The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-09-30

| WASHINGTON, Sept 29-Apparently the
situation IN Chill continues to engross the
| attention of the president and secretary OF
state. Acting Secretary Wharton called
| at the White House soon after breakfast
this morning aud talked with the presi-
| dent until the cabinet meeting about 10
o'clock. Returning to the department of
state he found cablegram from Minister
Egan in response to one sent to him yes
terday asking for further information as
| to the situation This dispatch was in
cipher. and after il had been unraveled
Mr.. Wharton and Mr. John w. Foster dis
cussed its contents, which, however, they
they did not feel at liberty TO make public.
1t is known that the acute phase of the
situation has been passed and that no
serious trouble IS anticipated. Minister
Egan has maintained the dignity of bis
legation and the refugees remain under
protection, but it is believed that this has
been achieved through the action OF the
Junta, in yielding under protest to the
pressure brought to bear by this govern
ment, while insisting upon its right TO
arrest political refugees, II not within the
precincts of the legation, at least In its
shadow The contention revives an old
and vexed question of international law
which itself is by no means an exact sci
ence, and the president, with his advisors
is now coming the presidents in our diplo-
matte history, resolved that Minister
Egan shall be supported in every legiti-
mate manner, in making no demand that
cannot be justly maintained.
20 far as the protection of refugees is
concerned, the practice of nations includes
cases widely variant in principle. Our
own history, however, shows that where
refugees seeking an asylum In
legation were not American citizens, the
United States government has uniformly
discouraged their admission and protec-
ton. A case that appears to be pertinent
occurred in 1850, when Mr.. Clayton, secre-
tary of state, in a note to the United
States minister to Chill, said:
The acquiescence by the government of
Chill on former occasions in the exercise
of the hospitality of asylum in its larger
sense may preclude that government
from Directing to the continued granting
of such hospitality to the same extent. At
the same time, if that government makes
objection to granting that hospitality to
particular political refugee. the minister
of the United States in whose care such
refugee is sheltered should advise him that
this shelter can no longer be afforded"
Mr. Seward and other secretaries, down
to Mr. Bayard Gin the case arising in HaytD
declined TO claim any right of asylum,
and, indeed, discouraged it.
But the real issue in the present case APP
pears TO De interference Win Tree COLI
munication between the legation in Santi-
ago and the outside world, and in such
cases the provisions of International law
are more explicit Broadly stated the
country to which Il minister is accredited
guarantees that in time of peace this com
munication shall not be interrupted, that
the servants a1d attaches of the legation
shall not be m0lested or any act done that
may tend to impede the transaction of the
business of the legation, The United
States in particular has shown itself intOl
Grant of any such interference, and even
in the Franco-P russian war protested most
effectively against the assumption by the
Germans investing Paris of the right to
interrupt or detain Minister Washburn's
mail messenger
Wild rumors were in circulation this
afternoon to the effect that the White
Squadron and other vessels were to be
sent to Chill, but these stories are incon-
sistent with Secretary Tracy's statement
that no more vessels are to be ordered
thither. In the cabinet meeting today the
subject Of Egan's troubles with the Junta
were not touched upon, aud it may be
again positively stated, that, while Ameri-
can interests in Chill will be fully pro-
teCted, the acute phase and crisis OF the
situation has passed and that the existing
difficulty is now likely to become simply
the subject of ordinary diplomatic cores |
pOndeuce.