The record-union., 1891-05-12
whatever if she is encountered by our
vessels or any of them


Democratic papers this morning say
that Blaine's hand is visible in this, as i'll
about everything else arising under this
administration. 1t is said he is at present
trying to negotiate a commercial treaty
with Chile, and fears that this 1tata incl
dent will ruin all his prospects unless the
United States Government makes some
sort Of demonstration.
A State Department official said TO your
correspondent to-day: Probably you are
not aware that Chile is not in love with
our free country and once threatened to
send gunboats to blow up San Francisco
in the State of California. We don't want
to incur her diSpleaSure until we get
some big guns mounted at San Francisco,
and then we can tell her to come Off the
perch.'"
NAVY DEPARTMENT RETICENT.
WASHINGTON, May IL = Secretary
Tracy this afternoon sent out word that
he had nothing to say about the Chilean
vessel Itata or the Charleston. Other
officials of the Naval Department are
equally reticent. The official mind of the
department is evidently in dread that
possible unguarded admission to re-
porter might result in the disclosure of
the plan of campaign, in which the entire
available naval force in the Pacific is
arraying against the steamer whose war
like character has not yet been demon
! pears to be making extraordinary efforts
to recapture the Itata, for in addition to
cabling Admirals Brown and Mccain to
head oil the runaway before she reaches
| Chilean waters, it is understood that i'll
structions have been sent to the United
| States Consular officers at all. points
! between California and Chile, where the
Itata could reach, TO promptly advise the
naval officers of her movements if she is
sighted.
In strange contrast to this exhibition of
zeal is the course Ofthe Charleston, which
is in chase of the runaway. This vessel
sailed from San Francisco Saturday
morning, bound south. She is an
eighteen-knOt vessel and last night should
have been $50 miles down the coast, or
near Cape San Lucas, where the Chilean
| iGSurgent warship Esmeralda is supposed
to be lying IN wait for the Itata. But in
stead of covering this distance, the
Charleston got about halfway and then
went to anchor over night. Later advices
show she was last seen just above the
Mexican boundary line.
Such officers as have an opinion they
feel free to express, say the Charleston's
movements can be explained in two
ways, either the department believes the
Itata is lying somewhere off the coast of
California, or it has no intention of
seizing the vessel unless her presence is
made unpleasantly noticeable within
easy reach. The motive for such an atti-
tude by the Government as indicated in
! the last theory is, in brief, that it might
not be good diplomacy for the United
States to go too far in the direction of
hostility towards the Chilean insurgents
The duties devolving upon friendly
Government in cases such as this have
never been finally and clearly enunciated
by authorities in international law, but it
can be safely assumed that in the opera
tions of the United States Marshal in
| seiZing the Itata and Robert and Minnie,
and in the pursuit of the Itata as long as
she was in United, States waters. our
Government has already shown what the
Geneva arbitration in the Alabama case
has declared to be due diligence.
TO INSPECT ALL WATERWAYS.
| NEW YORK, May IA Tribune Wash
! ington special says: Despite information
TO the contrary on the part of the Navy
Department authorities, there are four
| United States vessels in the Pacific to-day
in quest of the Itata. The report was re-
ceived at the Navy Department early this
morning from Captain Remey, of the
Charleston, that he had handed the dis
| patch to a pilot boat officer, and it was
sent from San Pedro, Cal.
The chase, on the part of the Charles
ton, will be kept up until the territory
allotted to the San Francisco and Balti-
more, in the South Pacific, is reached.
The department has instructed Captain
Remey to inspect the harbors and water
ways along the coast where, in his judg-
ment, the fugitive vessel is likely to stop.
1t is thought that the original plan of
the 1tata was to go direct to Chilean
waters. The intention Of this Govern
| ment, 1t is thought, has reached the
Chilean rebels, but it still remains
question to what extent the latter can re-
sist. The actions of the insurgents are
| IL -
fore, and any intention on their part of
resisting the seizure of the Itata is likely
to be known in Washington.
| The vessels engaged in the search will
touch at stipulated points, with the double
purpose of inspecting the shipping and
| communicate with the department.. BY
| this plan the vessels can be gathered at
will in any particular locality, and so foil
| any violent resistance contemplated by
the belligerent party.
| Another point appeared to-day in the
question whether the Itata would be ex-
| empt from seizure if she should now
clear at British port. This seems to be
disposed Of negatively. Had the Itata
! taken on materials of war in the open
! sea, and then gone into a British port,
| that is, some place along the British Co
lumblan coast, and there cleared accord
ing to law, the pursuit would have been
matter for the English rather than the
American authorities.
! THE ROBERT AND MINNIE.
SAN DIEGO, May IL. - United States
Solicitor-General Taft to-day received a
dispatch from President Harrison di-
recting him to go to Los Angeles and take
| charge of the Robert and Minnie case for
the Government. He left on the after
noon train.
THE CREW HELD.
Los ANGELES, May 11.-George A.
Burt, supercargo of the Robert and
Minnie, Captain O'Farrell and five sea-
men on board the craft, together with
pilot Dill, of San Diego, were to-day
charged with violation of the neutrality
laws, and bail fixed at s., 900 each in the
cases of Burt, O'Farrell and Dill and
$500 each in the cases of the seamen.
Dill is the only one who gave bail. The
others are still in the hands of the United
States Marshal.
THE OMAHA.
SAN PEDRO, May IL. - The United
States man-of-war Omaha left here for the
north this afternoon.