Los Angeles herald., 1891-01-08
Minister Miners Partner i'm
Disgrace.
His Palpable Guilt in the Bar
rundia Affair.
Secretary Tracy Censures Him in
Unmeasured Terms.
American Naval Officers Must Protect
Passengers on American Ships
..r1s- at All Hazards.
Associated Press Dispa tches.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7.-Secretary Tracy
has written letter of unqualified cen
sure to Commander Reiter, who was re-
lieved of his command for his action at
San Jose, when senior officer of the
Ranger and Thetis, at the time of the
killing of General Barrundia, on board
the steamer Acapulco. The following
extracts will serve to show the severity
of the censure:
SIN your situation in command of a
force of public vessels of the United
States, in territory in which, if not at
that moment at war, had recently been
disturbances, it was your duty to watch
with most active solicitude over the in
terests of your country in that quarter,
and especially its interests afioat. From
the moment that the approach of the
Acapulco, a steamer bearing the Ameri-
can flag, was known to you, you should
have taken every step legally in your
power to give countenance and support
to her captain, and protection to all per-
sons on board, especially when you knew
their safety was likely to be menaced.
Instead of this, in your apparent
endeavor to escape responsibility,
you remained so completely passive,
SO far as events on board the Acapulco
were concerned, that you and your YES
sells might as we'll have been on the
other side of the ocean. Whenever any
passenger, whether American or for
eigner, is received on board an Ameri-
can vessel, he comes under the American
flag and is entitled to the protection
and security of which that flag is guar
antee.
"It was within your legitimate power,
as it was your imperative duty, to exc
cute, by every means legally at your
command, the guarantee of protection
which the United States gives to all
vessels under it's flag. Your ships were
on the spot you had full knowl-
edge of General Barrundia's approach: !:
you were informed of his intention to
seize him as political often der. He
was not a fugitive from the territory of
Guatemala. seeking to escape territorial
jurisdiction; neither was he conspira-
tor attempting to return to his country
to foment revolution. He was passen-
ger on board an American ship. which
he had joined in Mexico, with Panama
for his destination; and he had thus,
without your intervention and outside
of local Jurisdiction, obtained place
under the flag and protection of the
United States.
lin this situation you found him. His
safety was threatened. Under these
circumstances il was your plain
duty to proceed at once to
meet the steamer, before she cast
anchor in port, to warn the captain
of danger and offer to his passengers,
should he desire it, an asylum On board
your ship.
Gwen after the arrival OF the Aca-
pulco in port, your power for discretion
ary action was by no means taken away.
There were three points in which the
existing situation imposed duty upon
you as the senior naval officer present,
OF positive duty, namely:
Il. To make a full investigation of
the facts; to ascertain the suficiency OF
the charge and of the authority on
which the passengers proposed removal
was based.
"2. To prevent by your presence, with
such assistance as you might find neces-
sary, any proceedings on board the
steamer calculated to endanger the
safety of those on board.
"3. If upon examination it appeared
to be attempted withoutproper warrant
if it was apparent that the proceedings
were merely in the nature of a pretext
to secure the person of political fugi-
tive, it was your duty to offer him. in &C.
cordance with humane and well-estab-
lished practice in the case of refugees
whose lives are in danger, the hospitality
OF your own vessel.
SIN none of these particulars does it
appear that you took any action"
Secretary Tracy closed his letter in
the following words: st is believed
that few cases have ever occurred in the
history OF the United Sta tes navy where
a commanding officer so completely
abandoned the responsibility of his po-
sition as, according to your own show
ing, you did upon this critical occasion.
A United States officer does not ask a
foreign governments permission to offer
an asylum to any person on board an
American vessel at sea who stands in
need of refuge. An officer who so abdi-
Gates his authority, and that OF the ma
tion he represents, and surrenders it to
others, has lesson to learn before he
can safely be entrusted with the COM
mand OF a ship of war;"