The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-12
ESCAPE OF THE ITATA.
DOUBT AS TO TIE POLICY OF THE
NAVY DEPARTMENT

The Fugitive May Not Ee Pursued
Out Of American Watsrs-A Suspi-
cion That the Government Dcn't
Want to Appear Too Hostile gainst
The Insurgents.
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE air of se-
crecy that surrounds the Itata case ia inst
as pronounced as ever at the navy depart
ment to-day, and it is evident that the Off
cials have no desire to take the public into
their confdence. The conviction. however.
Is general that the United States steamship
Charleston has been sent out from San
Francisco, with secret orders to
overtake and capture the Chilean
steamer. just how far these orders extend.
or how much authority they vest in Capt.
Remy is still unknown, and none of the
officials here win venture to give any infor-
nation on the subject. Indeed the fact of
the orders having been sent is not acknowl.
edged officially, but it is confirmed by va
rious stray bits OF Q idence that have come
forth from various sources.
A LONG ORDER.
The order, it is said, was a long one. and
was wired west in the proper cipher of the
bureau OF navigation 1t took two officers
five hours to translate the order into cipher.
1t is said that there is information in the
hands of the government TO warrant a be-
lief that the Itata will be next heard
OF as touching at Mexican port, and
IL is probable that the Charleston will make
her first stop about midway down the west
coast OF Mexico, not In the hope of finding
the ltata there, but Of picking up hints as
to her whereabouts Neither Secretary
Tracy nor Assistant Secretary Soley
were at the department to-day.
TRACY WON'T TALK.
Secretary Tracy this afternoon sent word
out from his office that he had nothing TO
say about the Chilean vessel Itata or the
Charleston, and Commodore Ramsay, chief
of the navigation bureau, said that he was
not at liberty to say anything whatever on
the subject. The official mind OF the
department is evidently in dread that
a possible unguarded admission
to reporter might result In tue
disclosure of the plan of the cam
paign, in which the entire available
naval force in the Pacific is arrayed
against one steamer, whose warlike charac-
ter has not yet been demonstrated. Ger
taInly the government appears to be
making extraordinary efforts to recapture
the Itata, for, in addition to cabling
Admirals Brown and McCaun to head off
the runaway before she reaches Chilean
waters, it is understood that instructions
have been sent to the United States consul
lar officers at all points between California
and Chile where the Itata could touch to
promptly advise tho naval officers of her
movements if she is sighted.
THE CHARLEsToN's SLOW MOVEMENTS.
In strange contrast to this exhibition of
zeal is the course of the Charleston, which
Is in chase of the runaway. This vessel
sailed from San Francisco early Saturday
morning bound south. She is an eighteen
Knot vessel and last night she should have
been 600 miles down the coast or near
Cape San Lucas. where the Chilean
lnsurgent warship Esmeralda is supposed to
be lying in wait for the ItSta. But instead
OF covering this distance the Charleston got
half way and then went to anchor over
night. Later advices show that she was
last seen just above the Mexican boundary
line. Such officers as have an opinion
that they feel free to express
say that the Charlestons movements
can be explained in two ways: Either the
department believes that the Ttata is lying
somewhere off the coast of California, or it
has no intention of seizing the vessel unless
her presence is made unpIeasantly noticeable
within easy reach.
THE GOVERNMENTS MOTIVE.
The motive for such an attitude by our
government as that indicated by the last
theory is rather hinted at than directly
stated by the officials. 1t is thought, in
brief, that it might not be good diplomacy
for the United States to go too far in the
direction OF hostility toward the
Chilean insurgents. The duties devolving
upon friendly government in
cases such as this have never been finally
and clearly enunoiated by the authorities 10
International law, but it can be safely
assumed that in the operations of the
United States marshal in seizing
the ltata and the Robert and Minnie,
and Ia the pursuit Of the Itata as long as she
was in United States waters our government
has already shown what the Geneva arbi-
tration in the Alabama case, has declared to
be due diligence. The policy of our govern
ment In this matter will probably soon be
made clear by the movements of the
charleston, and if she could content herself
with thorough search of American waters
and return to port in day or two it may
De that the government will rest satisfied.
THE CHARLESTON GOES SOUTH.
SAN PEDRO, Cal, May 1.-THE cruiser
charleston, which arrived OFF here at
O'Clock last night, remained until o'clock
TINS morning, at which hour she left, going
south.
SIGHTED OFF POINT Iona.
c,, SAN DIEGO. CAL, May 1.-THE steamer
Guarieston - was sighted off Point Iona at
ti;9O O'Clock this morning. She was under
Aull steam and heading southeast.