Evening star., 1893-10-26
THE RIO INCIDENT
Further Action Taken by the United
States Government.
ITS NATURE CANNOT BE LEARNED.
Admiral Stanton's Action Still a
Source of Mystery
TO ALL NAVAL OFFICERS

1t has been many a long day since any
thing has aroused so much interest in de-
partment circles as the detachment from
service Of Admiral Stanton in command of
the South Atlantic station. The first init
ration of this unusual action reached the
public. and in fact all naval officials outside
of the secretary and one or two others.
through The Star. To say that 1t created
sensation, is to express very mildly the
state Of affairs.
Ever since the first rumor reached here
that Admiral Stanton had saluted the in
surgent Admiral Mello last Saturday. naval
officers and others in official positions in
this city. did all they could to discredit the
story There Is no doubt that they were
honest in their efforts, for not one Of them
really believed that such an incident could
possibly have occurred. Admiral Mello is
technically a rebel, and for the officer in
command of the American fleet to treat
him with official honors might readily be
construed as an admission of his standing
by the American government. and this Is
precisely what this government has con-
sistently refrained from doing for obvious
reasons.
His Action Cannot BE UnderstOod.
of Admiral Stanton could have committed
such an act is a matter that no one here
can understand. Cadets at the naval
academy have carefully instilled into them
a realization of the importance that at
taches to their profession, and the constant
care they must evince in avoiding any act
that might involve their country in an IN
ternatonal difficulty. That an admiral
should follow up such training by an act
that has already been decided by the State
Department to be in the nature of an az
front to friendly nation. is a matter that
would seem to require a good deal Of expla-
uztion before it can be thoroughly under
stood or the next move decided upon.
N.tt Further Action I'm the Case.
tt is understood that the United States
government has taken other means beside
the detachment of Acting Rear Admiral
Stanton to show the government of Brazil
that this country repudiates Admiral STAN
tons action In recognizing the insurgents.
What form these assurances have taken
the state Department will not make public
but II the regular course of procedure in
diplomatic incidents Of the sort be followed
Mr.. Thompson. the United States minister
to Brazil, will make the amende honorable
on the part of the United States, in addition
to the virtually apologetic explanation
WniGn .s mas been given Senior Mendonca,
the Brazilian minister here.
secretary Herbert declines to give any
further details to the public beyond tNese
contained In the memorandum furnished
yesterday. =. :, =
Secretary HePbert's Reticeuce.
secretary Herbert was asked this morn
ing II he would say whether Admiral
Stanton had been ordered hack 10 IN.
United states, and he answered that such
action was implied by the fact that the
admiral had been detached from the con,.
mand Of the South Atlantic station As m
whetner admiral Starton had cabled the
department requesting a court of inouirv
OF ,i eourt martial to pass judgment on his
nothing about that phase of the case.
No Precedent.
Il have no further statement to make
at present." said MIR. Herbert in conclusion
careful search for preceients In the
action or Admiral Stanton made by off,
Gals OF the State and Navy DEPARTMENTS
fails to disclose a single instance where an
insurgent government has been recog-
nlzed by formal salute unauthorized by
the government of the officer who ordered
1t. Solicitor Dabney of the State Depart
ment explains International custom to he
that salute from a vessel of one notion
TO armed vessels claiming to represent
another government, implied a formal
oeciaratlon that the first named govern
ment recognized that Of the other
Stanton's action continues to be regarded
as thoroughly fnexplicable by naval officers.
That he had perfect right to exchange
ylsi.s WIN the rebel admiral is not denied.
In fact. the State Department affirms that
this would have been no discourtesy to the
Peixoto administration, but the formal
salute can be construed to mean nothing
less than recognition of the rebels as bel
iiserents. The general impression at the
Navy Department of the American nd
mirafs blunder is best understood NV a
remark made by prominent officer that
ortn Nnl lrl-a..
as Admiral Stanton has done we would haws
been astonished."
How stanton Has Been Regarded.
Admiral Stanton is a man who has al
ways been regarded as a model cor,-,ans
ing officer. cautious and tactful There are
many of his brother officers wno cannot n,,r
believe that he will have an explanation
to give upon his return to WASHINGTON that
will go far toward clearing up the matter.
Even II this is so. they admit that the only
course open to the department was the
detachment OF the admiral Brazil must be
given every assurance by this government
that 1t does not sanction the acts of the
Insurgent Mello nor recognize his position
While the State Department is reticenf
upon the matter, today there is no doubt
that the proper explanations to this effect
will be extended to the razilian govern
ment through the medium of Minister
Thompson.
All DAY yesterday IL was evident that
there was important news of some sort
brewing at the Navy Department in con-
nect1on with affairs at Rio. No one knew
just what 1t would be, nor was IL suspected
that 1t would be such a startling incident
as the detachment and recall of an admiral
in command Of a fleet. The ncwspaner
men about the department we're unren,t-
ting In their efforts, but 1t was NOT unti,
few minutes before 3 o'clock that the
Secretary issued the brief but pithy of1ciaI
statement that was printed in Yesterdays
Star, and that killed all the other reports
that no credence was given to the rumor of
the incident in Rio harbOr.
The President's Prompt Action.
President Cleveland took action i'm the
matter after long conference with the Sec
retaries of State and OF the NAVY. and
when put in possession Of all the facts and
also of such further information as Senior
Mendonca, the Brazilian minister in Wash
ington, was able to furnish The official
order was briefly made public by Secretary
Herbert
Secretary Herbert refused to admit that
Admiral Stanton had been recalled but he
did not deny that the order de.aching him
implies an order for his return to this city
when he will be given an opportunity to
set himself right If possible Capt Pick
Ing, who has taken command In place of
the deposed admiral is understood to have
charge Of the ships now at Rio, not of the
entire station. What the final outcome Of
1t all Will be no one can say yet but a