The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-03-16

sentative of the associated press to Senior
| Muruaga, the Spanish minister.
II am astonished," he said, shat this
course should be taken when only one
side of the story has been told, and any
action must be based on the ex parte
statement of Captain Crossman."
The minister scanned the text of the
demand forwarded to Spain, commenting
on the severity of the language that "this
government will expect prompt disavow-
al" and due expression of regret on the
part of Spain" with immediate and posi-
| tive orders" to Spanish naval command
ers. Senior Muruaga had received no copy
OF the demand from the state department,
nor any intimation that this step had been
or would be taken, nor had any word yet
come from the Spanish government to
him.
certainly there can be no reply until
all the facts are known, not alone from
Captain Crossman, but from the COM
mander of the Spanish gunboat alleged to
have done the firing. Spain will wait I'M
| til ablo to act intelligently on the whole
case. Spain will undoubtedly rest upon
the recognized principles of International
law, that country maintains her sover-
eighty over the waters within her juris-
dictional limits"
He regarded the terms of the demand as
surprising in asserting that interference
within an American ship can be claimed
as belligerent act, whether they pass
within three miles of the Cuban coast or
not. That he considered a denial of the
recognized sovereignty of Spain over the
jurisdictional waters of Cuba.
There is another important considera-
ton to be observed. If the United States
made this demand, then it is essential
that the United States should take steps
to prevent the shipping of insurgent
goods intended to be used against Spain.
Already il has been established that three
yachts, the Lagonda, Baracoa and Amadis,
have been loaded with insurgent arms at
FernandIna, Fla"
The state department officials to-day
rather expected that Spain's answer
would indicate delay by the Spanish
government for proper opportunity to
ascertain the facts before taking acuon in
the matter. But this, it is said at the
department, will scarcely avail in the
present case uless the message con-
veys some assurance that the Span
ish government has instructed its naval
commanders to refrain from further
interference with vessels flying the Amer
lean flag.
A notable feature of Secretary Gresh-
ANS dispatch is in the statement tina
when an American vessel is on her usual
route, the fact that she is inside or out
side the three-mile limit does not affect
the merits of the case. From this ii is
apparent that the secretary has taken his
stand on the decision of the Alabama
claims commission, which was an entirely
new dictum in international affairs, for il
had been ruled previous to that decision
TO regard beyond question the right of a
nation to detain suspicious vessels pass
ing within n limit of three miles from it's
coasts, over which its marine jurisdiction
extended.
1t will undoubtedly cost Spain a bitter
effort to accept the force of this doctrine,
for If the right to stop suspicious ships in
Cuban waters is denied. the task of main
tanning an effective blockade against fill
clustering expeditions will be extremely
difficult, if not impossible, without re-
course TO the formal acknowledgment of
the belligerency of the insurgents.
1t is fully expected, in view of the
prompt action of the Spanish minister
here, that if Spain were wrong she would
make all proper reparation, and that the
incident will speedily and effectualy be
settled. If, howe yer, the Spanish govern
ment, stung by the urgency shown by the
United States, should refuse to meet our
demands, Minister Taylor may demand
his passport and, unless cooler counsels
may be coming from some disinterested
and friendly nation, ugly compiled lions
may result, ending in the presence of
considerable fleet of United States naval
vessels in Cuban waters to protect ship
ping.