The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-15
GREAT CARE IS TAKEN.
Several Presidents Have Been
Unearth ed.
All Is in Doubt, Save One Fact. That
if the SDRRinrd Was in the Wrong,
Then Il Full and Ample Apology
Must Be Made For the Action os
the Commander of the Cruiser.

Washington. March 14-The DEPART
ment Of state is moving with delibera-
ton in making up it's case against the
Spanish government based on the fir
ing by Spanish cruiser at the Arneri-
can steamship Alliance. holding that
in matters Of such moment, it is alb
solutely essential our government
should be in possession OF the exact
facts so as to avoid the humiliation OF
retraetion through making a demand
that could not be sustained by the
evidence So far no reply has been
received at the department in response
TO the request made upon Captain
Crossman, Of the Alliance. for further
particulars of the incident. In the
m meantime the officials are indus
trlousIy looking up precedentS for
the!r guidance and Mr. UhI, who is
st1H acting secretary of state. during
the continued illness Of Secretary
Gresham, is in frequent consultation
with his superior, at his rooms in his
hotel. ---'
Precedents Unearthed.
One of the presidents which has
been unearthed and brought to the at
tention of the acting secretary as haV-
Ing direct bearing on the Alliancia
incident was found in the proceedings
Of the Alabama claims commission. In
one of the decisions announced bY
Judge Fitch, the court held there was
no authority for the StoDpage or de-
tentiOn of a mail steamer which is
pursuing her usual route. even if that
route lay at places within the three
mile shore limit and so within the
marine jurisdiction Of the power seek
ing to stop the ship If this is held to
be sound doctrine, then. Of course. the
mt rrrf1
paration for the action Of It's cruiser,
even should il appear that the Aliianca
was within three miles of Cape lIaysia.
as the. Spanish here believe.
On the other hand if this decision fs
not in effect, then what is known as
the headland theory Of Jurisdiction will
probably play an important part in the
adjustment Of the matter.
Marine .Jurisdietion
According to the contention Of Great
Britain, in the Fortune Bay fisheries
case, in which the United States has
acquiesced. the line of marine juris-
diction Is drawn three miles from
line running across from headIand, in
the case Of a bay or depression in the
general coast line. The Spanish au-
thOrities evidently take the position, at
this time, in the absence Of exact adj
vices that the Alliance, was within
SQCn q u06, duQ 81 WIIllIu Iu9lT
diction, although the ship may have
been actually more than three miles
( from the nearest shore.
7 Probably based Upon the Alabama
decision above referred to, a rumoq
was IN circulation today to the effect
that the state department has sent a
sinister warning to the Spanish gov
eminent to the effect that a deciara-
/ ton of war would follow a repetition
of the Alliance affair Acting Secre-
tary Uhl this afternoon said he had
no further information to give 20 the
press than he had already given out,
/ and, taking their cue from him, the
other officials Of bhe state department.
| declined to say anything about the
! matter. But from the fact no fntima-
| ton Of any such precipitate action in
/ the absence OF a knowledge Of the
! facts have been communicated to the
/ Spanish minister here, which would
certainly be the case if usual diplo-
! matte amenities were observed. even if
| such a message had been sent to the
Spanish government directly through
United States Minister Taylor, at Mad
rid, the story failed to find much ere
dence.
No Word From Cuba.
Senior Muraga. the Spanish minister,
has not as yet received word from
I Cuba as to the gunIboat which fired
on the Alliance, nor does he know the
name of the warship. The delay is
4 due to the fact the gunboat is cruising
off the eastern coast Of Cuba, 400 miles