Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-03-14
LoohING INTO IN.
our Government Asks for Inforna-
tiOn About the AIIinncin Episode.

ttNh AhOut thc Nlithhcth hpthohcs
Washington. March l3.-Scnor Mara
qua, the spanish minister, visited the
state department today for the pur-
pose Of presenting the position OF Spain
from the information now at hand OF
the firing OF Spanish guuboat on the
American mail steamer Alllanclu, The
minister telegraphed for fun purtlcu-
lars to the gOvcrnor-gencral OF cuba,
ana In reply received Il dispatch that
the cruiser which presumably figured
IN the affair had not yet returned, hay
ing prolonged her watch along the
Cuban coast The gOvcrnOr-general
had no particulars OF the Incident.
Under these circumstances Senior Mara
qua feels that only one side Of the story
has Yet been told. But should It appear
that there has been any offcnsc or in
| discretion on the part OF the Spanish
warshlp Senior Nicaragua says that
Spain will speedily mako every apology
consistent with the friendship she bears
10 the United States. Taking the ver-
sion OF the affair as given by Captain
Crossmnn Of the AlllanCia. Minister
Nicaragua says it was apparent that
] the American ship was in the jurlsdlc-
| ton waters OF Cuba and not on the
| high seas. II IL evident. the minister
says, from the firing OF the blank cart
/ ridges that the purpose was to have
She might be asked us to whether in
surEent goods were on board The let
/ ter OF Captain Crossman was received
| at the state department IN the after
noon mail.
Secretary Uni has already formed his
/ own conclusion as to the course to be
pursued. After looking over the letter
| carefully he wrote Captain Crossman,
asking for more particulars bearing
upon the incident, and until these are
| furnished II il not probable that the
| complaint will be formally brought to
the attention of the Spanish govern
ment.
The point upon which the state de-
partment desires further Information
from Captain Crossman Is the exact
location OF the Alliancla when she was
first slgnnlled by the Spanish cruiser
and it Is probable the whole case may
turn on this point. According to Capt.
Cheeseman's own story he had been in
the habit Of taking his ship on a cruise
that brought II within n mile of Cape
May, the eastern extremity OF the
island OF Cuba. He Is reported to have
said on this occasion hearing az Colon
that there was trouble In Cuba that he
kept or tho Island 80 he was six miles
of the cape when the incident occurred.
From this statement II appears that
the captain was aware that Spanish
cruisers were patrollinE the coast in
search OF hllbusters and that re-
belllon was In progress but 1t IL not
clear that he was outside OF the
Spanish marine jurisdiction considering
the facts that there are outlaying
Knots or Islands belonging TO the samt
nation That these may be regarded
In establishing the boundary OF the
marine jurisdiction IL shown by the
act Of cur own government In laying
oNt the six mile exclusive line around
the pribyluft Islands last year. There
Is another but minor point upon which
further Information will be demanded
and that is whether the ships otlieors
can be sure that the shots fired by tn,
Spaniard were directed at the
Alllaneia or across her bows.