Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-13
mis- followers.

Another dispatch was received at a late
hour last night by Secretary Gresham from
Minister Thompson, containing the adii.
/ tional information that CANA asks only
that he and his officers may be allowed to
leave the country, and that the lives of his
private soldiers and sailors be spared.
| 1t is regarded by prominent officials as
without question that the Brazilian govern.
ment will accept the surrender with the
terms asked for.
Secretary Gresham believes that this
marks the end of the war
| There is considerable surprise that the
offer of surrender should have been made
through the Portuguese commander who
up to this time has not shown any partic-
ular disposition to take hand in the con-
fict. 1t is not thought, however, that the
action of the Portuguese in receiving Cana
Is necessarily an act of sympathy with the
insurgents. The Portuguese.are said to rec.
ognize a principle of international law, now
obsolete by which right of asylum" as IL
is called. is granted temporarily by a neu-
tral power to a defea ted belligerent This
right OF asylum is not recognized of late
years by most nations except in cases OF
half-civiliZed peoples, and, moreover, the
Brazilian insurgents have never been rec.
ognized by anybody as belligerents. There
is therefore, some speculation as to the ex.
act meaning of the action of the Por.u.
gueSe commander.
Minister Mendonca admitted last evening
that he had received news of the surrender
but was unwilling to give out any informa.
tlOn concerning the exact terms of Cana
offer OF surrender discuss the probable
action of the Brazilian government II,
said, however, that he had no doubt thai
the final settlement had been made by the
time he was speaking, or would certainly
be made by today.
The loyal force of men in the fleet in the
bay aggregate about 25.000
Notice of the intention of the Brazilian
feet to begin an active attack on the in
surgent feet had been given Sunday noon
TO neutral forces dn the harbor This notice
was given forty-eight hours before the
firing was to begin. According to this ar.
rangement firing could not begin until to-
day at noon. Gama's offer of surrender
was made, therefore. fully twenty-four
hours before an attack was to be expected
The offer to surrender, in fact, followed the
first actual show of determined force on the
part of the Brazilian government
The situation of the insurgaat vessels IN
Rio bay, as described by the Brazilian min
lister. is about as hopeless as il well co Ild
be. Their only chance lies i'm reinforce
ment by Admiral Mello with he AIuifaban
and Republica, and in the opinion of the
minister this is a very slender chance in
deed. These two vessels have succeeded in
running past the forts at the entrance "a
the harbor. but 1t is improbable that they
could do il again, now that lhe govern
ment fleet is on hand
Minister Mendonca hopes that Mello will
not make the attempt, for aside from the
bloodshed that would follow he wishes "a
avoid the necessity of destroying the Aoui-
daban. the most costly and effective shin
in the Brazilian navy. II CANA surren-
ders Mello may make an effort to Join force.
with the insurgents at Desterro. but Min
lister Mendonca feels that once the head OF
the rebellion at Rio is crushed the trouble
III the south can be easily queIled
Touching the suggestion that Mello might
attempt to capture Santos the minister
pointed out that this would be impractic-
able. for Santos lies ten miles up the river
from the sea and the bar cannot be crossed
by the Aquidiban, while the unarmored
ernment forts.
Minister Mendonca did not believe that in
the event of the rejection Of his terms of
capitulation, Cana would desert his men
and make his escape on-the Portuguese ccr-
vette. If he failed to secure a guarantee OF
safety for his men he doubtless would re-
main with them and fight to the end