, 1891-01-11
Severely Censured.

w phus ~. -DGNlGAhll
Tracy has written a letter OF unqualified
censure to Commander Reiter, who was re.
ieyed of his command for his action at San
Jose when senior officer with the Ranger
and Thetis, at the time Of the killing of
Geu. Barrundi, on board the steamer
Acapulco. The following extracts will
serve to show the severity of the censure:
In your situation, in command of
force of public vessels ofthe United States,
in a territory which, if not at that mo-
ment at war, had recently been the scene
of hostilities. as well as OF civil disturb
ances, il was your duty to watch with the
most active so.icitude over the interests
OF your country in that quarter,
and especially it's interests aioat.
From the moneh that the approach of
the Acapulco, a steamer bearing the
American flag, was known to you, YOU
should have taken every step legally 40
your power to give countenance aud sup
port to her captain and protection TO all
persons on board, especially when you
knew their safety was likely ID be men
aced. Instead of this, in your apparent
endeAvo to escape responsibility, YOU re-
NAMED so completely passive that, as far
as events on board the Acapulco were con-
cerned, you and your vessel might as well
have been on the other side of the ocean.
Whenever any passenger, whether Amer
lean or foreigner. Is received on board an
American vessel he comes under the
American flag, and is entitled to the pro-
lection and security of which that flag is a
guarantee.
at was within your legitimate power,
as it was your imperative duty. to execute
by every means legally at your command,
the guarantee OF protection which the
United States gives 10 all vessels under
its flag. Your ships were on the spot; you
had full knowledge of Gen. Barrundi s ap-
proach; you we're informed OF the intcn-
ton to seize him as a political offender. He
was not n fugitive from the territory of
Guatemala seeking to escape territorial
jurisdiction. Neither was he a conspira-
tor attempting to return 10 his country to
foment revolution. He was a passenger
on board an American ship which he had
joined in Mexico. with destination for
Panama: and he had thus, without your
Intervention and outside of local iuris-
diction, obtained a place uuder the flag
and protection OF the United States.
'ln this situation you found him. His
safety Was threatened. Under these cir
cumstances it was your plain duty to pro
coed at once TO meet the steamer before
she cast anchor in port, 10 warn her cap
tain of danger, and offer to his passenger,
should he desire it. an asylum on board
your ship Even after the arrival OF the
Acapulco in port your power Of discretion
AIRY action was by no means taken away.
There we're in particular, three points IN
which the existing situation imposed
duties upon you as the senior naval officer
present. namely:
'Fist-To make a full investigation of
the facts, TO ascertain the sufhciency OF
the charge and OF the authority On which
the proposed removal of the passenger
was based.
''Second-To prevent by your prcsenc
aud with such assistance as YOU might fiud
necessary, any proceedings on board the
steamer calculated to endanger the safety
of those on board.
'Third-If. Upon examination, 1t APP
peared that seizure was to be attempted
without proper warning, or that the pro
ceedings were merely in The nature Of
pretext to secure the person of a political
fugitive, to offer him. in accordance with
the humane and well established practice
In the case OF refugees whose lives aIe in
uAIGeT, the HpepllaHly VI yOui oNu VESSEL
lin none of these particulars does 1t APP
pear that you took any action
Secretary Tracy closes the letter in
in the following words: 1T is believed
that few cases have ever occurred in the
history OF the United States navy where
a commanding officer so completely
abandoned the responsibilities of his pO-
sition "a. according to your own showing,
you did upon this critical occasion. A
United States officer does not ask of a
foreign government permission to offer an
asylum to any person on board an Ameri-
can vessel at sea who stands in need oS
refuge. An officer who so abdicates his
authority, and that of the nation which
he represents, and surrenders it to others,
has a lesson to learn before lie can safely
be entrusted with the command of a ship
OF war.