abstention from resort to privateering, have