The Monticellonian., 1895-03-22
IT WAS 4 SURPRISE.

of Spain Unexpected by Minister Murua-
 ga, Who Thinks His Government Will
 First Walt for All the Facts and Then Do
 What is Right-HypotheticaI Cases Put. WASHINGTON, March 16.-Secretary Gresham's peremptory demand to Min ister Taylor at Madrid for prompt explanation of the Allianca affair was manifest surprise to the Spanish minister, Senor Muruaga. The minis- ter did not say that the information was entirely unexpected, but he did not hesitate to express his suprise and regret that the government had acted apparently so hastily in sending such telegram to Minister Taylor without hearing both sides of the case. Asked what the Spanish government would probably do ia regard to this matter, the minister said:
 ''I do not think my government will make any reply until it shall first have heard from the governor-general of Cuba. Up to the present time the gov ernor general had been placed in pos session of no information leading him to believe the Allianca had been fired upon. I had a telegram from him last night stating that the naval com mander at Havana had telegraphed to the local authorities at Santiago de Cuba and Gibara, two of our coast cities, for full particulars of the alleged firing upon the Allianca. Gibara is near the spot where the out rage is said to have been committed. Up to a few hours ago no report had been made to the local authorities.
 "Suppose the governor general of Havana reports that the facts are sub- stantially as stated by Capt. Crossman, what then?"
 "What then?" queried the minister. Well, the rest will depend upon cir cumstanees. If the Allianca was upon jurisdictional waters of Cuba, 1 can't see that we have any apology to make. If she was out of the six-miles limit 1 have no doubt that the Spanish gov ernment will do what is right in the matter"
 Suppose she was within the juris- dictional limit, but was simply mak- ing quick transit through the wind- ward passage in order to reach the Att lantic, and was not carrying any con traband of war, what face would that put upon the mattcr?"
 ''In those circumstances, the Span ish government would invoke the gen. eral international law that every na- tion has the right of sovereignty in it's own waters. Every body knows that we are having trouble with bands of so-called insurgents in Cuba. The government has declared martial law in the islands. We know that vessels have been fitted out in the United States with arms and men designed to assist the insurgents. Is it not nat ural, under these circumstance, that we should be suspicious of all vessels lowering about our shores? Only last month three yachts were fitted out in this country to carry arms and men to Cuba to aid in the rebellion. The facts must be familiar to you. They were the La Gonda, Amandis and Baracoa They were fitted out by Mr. Borden, who had been the yice-consul of Spain and England at Fernandina. The yachts were de- tained at Derdina and released on the ground that no charge had been made in the United States against them. If the United States wants to deny our right of search at this time within the jurisdictional waters of Cuba. they must then prevent vessels leaving their shores which it is known are car rying contra band of war for the peo- pie in rebellion against our govern ment."