The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-06-19
A pERpLExING SITUATION.
Why the United States Government
does not Wish to be too Liberal In
the Matter OF Ahording Asylum to
Political Refugees.

the Matter of Affording Asylum to
Political Refugees.
WASHINGTON, June 13.-It is stated
on authority that as soon as the new
government in Salvador has fully
established itself and is able to pre-
serve law and order it Is the inten-
tention OF President Cleveland to
| direct the surrender of the refugees
now on board the u. S. Steamer Bon
nington to the proper judicial authori-
ties, not however, without the fullest
guarantees on the part of Salvador
that the prisoners shall be tried by an
impartial tribunal organized in con-
formity with the constitution of the
republic.
- According to the latest dispatches
from Commander Thomas, there still
exists throughout Salvador q state Of
affairs but little removed from an
archy, and the members of the late
government, who were given asylum
on the Bennington, would, in his opin-
ion, be murdered without any formal
trial whatever, the moment they
reached shore, IL he were compelled
to give them up. 1t is said Commander
Thomas was anxious for permission to
take his refugees to Panama in the
Bennington, or to put them aboard
some outward bound merchant vessel,
but was restrained from this proceed
ing because this government was OPP
posed to establishing q precedent in
the matter of granting asylum. While
it is true that the naval regulations
contain an ancient paragraph giving
q commanding officer certain discre-
tion to act in the interests Of humanity
in extraordinary contingencies, ard
that Commander Thomas is in all prob
ol, f,,1lxy hot ol
in the present instance, it is also
fact that very grave complications
might arise from 81 continuance of
this old practice IN modern times.
The difference between the case
in Brazil where the refugees on
the Portuguese ship were revolu-
tionists and at La Libertad, where they
were members of the overturned gov
ernment, is considered scarcely ma
terial.
The Hawaiian situation presents
possibilities which the United States
desires to be prepared to meet, for in
case of trouble there the United States
does not want to make 1T possible for
British or Japanses ships to grant
asylum.
Last night orders were cabled to the
Charleston. at Callao, to proceed to
San Francisco, stopping at necessary
intermediates ports" La Libertad, Sal
vador, is the first intermediate port
she will reach, and as it is only one
1000 miles from Callao, the Charles
ton ought to reach there by Saturday
next. If her hull were not SO foul she
could make the trip in less than three
days. The Salvadorean refugees will
be kept on the Bennington until the
arrival of the Charleston, when, as
there are more accommodations on the
larger ship, they will probably be
transferred to her, where they will
remain until the government of Sal
vador is organized to the satisfaction
of the United States and when there
is no doubt that the death penalty
will not be recklessly pronounced or
that the prisoners can be fully pro-
tected from mob violence.
The demand which has been made
on United States Consul Pollock at
Salvador for the extradition of the
.S;-..-ses on cifSSrgos' pif robbery, does
not affect the administration in It's
action for the extradition treaty pro-
vides fully for its enforcement without
governmental interference. Should the
Salvadorean refugees be regularly in
dicted under proper judicial procedure
the courts of the United States, upon
receiving inc 'WdrfanUS, WOulu dlOne
be competent to execute it if the re-
fugees were within their jurisdiction.
This matter will not be permitted to
Obscure what is considered to be the
paramount one, that of granting
asylum.
Reports from Salvador this morn
ing show that the new government
there is as far from stability as ever
and that the conditions requisite for
the delivery of the Bennington's refu-
gees are distant. In the meantime,
the United States is chatting under
very embarrassing situation.