The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-14
RUMORS FROM THEOCEAN
FaE IrATA REPORTED SUNK BY
TAE CHARLESTON.

TIE CHARLESTON.
No Authority Given for the Rumor
and Its Truth Highly Improbable
Mexico's Probabls Action if the Yes.
sells Touch at Any of Her Ports-No
News at Washington.
SAN DIEGO, CAL. May 13.-Passengers
on the steamer Crescent City, which arrived
at Cedros Island last night. report that
when about ten miles below Ensenado Mon
day night the cruiser Charleston was sighted
far out to sea. As soon as the officers on
the warship caught sight of the Crescent
City they changed their course and made
directly for her. As soon as the cruiser ap-
preached the captain of the Crescent City
raised the American flag and saluted. The
Charleston immediately turned at right
angles and steamed away to the south west
and soon disappeared beyond the horizon.
The Crescent City officers report seeing
nothing Of the Itata.
MExIco's PROBABLE ACTION.
SAN Francisco. May 13.-T The Call has
an interview with A. K. Coney, the Mexi-
can consul general at this port, in regard to
the probable action of the Mexican govern
ment if the Itata enters the port OF Aca-
pulco. He says Acapulco is neutral port,
and he is confident that the Charleston will
not be permitted to seize the Itata there,
but if the Itata enters there with CONTRA
band goods on board it is probable that the
Mexican officers will train the guns of the
fort on her and seize her themselves. The
fort is not a very powerful one, but it is
strong enough to capture the Itata.
BOUND TO ARBITRATK.
PARIS, May 13.-The Steele to-day SAYS
that in spite of the rupture of the negotia-
tions between President Balmaceda and the
congressional party OF Chile, France the
United States and Brazil intend to fulfill
the task of arbitrating the matter in dis
pute between the two eontending faotious
The Steele adds that the task will be under
taken with every prospect of success.
PERU AND TIE oHILEANs.
WASHINGTON, May IA Chicago dis.
patch yesterday said that an important
cablegram had been received by the de-
partment of state from Consul Dougherty,
at Callao, Peru, stating that Chilean man
of-war had been worsted by an insurgent
cruiser, had come to Callao for repairs, and
that the authorities refused to allow her to
make repairs and fit out again. The de-
partment has received no such information
from any source.
No news had been received at the navy
department up to a late hour this afternoon
about either the Charleston or the Itata.
NO NEWS AT THK DEPARTMENT
When the doors Of the navy department
we're closed this afternoon, Acting Secre>
tary Ramsay was no wiser than he was
yesterday respecting the whereabouts of
the Charleston and the Itata. In the ab-
sence of facts, the departmental officers are
discussing the legal aspects of the case pre-
A1I s..A H. as.-rA - Al. IN
been some modification of the views held
by leading naval officers in this matter,
and 1T does not appear that there is any
tenable claim that the Itata may
be seized as a pirate. It is recog-
nized that she can be recaptured
tor violations of customs laws, disregard of
the orders of the court and perhaps for kid
naping' but the assumption that she is
pirate is completely negatived by the
doctrine laid down by the late Francis
Wharton, formerly solicitor of the depart
ment of state and an eminent authority Of
international law.
ACCEPTED BY SECRETARY BAYARp.
This doctrine was accepted by Secretary
Bayard and laid down at the time Of the
Colombian rebellion and Panama troubles
The Colombian government had declared
lnsurgent vessels to be pirates, as the
Chilean government has done, but the Sec
retary held: "The government of the
United States cannot regard as piratical
vessels manned by parties in arms against
the government of Colombia when such
ports held by such insurgents,
or even when attacking ports
in possession of the national government
In the late civil war the United States at
an early period Of the struggle surrendered
the position that those manning confederate
cruisers were pirates under international
law. The United States Of Colombia can
not but sooner or later do otherwise than
accept the same view. But, however this
may be, no neutral power can acquiesce in
the position now taken by the Colombian
government
HER RIGHTS IN MEXICO.
view OF the expected arrival of the Itata at
Mexican port-probably Acapulco-is
That she cannot stay there under the prac-
tlces OF international law. The Mexican gov
ernment could not refuse to protect her,
Dut she could not remain in port more than
tTenty-four hours, as to do 80 would sub
Ject her to the charge Of using the port as
base OF operations against a friendly
government. So that If the vessel reaches
acapulco before the Charleston, the latter
vessel would have simply to wait outside
the port for twenty-four hours to got an
opportunity to retake the Itata and her
stores provided that these have not mean
Ilu1e Deen transferred to the -Esmerslda.
REPORTED SUNK.
81 CITY OF MEXICO, May 13.-The Anglo
american (newspaperl publishes rumors of
me sinking of the Itata by the United
states cruiser Charleston, but gives neither
lme nor place. The authorities here say they
nave no information whatever concerning