The record-union., 1891-05-09
The Governments Policy in the
Matter Yet a Secret.
QUESTION RAISED AS TO WHAT
ACTION CAN BE TAKEN.
The State Department Said to Doubt
Take the Vessel on the High Seas
Interview With the Two Desertcrs
From the Itata in Relation to Her
Mission to This Coast.
Special to the REcoRD-US1oN.

the Government with respect to the
escaped Chilean vessel Itata is still an
official secret. Secretary Tracy and other
officials this morning refused to discuss
| the matter. There can be no doubt of the
fact that the Government is extremely
anxious to exhibit all possible zeal in an
effort to recapture the vessel, in order to
! avoid any unpleasant consequences that
might arise through the presentation of a
claim for damage in behalf of the Chilean
Government, but naval officers are very
skeptical of the ability OF our ships to re-
capture the Itata under the circumstances
attending her flight.
! 1t is not possible to get definite or au-
thoritative answer to the question
whether the Charleston will be sent after
the Itata. All the information vouch-
safed is that the Charleston was ordered
weeks ago to coal and get ready for sea at
the earliest moment. The fOrmalities
attending the Presidents reception at San
Francisco necessarily delayed these
preparations, but it is understood they
are now actively under way. Single
handed, even the Charleston would have
great difficulty in catching the Itata. The
| latter vessel may be 500 miles ahead of the
| Charleston when the latter starts on
!
| point or two in the compass in the steer
| ing course would soon separate the two
vessels by many leagues, so the Charles
| ton might pass the Itata without knowing
1t. On this account it is probable, if the
Navy Department is really satisfied of its
right to seize the Chilean vessel on the
! high seas and Is determined to do so, it
must rely largely on United States YES
sells in the south. So far, it is said, no
move has been made in that direction but
| the department may at any moment
cable Admiral McCann, who is on the
| Chilean coast with the Pensacola and
Baltimore, and to Admiral Brown, who
! is on the San Francisco somewhere off
| Peru, to endeaYor to head off the run
! away.
The San Francisco story that the Bal
! maceda armed transport Imperiale is
| lowering off the coast of California to
capture the Itata is said at the Navy De-
partment to be without foundation, for
Admiral McCanns last report showed
that one month ago the Imperiale was
| shut up in Valparaiso harbOr by the in
surgent fleet, and it would be manifestly
| impossible for her to have reached Cali
| fOrnia in a month.
The question of the right of the United
| States to take the Itata on the high seas
| is not altogether settled. The State De-
partment people are inclined TO doubt
the right. The whole question arises
from dispute as to the character of the
vessel. Were the ship rate or vessel of
American register, engaged in acts of
violation Of treaty stipulations, the case
would be simple, but she is merely a
Chilean vessel engaged in the transporta-
ton of suspected cargo, and there is a
grave risk involved.
Dispatches from Chile to-day throw a
peculiar side light on the war being to
the effect that President BalInaceda has
directed that payments of revenues and
other dues to the Government must be
made in silver. A naval officer to-day
pointed out the fact that this means a
good deal and might indicate the amount
of precaution on the part of Balmaceda,
who IS as likely as not preparing for alb
dication. Such will, OF course, end the
war in favor of the insurgents.
In the matter of international law in
volved it would seem as though the State
| Department is not in entire accord with
the rest of the administration, for both
Attorney-General Miller and Secretary
Tracy lean to the belief that the Itata is a
legitimate party.
\ report has come from San Francisco
to the effect that Richard Trumbull, a
member of the Chilean Revolutionary
Congress, has been arrested there. No
| knowledge OF such act reached the De-
partment of Justice. 1t is stated that it
would be an easy matter for anyone to
cDaIgG
OF violating the neutrality laws. The
Marshal is bound to recognize an order to
this effect contained in information OF
complaints sworn to by any citizen. In
case there is mistake and false arrest
there is redress only in the form of suit
at law against the informant. The Mar
shal is not responsible.
MISSION OF THE ITATA.
SAN DIEGO, May S.-An Associated
Press reporter to-day secured an inter-
view with the two deserters from the
Chilean steamer ltata. They said that
the Chilean man-of-war Esmeralda.
| which is now i'll the hands of the insur-
gents, left Iquique early in April to con-
voy the steamer Itata to the nearest
American port for the purpose of buying
provisions, and to get arms which had
! already been purchased by an agent OF
the insurgents in New York, and
shipped to San Francisco to be placed on
some coasting vessel and transferred to
the ltata at some rendezvous to be ar
ranged later.
| The transport and man-of-war sailed
northward in company as far as Cape
San Lucas, where the transfer was made
of large portion of the crew of the Es-
meralda to the holdl of the Itata, with
their cutlasSeS and muskets, and after
the Captain of the warship had himself
gone aboard the Itata, the vessels parted,
J 1t DelllP uHueTSlOOu lnaU the ESDleGdlQa
would wait at San Lucas for the return OF
the transport.
One of the deserters who gave these
facts was one of the marines who lay hid
den in the hold of the Itata but after
spending about week in those stuffy
quarters, deemed life ashore preferable to
his cramped position on board, and
jumped overheard Tuesday night.
After the transfer at Cape San Lucas,
the Chileans who were slowed away in
the inner recesses of the Itata knew yery
little of all that was occurring. They did
know, however, that they were prepared
to take part in any fight that might come
along. 1t was an open secret on board
that they were to meet the Robert and
Minnie somewhere off this port, but just
where they were not informed. The Cap
tain of the Esmeralda being aboard, they
acted under his orders. He told them that
they would go back on board of their
own ship at Cape San Lucas, where she
was waiting for them, and then sail fo1
| Chile.
Before leaving the man-of-war rations
were becoming pretty short. In fact
| none OF the marines on the battle ships
at the front had any too much to eat and
the supplies which the Itata purchased
here We're to be distributed round as far
as they would go.
When asked if the Esmeralda might
not have come north after the Itata left
her, the Chilean said that it was alto
gether probable she had, as the transport
had not expected to remain here as long