New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-15
GRESHAM AS OLIVER TWIST
DOES NOTHING BUT ASK FOR MORE"
ABOUT THE ALLIANCA AFFAIR.

AND TALKS LITTLE TO RE-
PoRTERs 3 THE TRIBU1ATIoHs
OF A PRIVATE SECRETARY.
IBv TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNEl
Washington, March 14.-While the President is
engaged in the inspection of lighthouses some
where along the coast of North Carolina 1t is i'm
possible that the State Department should trans
act public business of any importance Neither
the Acting Secretary nor his immediate superor'
Secretary Gresham, would dare to take any steps
20 vindcate the honor Of the flag without hrS'
. consulting the Lighthouse Inspector al interim
or until after that important funcuoharY Hdu
consented to resume the scarcely less eXaIeu
character Of President of the United states. fo'
these simple reasons the day has furnished io
now deve1opgDents in the case OF the Allianca' eA
cent perhaps the publication in Ne"-h"IN ''
Acting Secretary Uhrs letter TO Captain Oi'S'
man asking for further details IL" '''"S
and totally irrelevant remarks ny the spans"
Minister here and the rather hippant '"''''''n,9
of Mr. Depew published in Ihe tribune '',''
morning and telegrapheo 10 ""9'''7''' go
nature OF news.
THE, RESULT or COMPARING NOTES.
II ia said among other things, with somewhat
ovlish soemnity this afternoon that State De-
,,art,nent officials and Sehor Mur1aga have com
nared notes on the law applicable to the firing
~ the Snanis. eunbOat on the Allianca 1hiS
cononorng If notes il seems. resulted In resuScl-
taung an opinion furnished by AttorneyNienerai
Stanton in July 1860. That opinion read as fol-
lows:
cruiser of Nation has right n,0 to know sS GaS '9S
meet at sea: but the right IS not perfect one ana
the yOlati9n G n54 even BY 6eten;on the party
making the inqTy N.Y. Tase hi5 kn0n own before R
cap iaWfriy demand such knowledge from the other
vesseI If his IS refused the inquirns vessei may
o sbottd gun may be iired across the bows Of the
delinquent Any measure beyond this w",Cm . ~ ,a
purpose ascerianing the nsonsE OF an0IhrT @Iry
vessel must he At ony ms %p the hrh seas and no
naval officer has The right to 60 INTO me harD saC co
% jncuire into the nationality of a vessel when ls
lying there.
Painting to this opinion. Senor Muruasa IS
ouoted this afternoon as saying that the span
ish gunboat KEEP; within the strict letter oil the
law as laid down by the United states; first IN
raising her own colors.' and second. in hHng
blank shot across the bows OF the delinquent
Sanor AIuruaga is an experienced diplomat, and
Thoroughly understands the English Language.
y Is impossible therefore. 10 believe that ne
could have maintained for single moment that
,ba case Of the Allianca is in the slightest de-
eraa analogous 10 the case discussed BY Attorney
General stanton. The latter presumes that the
-nerchantman fired at by man-of-war mas re-
fused 10 hoist her colors and declare her nation
eltv CAPTAIN Crossman's protest. on the con-
trarv shows that he hoisted the United states
a. immediately upon sighting the Spanish gun
boat and that an elaborate exchange OF cour-
,esjes ensued before the 1ring began Another
question. apparently raised by Se1Or Muruaga as
- whether the shotted gun was aimed 10 hit or
not IS certainly immaterial. as far as viola
Ton Of international law Is concerned. II couia
s., most only have aggravated the offence ana
,oseibl, increased the bill for damages had the
cnaniard proved himself a better gunner than ne
did Il could have done rothing more.
"ApPROPRIATE INSTRUCTIONS" SENT
, .boroucllv characteristic incident of the day
was an interview which Acting Secretary Uh' az
Ter some persuasion. finally accorced 10 a huihoer
q, newspaper men who had been waiting for
eore time in the State Department. not IN the
hop. q getting any Information. but TO trans
1nit 10 their papers as matter or iornail'E' the
Delphic utterances Of the Michigan dipIoha|
"1fr Uhl" said the spokesman. has any pro-
test haon filed with the Spanish Governments
cor have any instructions been given 10 the
American Minister in Madrid 10 file such pro-
,est%' suggested another member Of the party
Mr. In. preserved a dgnihed and impressive
silence for a few minutes. as II weighed down Dy
the responsibilities f the case. ana tnen SLOW!
responded: appropriate Instructions have been
sent" what sort Of Instructions. SdSPr1 an
irreverent member Of the fourth estate
Il said Appropriate, ! believe. Tep"e1 inc
Acting Secretary drawing himself up 20 his ;ull
height while the mercury IN the barometer Oh
the wall chased itself down the tube with alarm
.nr gayety Further than that am not at lb-
ertv to say" concluded the great man. The
visitors thereupon withdrew.
The "appropriate instructions" It may be safely
assumed If indeed sent at all. consist in a request
10 secure what the state Department calls thc
..otber side of the case that is, the Spanish
version Of the incident. That &c thoroughly
characteristic Of the present Administration. 1t
will be remembered that tho President in his last
annual message % Congress quoted ,he report ~
the German onsul-Gen~ral n Apa to his Gov
ernn1ent in order - strengthen MS argument in
favor Of abandoning American interests IN samoa
and surrendering all the advantages pohtcaI'
commercial and strategical, gained by the WIS.,
diplomacy Of General Harrison IN that quarter of
the globe That was the first time that Presi-
dent was found IN an Official document TO discard
and Gscredlt the reports Of an officer OF ms own
appointing. and prefer instead those of HVdl
and In certain sense an enemy. The same conrse
81 seems. the State Department is pr"parlhS 10
follow now The simple. straightforward .air M VI
Captain CrosTman is doubted IN some pdrur riitis
II is even ricuiNi II IS too vagu" af II s'dhuS'
~ must be- amplihed. IT must AkcWisc 0e pre-
eented IN the form OC "A sworn affidavit Ana aI"i
all this IS DONE the other side must be h"hrd
from before the imposing machinery Of the stat"
department can be in motion. II IL a pro-
c@"lng 70 make the heart OF a patriot leap iJr
10y
THURBER BEGINNING TO BE WORRIED
1t is interesting. also, to note that Private
Secretary Thurber is beginning to feel alarmed
lest the arduous task Of inspecting the light
houses along the North Carolina coast and look
Ing for underlying principles" among the iniets
OF the Virginia shore may incapacitate his chief