Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-09-13
A BIG ENTERPRISE,
The AdvIsability of Which Is Considered
Questionable by the State Department.
Arms TO Sell to CreIpo.

The AdvIsabIlity of Which is Considered
Questionable by the State Department.
Arms TO Sell to CreIpo.
New York, September 10.-Francisco
Gonzales, a merchant who consigned q
ship load Of munitions Of war TO himself
| at Port of Spain, Trinidad, and whose
! boat, the South Portland, containing the
cargo was detained by order OF the uni
ted States government on Saturday,
| went to Washington yesterday to lay
his case before the State Department
He was accompanied by Guillemo
Smith, general agent for tobacco man
ufacturers, and Louis q. Raegener, a
lawyer, Mr.. Raegener has been Mr..
Gonzales's lawyer for several years, and
advised his client that sending arms by
the South Portland to Trinidad was reg
ular.
According to the lawyer Mr.. Gonzales
Is the most important tobacconist in
Venezuela. When Mr.. Raegener was
asked what led Mr.. Gonzales to buy a
ship load Of arms and ammunition, he
said: Business enterprise, nothing
else. l admit that Mr.. Gonzales is a
friend 1 may say partisan, OF Gen.
Crespo. But these goods were not In
tended directly for the Crespists or any
other insurgent faction. Why did he
try to clear the cargo for Port OF Spain,
Trinidad? Because he has branch
house there. 1t is his intention to have
the South Portland sail to the Port OF
Spain and there unload" added the
lawyer. "Then If General Crespo
is willing to pay for the ammunitions
OF war owned by Gonzales, they will be
shipped to Caracas, or some other Vene-
zuelan port under manifest issued by
the British government. II Crespo will
not or cannot pay for the arms, Con
zales will dispose of them as best he
can. The whole affair is commercial
speculation, and there is nothing what
ever in the laws of the United States TO
Justify the Secretary in refusing TO al
low the vessel to leave this port. 1t
sounds well to talk of international
courtesy, but there is no government at
this day In Venezuela. The country Is
in a condition approaching Anarchy.
Minister Perraza may be relieved OF his
authorities at any moment.
However, IL is not on that
ground that / base my appeal TO
the government of the United States for
the release OF the ship, continued Mr..
Raegers. ! advised Mr.. Gonzales and
GuileImor Smith, who was his puchas-
ing agent, that they would be within
the law making up his cargo. They de-
clared the freight frankly and honestly.
Then when the clearance papers were
refused carefully looked up the law and
found that section $3.50 OF the revised
statutes declares 1t misdemeanor for
citizen to fit out or furnish vessel TO
cruise or commit hostilities against
nation at peace with the
United States. Any one who did
this would forfeit the boat and cargo.
But we have not fitted up the South
Portland as cruiser. She could not
engage in warfare. She is simply
merchant vessel with legitimate cargo.
If we have violated any law OF the
United States we are ready to take the
consequences. We believe we have
been acting properly, and that it Is an
outrage that our vessels should be de-
tained. The legal basis for the whole
transaction may be referred TO the cases
OF the Itata and the Carondolet. The
proceedings about these boats estab-
lshed the ground upon which we are
working"