The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-18
The ITATA'S ESCAPE.
The Chilean Officers Declare
She Is Safe.
The Charleston and ESmGTaldl Still al
Acapulco.
More InSurgelt Cruisers Coming Up the
COaSt-No Chance for a Naval Battle.
KeCaRn to Command the Fleet
ETecial 20 TIE MORNING CALI.

CITY OF MEXICO, May 1.-THE Amerl-
can ship Charleston and the Chilean man
of-war Esmeralda are lying at anchor near
the entrance to the harbor Of Acapulco.
The Chilean CAPTAIN says his vessel has not
called at any American port. Consequently
be says: 1T is not rrCbabe that the United
States authorities viii interfere with the
movements either of himself or his vessel"
An officer Of the Esmerada. in reply to a
question put TO him in the telegraph Office
at Acapulco as TO the probability of an old
fashioned sea-fght between the Charleston
and The Esmeralda, said in a jocular and
rather ambiguous way: "Oh, the Itata is
already out Of danger. She has plenty If
coal and provisions to carry her to her des-
tination." This remark has given rise to
tie report that the IJata coaed at sea and
proceeded to her destination while the
Chilean warship steamed for Acapulco to
throw the United States authorities of the
track.
CHILEAN CRUISERS COMING.
El Universal, the only Government organ
that has SO far made any mention Of tie az
rival Of the Esmeralda al Acapulco, says:
''In addition 10 the EsmeTalda other Chilean
WaTShips are ed at Mexican ports.
4 telegram from Guatemala states that
sctOyneT's captain just arrived reports hay-
ing seen two strange looking vessels under
full sail proceeding in a sOutheTly direction.
COMMODORE MCANN TAKES COMMAND.
WASHINGTON, May 17.-NO information
has been Te,eIy, d al the Navy Department
regarding the movements Of the Itata nor
have any further orders been sent to the
Charleston directing her future movements.
The only telegram received to-day was one
INF ff.srI
ton was still at Acapulco taking II coal and
nothing had been heard or seen OF the Itata.
The E,meTada was also IN port aud had
been refused coal by the Mexican authoTi-
It's.
An order was sent to-day by Secretary
Tracy to Commodore Mccain, now on his
flagship, Baltimore, at lquiQue, Chile, plac-
ing the Charleston under his immediate
command, so that in the future the move
meuts OF that vessel Will be under his Gi-
TecUOn instead of under orders from the
Navy Department, as she has been since
leaving san Francisco In search Of the ltata.
This OTueT viii give Commodore Mccain
practically discretionary powers regarding
the future course the Charleston shall puT-
sue in the chase OF the iusuTgent vessel As
there are now two acting Rear-AGmiTals
In Chilean waters, Commodore Me
Cam on the Baltimore and COmmo-
core Brown on the San T anCisco the
command 0f tn qua Iron viii dcvOive upon
Acuug admiral McCaun as senior off -eT.
both AdmlTalS, however, keeping their IN
diYidUaI t0mmandS al Will, IN future, act
in concert. It is not thought that the order
OF the Secretary to-day. III placing tile
Charleston under the direction of CummO-
dOTe Mccain, viii make any change in the
policy to be pursued by the Navy Depart
meut relative 20 the pursuit II the Itata.
The order was issued because the officials
of the Navy Department We're OF the opinion
that the movements Of the Charleston, as
well as those OF the other vessels Of the Pa
CilC squadron in search Of the Itaia, could
be better controlled under the orders of
Commodore NcCanu than under orders from
place so far from the scene OF action as
Washington,
THE SITUATION UNCHANGED.
Secretary Tracy said to night that the
situation remains practically the same as it
was ye terday. Commodore MCCaun, he
said. would remain as senior officer in COM
mand Of the naval forces on the Pacific
until the Chilean difficulty was settled and
would ultimately return 10 his command Of
the South Atlantic Station, when CUmmO-
doTe Brown would assume command Of the
Pacific Station. II is thought the Charles
Ton viii take at least two days, and perhaps
longer. To coal. as ships Of her class cannot
load fast owing TO the location Of some Of her
coal bins. This viii depend however, en-
tirely upcn tile quantity OF coal She needs to
FL her Ounkers. BY the time she is c0aled
some new light may be thrown on the
whereabouts of the Itata, but for the next
two days me Charleston viii likely remain at
Acapulco, 10 the meantime keeping a look
out for The ltata and watching her
eOnSOrt, the Esmeralda. An official Of the
NAVY Department said tonight il was not
likely the Esmerada would seek 10 procure
coal at any OF the Sea-cuast towns on the
Central American or Colombian coast, as
these countries will undoubtedly act as
Mexico has done in refusing 10 violate the
neutrality laws by aiding the insurgents to
TepenSb their coal supplies or procure mU-
nltiOnS OF war.
NOT OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED.
PARIS, May IA Chilean Senator. Spn0r
Matte, who is here as a delegate from tie
Congressional party, has been received by
thr UndeT-SecTetary Of the Foreign Office
but not by Minister RibOt. He has also
el ed upon ndmber of diplomates, but has
nowhere been recognized officially.
TO BE FORCIBLY TAKEN.
NEW YORK, May 1.-THE Tribune's
Washington special dispatch says: The
Pensacola IS expected at lqulque tomorrow
or the next day, when there viii three naval
vessels gathered at that port. Comm dOrc
McCann has orders to take the ltata by
force, If necessary, and bring her &c San
Diego Tie Chilean transport cannot be
taken in Mexican waters, and her appear
ance there within the next twe1ty-f0ur
hours viii therefore be observed merely.
She can, how ever, be ken ia Chilean
waters, that nation having declared her an
IL
Itata elGdes the Charleston, are to have one
Of he three vessels at lquique intercept the
fugitive snip.
THE LAW OF TIE CASE.
The Navy Department has fortified itself
with legal authority for the present pursuit
and has found an able defense for the seiz-
ure upon the open seas ID the decisions of
the Supreme Court. One hundred years
ago that tribunal decided, in the case of
Rose vs.. Henley. that THE seizure of a ship
upon the high seas after she has committed
an act of forfeiture within the territory Is
not inconsistent with the sovereign rights
of a nation to which it belongs. Whate yer
great principle Of sef-defeuse, in its rea-
sonable and necessary exercise, will sane
ton the individual a State or ma
tlOn may lawfully perform upon the
high seas" There are other similar
decisions, said Secretary Tracy tonight
The confusion seems to arise in failing to
distinguish between the right to pursue aud
seize all offending ship ana the obligation TO
pursue. Our neutrality laws simply require
Us to use due diligence to see that our ports
nro not made the base Of operations for the
fitting out Of hostile fleets against nations
With which We are at peace. II, nOtWlth- !
standing the exercise of such diligence,
ship escapes from our port and gets upon
the high seas, while We may pursue her,
We are under no obligation TO pursue
her The failure 10 pursue would
only be treated as a circumstance tending to
PIV'1 1Ho VI 'Sii"l neg lBeAcc ln permitting
her escape, but IN the case Of the Itata, she
not only is alleged to have committed an
act within our ports which subjected her to
forfeiture, but, having been regularly seized
for that Offense, she was forcibly rescued
from the possession Of The courts and car
ried away. No one questions the right of a
nation 10 pursue and rccapture under such
circumstances. Secretary Tracy's course
has the approval Of the President and Sec
Tctary Blaine.
THE CHARLESTON SPEEDILY LOADING.
A sppcial dispatch to tbe Herald from