New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-11
DISCUSSING THE REITER' AFFAIR
Mr. DALZELL WARMLY UPHOLDS THE NAVAL
OFFICER. AND MR.. LODGE Defends THE
NAVY DEPARTMENT..

NAVY DEIAkl- MIN l.
Washington Feb lO.-In the discussion in the House
to-day on the Legislative Appropriation BILL ule lar
runda case came up for discussion, and Mr. DaHeu.
Of PENNSYLVANIA who is q personal friend Of com
mander Reter. made defence Of that oihclal 5
actions Mr. Lodge. Of Massachusetts,. defending 'he
Secretary OF the Navy.
Mr. Dalzcl said that the public Ieprimahd OF
Commander Rcer by the Secretary Of the Nav' was
unwarTantcd and unjust \ naval officer had Ieeh
degraded by public reprmand. without The 'At'r
vention Of courtmartia. His was TIE cas-" OF
overy officer in the service: but. higher than unit
the involved the conduct Of officers In re'oecs
to foreign Powers. General BaTundLa had Deeh a
notorious Guatemalan. charged with the commission
Of murder and the embodiment Of public funds. As
we'll Of high treason lie had come voluntarily
within the jurisdiction Of his country at time
when he was resting under these charge BarrunGh
was killed the steamer Acapulco b. officers under
taking 10 arrest him. which officers he undertook TO
murder At that time two United states ships ofWar
the Ranger and the Thctis lay In IN" roa1steah Com
mandcr Rcitcr being The commanding officer. lie had
not ntcrfcrcd with tho arrest The day after the Kill
ing Reer had been detached, without any rrasoa ing
assigned for the detachment. Three months after
ward the Secretary Of the Navy had addressed
him a letter which was printed in the pubic press
before II was received by Commander Refer II WAS
then apparent that the letter written by the Hecrc
ary of the Navy not to Commander Rciter alone but
a stigma on Refers name and blight Oh his career
It took from him his dearest possession ana from his
children tfcr richest inheritance. To Commander
Refers demand for a court-martial came the reply
that his demand showed his ignorance Of naval disc
pine. Could IL be that an honorable officer. who MA
faithfully served his country ior years, was 10
be degraded and dsgraccd by the dlctum Of an official
whose career began yesterday and might, IN the mutt
lions Of politics. end tomorrow II it could b. 3d. ~
WAS high time that there should be some leg laton on
this subject In Mr.. Dalzcll. did not deny the power
Of the secretary Of the Navy 10 express his h'ap-
prevail Of the act Of officer; bat be dld deny t'e
power Of the secretary 10 administer public r'pir
mand in time OF peace. For Commander h'll'' "
have compiled with the rule laid down by the rtary
Of the Navy would have been - violate the genera
practice among the Spanish American states ana ,h'
well recognized principles Of international law Hc
Mr. Dalzcll, affirmed that Guatemala had rleh' ~
arrest Harundla while on board the Acapulco "
merchant vessel was not on In" same plane as snip
Of war. Tie latter was regarded a. q phri VI 20.
country she represented; the former placed H''''.
within the Jurisdiction Of the Nation into the port "i
which she entered That proposition Of law ~a, s'S'
famed nv all the text books IL was su'tah'n Nv WV
decisions Of the supreme Court II was sustained D' '
PROCLAMATION of numerous secretaries Of state
Mr. Lodge came 10 the defence Of the secretary oi
the Navy. when he heard the news "i t'e "'l'"h
Of Barrunda on an American ship ne i't '"''"
~ surprise ana lullgNillOl llh' NH'' "'''
currence had taken place under such circumstances
The argument in defence of Commander Ertr lad o'n
an able one but he did feel an American ctA'h'
that the conduct ~ the American representatives ~
san Jose wa- a subject for regret Inc course t'P
had taken was a mistaken course. lie or L"'-'''
could quote numerous cases IN Wich WpFIH'""' '''
becn administered publicly by executive Officers. u
was clear from preccdcns that the secretary oI inv
Navy had acted in accordance W.. welle'tinisHtu
nraCncc After recitine the circumstances OF tNo
t,lIinc OF Barriinda M Lodge said that ne th"n-I
II would be a painful idna 70 every American o''"en
that such transaction as that coum nave V''"'''1
on an American ship. so one questioned "i' "
was the right of Guatcmala or any otior S'''' 10
take a man against whom civil or criminal process
was issued from IA merchant ship. Hut I. ihhhu''
PETER had no Information that such was the case. AZ
, matter Of fact Barruuda had been arrested uiurI
the authority Of the United states Minister WHY
was II that Guatemala took such pains = got N"
authority OF oir Minister II was because Guat'm'h
wanted Barruud.a political refugee N"1"y
would wish to make the United states flag cover
fugitive from Justice But General Harruudn "a' a
,oliticaI r fnrcc It WIS easy t. trump up charges
AGAINST man engaged in unsuccessful revolution He
dared say that BarrUudl's character "a' none 1i I'D.
best but when De s1il'd uha'F tHr AI'i''tn H'- -
was A question Of the rIrlt - a-Nlum VA Iati':.'I
entitled To ID" light ~ a~y lu from 'uHI alHI l''
Iic Mr.. LD1-c. thought De- wa. The mtcl S'airs
had never refused an iIuiH 10 PI,''il ,.
lie would bc sorry 10 think the time had arrived .'"
lie believed that the duty of every american ''u,'r
was 10 take the chance OF error l dfeh'' "i ir I'
unt ON legal techuicautlcs II Dee must err. LET hm
err on the side Of The American nag and not arah,
it, The tinted states had Away, jealousy m3li .i'u
The rirh of potcal a,ylun. II would maintain -
To- dav I'm the face 81 England and Germany. and II
would do that n Wa, shameful 10 refrain ron o"l.k
so because a man w3> obscure and belonged T. ptV
Mr. DoilIycr Of low also defended the action Of the
secretary ~ the NaNN.
Nr. Bouteilc. Of Maine. said that. while nc enter
tanned the greatest aspect aud esteem for the head d"
the Navy Department. he was so unfortunate a. not
10 be- able 10 commend the Sesrctarys acton toward
Commander KcIicr. He simply rose 10 say that he
WOuld not have written the letter Ia Commander
Ect.r that the SECRETARY Ind publ she'd. aud II he had
written it, he would not have published IT,