The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-01-11

One Of the most scathing letters ever written
by Secretary of the Navy was made public on
Thursday morning. 1t was addressed by Secre-
tary Tracy to George G. Reiter, who was in
command of the United States naval vessel
Ranger, cruising in Central American waters
when the Barrundia affair occurred. Secretary
Tracy held that Commander Reiter had not
done his duty in the premises and censured him
severely for not affording Gen. Barrundia an
asylum on board the Ranger. Reiter had
obeyed the instructions of United States Minis
ter Miner who has since been recalled, and
did not interfere to save Barrundia from his
enemies. The Secretary held that Reiter should
have done otherwise without waiting for Miz-
ner's instructions, and charged him with shirk
ing the responsibilities of his position. Reiter
was ordered home and placed on waiting orders,
and since then he and his friends have been en-
deavoring to secure his restoration and vindca-
tion. Secretary Tracy's letter Of Thursday was
a response to these efforts.
The day before Secretary Tracy's letter was
made public friend of Reiter's went to the
Secretary and demanded that court of in
quiry be ordered in the case. Reiter's friends,
and he has some very influential ones, believe
he has been most unjustly treated, and are de-
termned he shall be INDICATED If 1t is possi-
BILE thing.
Yestei day the following letter to Secretary
Tracy was made public. 1t bears date at Pitts
burg, which is Reiter's home, January s.
PITTsBURG. Pa, Jan. s. 1891.
SIR: have to acknowledge the receipt of the
Departments letter of the 3lst of December, 1880.
The letter was mailed in Washington, ID. c., on
the 9th day of January, and was received by me
on the 9TH. 1t was foreshadowed by the press of
the United States on January and 2, and an ex-
tract from it containing the most severe censure
of the Department appears in the press OF the
country to-day. The letter then became, to the
general public unfamiliar with the facts, severe
"public reprimand" to me- punishment which
can only be legally inflicted by sentence of
naval general court-martial. l was de-
Department order of September 20, 1890. and the
letter is the first written statement OF the De-
partment's grounds of action. Extracts from it
having been given to the press for publication
before could possibly reply to it, l now con-
tent myself by declaring that when in command
OF the Ranger on the occasion in question was
in no way culpable, but discharged my whole
duty; that had no desire nor did ! enCeavor
to escape any responsibility attaching to my
position, and do not now fear the most search
ing inquiry in regard to my action.
and unwarranted. have to respectfully de-
mand what is clearly right, namely, trial be-
fore naval court. Respectfully,
Commander u. S. N.
Reiter's friends declare that if Secretary
Tracy does not order court-martial or court
of inquiry they will carry the case still further.
They say they will appeal to Congress, and see
if they can't have justice done. They say that
Reiter in obeying Minister MINERS instructions
followed the invariable usage in such cases, and
that if he had done otherwise he would GER
tainly have been court-martialed. Most naval
officers, as well as Secretary Blaine, they claim,
hold that Reiter did his duty in the premises.
1t is very lively fight, aud is exciting no end
of talk in naval circles.