St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-18
He Takes Occasion to Insult
the Commander Of the
Yorktown.
The Gillian Minister Takes
Offense at a Very Trivial
Incident.
He Would Take Refugees
From Merchant Vessels in
Gillian Ports.
The Yorktown Probably to
Sail Directly to Peru With
the Balmacedists.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17-Secretary
Tracy tonight made public the follow
ing dispatch he had received from Com
mander Evans. of the United States
steamer Yorktown, now at Valparaiso,
Chill. in regard to the Balmacedst ref
ugees put aboard that vessel by United
States Minister Egan and the Spanish
minister:
Valparaiso, Chill, an. 16, l892.-Secretary
or the Navy. Washington: The American
minister informs me thai the Gillian minister
OF foreign affairs has changed his mind
about refugees on the Yorktown, and that
they may be taken out of any merchant YES
sci touching at Chillan port by the local
authority. Arrangements had been made for
all OF them to sail today, but this change of
base on the part of the Gillian minister Of
foreign affairs compels me to keep them,
which crowds me very much. Shall I
land them at Callao. Peru or Molendo,
Peru? No steamers from here go direct
to neutral territory. This unexpected
act of the Gillian minister of foreign affairs
is due. he states in part to my saluting the
the Spanish minister when he came Oh board
to deliver two refugees / have requested
the American minister to- say to the minister
or foreign affairs that am responsible to nv
own government, and not to that of Chill. in
sucn matters, and that l consider this criti-
clsm offensive and l will not accept it. His
action seems unworthy of q representative of
serious government EVANS.
The Government Shocked.
The action on the part of Senior Per-
EZRA, the Chllian minister of foreign
affairs, in deciding that the refugees
might be taken out of any mercantile
vessel touching at a Gillian port by
local authority. was great surprise to
the officials in Washington. They had
been led to believe, from the fact that
refugees were allowed to go OH board
the Yorktown without mOlestatiOn. that
they would be permitted to leave the
country without further hindrance.
This belief was.sno doubt, shared by the
United States officials in Chill, for the
navy department had been informed
by Commander Evans that the refugees
were to sail on their way to Europe.
Notwithstanding this setback to their
departure, there is no doubt but that
they will be able to get to neutral terri
tory If the navy department can bring
about the result. Secretary Tracy said
tonight that he would send reply to
Commander Evans tomorrow morning
instructing him what to do in the mat
ter. He will; in all probability, order
that the refugees be taken to some
place in neutral territory by the York
town. though to what particular point
the secretary would not say. Neither
would the secretary say what vessel he
would order to Valparaiso when the
Yorktown departs. The Boston, now at
CallaO, Peru,iS nearest to theChiIian port.
There was no ground for offenSe to the
CHILEAN government in the action of
Commander Evans Salnting the Spanish
minister when the latter came on board
to deliver the two refugees who had
been under his care. The naval regula-
lions require commanders of vessels to
extend this courtesy to visiting minis
ter who may come aboard. The latest
movement of the Gillian government,
as voiced by its minister of foreign af-
fairs in the present case, is very unSat-
lsfactory to such of those officials in
Washington as are willing to express
themselves with respect to the matter.
1t is felt to be a case of adding Insult to
injury, all additional affrOnt to an al
ready aggravated one. Neither Secre-
tary Blaine nor Minister Montt had any
n ewS bearing OH the CHILEAN situation
for the press tonight.
7 NTatta's Official Note.
The offensive note of Senior Malta,
minister of foreign affairs in the pro-
visional government of Chill, despite
the report to The contrary, had not been
then withdrawn or disavowed. A day
or two ago, however, Senior Pedro
Mont. the Gillian minister, was in
structed by his home government to
withdraw it, but it is understood that
the offer of withdrawal was accompanied
by conditions or explanations by the
lSfactory to the United States. Minister
Egan, it is understood, was sdirected to
communicate to Pereira, minister of
foreign affairs, the dissatisfaction of
this government with the terms of with
drawal, but his interview with that of
fetal is said to have resulted in no mod
ifications of the instructions 10 Senior
Mont which render them acceptable to
the United States. No confirmation
can be heard Of the report that Mr..
Egan has communicated to President
Harrison an intimatlon that the
verge of dissolution, and that
this fact prevented the president from
sending the Gillian correspondence to
congress last week. 1t is most improb-
able, although the belief that change
of administration in Chill is matter of
a short time only is held by some we'll
informed persons in Washington. But
Mr.. Egan does not communicate with
President Harrison. His dispatches are
to the secretary of state, and such
breach as communicating with the pres
ident direct would be sufficient reason
for his immediate recall. Such a dis
patch as that indicated has not been re-
ceived at the deDartment. at least the
officials deny all knowledge of it.