The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-14
TOO NEAR.
Perhaps Alliance Was Within
Spanish Jurisdiction.
Points to Be Considered Before the
Matter Assumes Importance,

WARRINGTON, March 14--The Letter or
Captain Crossman, of the American
steamship Alliance. was received at the
state department yesterday afternoon. IL
has already been published In full, and SO
had como to the notice of the department
unofiicially before It's receipt by mall
Acting Secretary Uhl had already
formed his own conclusion as to the course
TO be pursued. After looking over the
letter carefully, he wrote Captain Cross
man, asking for more particulars bearln-
upon the incident Until these are fur-
nished 1t In not probable that ttheoomplaint
viii be formally brought to the attention
Of the Spanish government.
The point upon which the state depart
ment desires further information from
Captain Crossman is the exact location OF
she Alliance when she was first signalled
by the Spanish cruiser, and IL Is probable
that the whole case may turn on this
point.
According to Captain Crossman's own
story, he had been in the habit Of taking
his ship on course that brought 1t within
. mile of Cape Mays. the eastern extrem-
fly OF the island of Cuba. He Is reported
60 have said on this occaslon--hearing at
Colon that there was trouble in Cuba--he
kept of the land, so that he was six miles
of the cape when the incident occurred
From this statement 1t appears that the
captain was aware that Spanish cruisers
were patroling the coast in search of I'LL.
busterers and that rebellion was I'm
progress, but it Is not clear that he was
outside of the Spanish marine jurisdic-
tion, considering the fact that there are
outlying keys or islands belonging to the
same nation. That these may be regarded
as establishing the boundary of the ma
rine jurisdiction Is shown by the act Of
our own government in laying out the
0O-mile exclusive line around the Pribyloff
Islands last year.
There Is another but minor point upon
which further information will be de-
manded, and that is whether the ships
officer can be sure that the shots fired by
the Spsnish cruiser were directed at the
Alliance or across her bows.
Spain Yet to he Heard.
Senior Muragua's visit to the state de-
partment yesterday was for the purpose Of
presenting the position Of Spain from tho
information now at hand on the firing by
= Spanish gunboat on the American mail
steamer Alliance
The minister autographed for full par
ticulars to the governor general Of Cuba,
and in reply received q dispatch that the
cruiser which presumably figured In tho
affair had not returned, having prolonged
her watch along the Cuban coast The
captain general had no particulars Of the
incident.
Senior Muragua feels that only one side
of the story has yet been told, and that
the recital of the other side may present q
different aspect to the case. But should
it appear that there has been any indis-
cretiun or offense on the part of the Span
ish warship Senior Muragua says that
Spain will speedily make every apology
consistent with the friendship she bears to
the United States. This assurance was
given 90 Acting Secretary OF State Uhl,
although the latter had taken no steps as
yet to protest against the action of the
Spanish ship.
Taking the version of the affair as given
bw Captain Crossman OF the Alliance,
Minister Muragua says IL was apparent
that the American ship was In the juris-
dictional waters Of Cuba and not on the
high seaA These waters are measured
from the outer keys about Cuba and not
from the mainland. the basis OF measure
ments being adopted the world over and
especially recognized by the United States
AS the Alliance was In jurisdictional
waters Of Cuba the Spanish cruiser prob
ably mistook the ship for one of the yachts
which have been suspected of handling
goods for the Cuban insurgents.
1t is evident, the minister says from the
firing of the blank cartridges, that the
purpose was to have the merchant ship
stop In order that she might be asked as Co
whether insurgent goods were on board.
Had she done this the detention, he be-
lisves. would have been brief and formal
and would not have gone Beyond a simple
inquiry, as soon as il was discovered that
the ship was an American merchant
sfearuA