New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-14
GRESHAM AND THE ALLIANCA
AS USUAL, THE SECRETARY HENS AND
HAws INSTEAD OF ACTING.

SPEND THE DAY MAKING DENiALS
WHICH TEEY ARE FINALLY
OBLIGED TO SWALLOW
(BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
Washington. March I3-At late hour this
afternoon state Department officials denied ex-
plicitly having received any official information
OF the outrage committed upon the American flag
by the commander of Spanish man-of-war In
firing upon the Allianca. This denial was In fiat
contradiction Of the statement made In New
York Yesterday by Captain Crossman that he
had forwarded formal report and protest by
mail TO the Secretary Of State Immediately after
dropping anchor in the Lower Bay. 1t I'M
peached the veracity and trustworthiness OF
CAPTAIN Crossman: or, II IL did not. II was
serious reflection upon the efficiency OF the postal
service which required more than twenty-four
hours to transmit an important otncial let'er
from New-York to Washington. Toward evening
the officials changed front end reluctantly ad-
mitted that they had received the letter OF Cap
tain Crossman. and that 1t was identical with
that printed In the morning papers
Precisely what object these denials were de-
signed 10 accomplish IS not clear. nor does IT ap-
pear why. having once been made, they were
not persisted in. Such course might at least
have absolved the State Department OF the
o
diplomats, however, past finding out. MI
IJhI who in the absence Mr.. Gresham. 10
Acting Secretary. changed his denals into ad-
missions with a rapdty that was truly startling
Incidentally he also told what outside or the
sacred realm Of diplomacy would be bluntly
characterized as lies with a rural innocence
that could have been born only OF an Implicit
belief in the credulity Of his visitors. Thus while
admitting with truly regal condescens!on that
the Spanish Minister had called at the State De-
nartment IN the course of the morning. he took
great pains to deny that such call had anything
10 do with the case Of the Allianca.
All this is OF course, OF little or no Importance
but It IS so thoroughly characteristic OF the boy
ish not TO Say silly. methods at present IN vogue
IN the state Department that it may prove Of
some value hereafter in arriving at clear under
standing OF the diplomacy Of this Administration
The receipt by the State Department OF captain
crossman's letter the call Of Minister Muragua
unon the Acting Secretary Of State and the deter
m,ra,io, Of the Department to do nothing until
mora detailed information has been furnished oy
tho commander Of the Aliianca constitute the
chief incidents OF the day. The visit OF the SPAN
ish Minister had for its sole object the expression
~ an assurance on his part that the Government
Of Spain would leave nothing undone 10 Demon
strate It's willingness TO disavow any Intentional
insult 10 the American flag and the punishment
of thos. implicated in the outrage. dlSciainer
os this character Is an old story as the archWes
OF the State Department can attest suihclehuy
we'll II has been made time and again IN each
case accompanied with more or less fulsome ex-
pressions Of goodwill, but never has 1t, by any
means imaginable, brought about a CESSATION OF
outrages The commanders Of Spanish gunooats
have gone on overhauing American merchant
men and American merchantmen only. Inc 'es-
saIs ~ other nations have never been molested.
The promises II punish offenders must De as
sumed to have been made in a Pickwckian sense.
FOR there is no case record where the inois-
Greet zeal Of Spanish naval officer has ended IN
the permanent disgrace Of the culprit
The determination OF the Department to insist
upon further details from Captain Crossman be-
for, taking any action il regarded as unwar-
ra0fod in view OF the details given in his le,ter
What II Is asked. IS expected OF him? ls he 70
describe the state Of the weather. the condition OF
tn. sea the direction from which the wnd piew'
the nature of the preparations made for the noon
meal in the ships galley the exact frame OF "iho
I'm which the ships carpenter found himsen "heh
no saw the shot Of the Spaniard whizzng over the
water or the iunermost thoughts of the cabin boy
when he contemplated the possibility or lahoins
in a Spanish prison. with ultimate visions or peihs
done to death in true Virgnius fashion by lot
OF bloodthirsty ruffians In the garo OF spanish
officials? The essential facts constituting the
outrage were fully set forth by Captain Cross
man: The distance from shore outside the three-
mile line; the display Of the flag Of the United
States; the salute OF the Spanish emblem the
blank shot fired 10 bring the Alanca TO; the hr-
ing OF solid shot when she kept on her way. and
her purs,lit for more than twenty-five miles FUR
ther-a chase only abandoned because the span
lard was unable 10 keep up with her Those are
tho ONLY facts that Mr.. Gresham's predecessors
REQUIRED - formulate promptly an energetic pro-
test in a case exactly analogous 70 that OF the AL
lianca. But Mr. Gresham requires more, 1t ap-
pears. Captain Crossman may know by to-inor-
row morning what ii Is and the public likewise.
At present II Is a mystery ,,.
4 pretty fair indication of the manner In wnch
the official mind is working is furnished py tne
following extract from an article inspired, II hot
furnished. by the State Department this AFTER
noon:
The officials OF the State Department, feel that
the captain OF the American ship acted very N, n,
indciousiy in useessly endangerlng the lives OK
his ships company and OF the passengers and the
safety OF his ship II he had no ecyc
had ne quietly submitted 10 search
II IS only necessary to contrast these words
with the language employed by secretary FISH
and Secretary Eyarts said the ioriher'
The right OF foreign cruisers 10 search w vesse SsS
OF the United States in times OF peace on & ne s n,sh
sesrch 10 insisted on reps alton Will be required
And Secretary Evarts said:
This Government has never recognized and never
will recognize any pretense or exercise OF SOW
ereienty on the part.of Spain beyond the belt OF a
league from the cuban coast over the commerce
Of This country in time OF peace. This rue OF the
law Of nations we consider too firmly established
To- be drawn into debate, and any dominion over
,be sea outside OF this limit will be resisted NTH
The same frmness II such dominion were as
serted In midocean
Even the tame and feeble State papers of Sec
.retarv Bayard are lifted into respectabity by
comparison with the semi-ofticial utterances OF
the State Department to-day. They have almost
"A patriotic ring In them.