The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-08
theoretically insisted upon, refers to the
ship Competitor affair as follows:

ship Competitor aHalr as ioiioWs'
In April last the Competitor. a small
sch ooner of American registry, eiudeu the
vigilance of the Federal authorities, took on
board men and supplies, presumably intended
to aid the Cuban Instruction, and reached
the coast of that island near San Cayetano
BEING discovered by the Spanish coastguard a
conflict ensued, resulting in the capture OF
number of those on board, as well as the
seizure of the vessel.
can citizens were subjected 10 summary mill
tary trial which, although conducted by an
admiralty court, aojudged to De competent
appeared to have lacked the essen tial safe
guards of procedure stipulated by the existing
Conventions between the United States ana
Spain.
This Government promptly interfered to Sc
cure for its implicat ed citizens all the rights
to which they were clearly entitled, including
appeal from the pronounced sentence OF death.
Their cases were subsequently carried 10 Inc
higher tribunal at Madrid. which has set the
conviction aside and renamed the cases LOT
retrial.
This Government has been constrained to
ent ter earnest protest against recent decree
of the Governor-General OF Cuba ordering the
registration of all aliens in the island ana pro-
nouncing all those not registered WITHIN
certain time as debarreG from appealing 10 the
provisions OF existing law.
The treaty rights of American citizens
obviously depend on their actual allegiance TO
their own Government, not upon any arbitrary
inscription as aliens, by the state wherein
they may be sojourning; and while this Gov
eminent is well disposed to admit the
81 the eFPdspSes Of 1s ths
right of such citizens in Cuba to
he protection of the authorities and has sig
nified Its willingness to facilicate their regis
tration it can never consent that the omission
of a merely local formality can operate to out
law any person entitled to its protection as
citizens, or to abrogate the right to the orderly
resources of Spanish law solemnly guaranteed
to them by treaty.
T.. ~ ho
rotary refers to the arrests of naturalized
American citizens in Austria hungary,
and says that the pro -ress made toward
the settlement of this question has
been most satisfactory. He refers
10 the settlement of Central Ameri-
can Diet by the republics of
Honduras, Nicaragua and Salvador
adopting the name OF Greater Republic OF
Central America, and says as the exact in
depreciation and effect OF the articles of
association between the three republics is
not yet fully apprehended, the action
necessary or proper to be taken in conse-
auence thereof is still under consideration
by the department. Negotiations are still
in progress for the completion OF the I'M
finished work of the Chilean claims COM
mission.
He says: sour relations with China
have been made more friendly by the
concession of American citizens of the
right to purchase lands-a right hitherto
conceded to France.
In respect to the reimposition of tom
mage tax on German shipping, the report
says that after an investigation which
showed that port dues were being COL
lected in German ports on every Ameri-
can vessel, the United States EN- bassador
at Berlin was asked for an explanation
which when made was not deemed suffi-
cient.
The report then refers to the. fact that
the stringent measures adopted by Ger
many ION assumed grounds of public
health" against the importation of Amer
lean cattle and meat products have not
been ameliorated, but on the contrary the
disposition of Germany to still further inn
pede this legitimate traffic has been
evidenced by fresh restrictive measures.
The trouble with the New York Life In
surance is referred to and the statement is
added that continuing endeavors have
been made to secure for American life in
surance companies doing business in
Prussia a hearing in remonstrance
posed upon them, and fair prospects exist
of the ultimate removal OF the Interdic.
tion."
In regard to the Samoan question, Mr..
Olney makes no recon- mendatlon and
gives no intimation of any recent action
having been taken. He simply says;
| The situation in Samoa is practically the
| same stated in the last annual message oi
| the President ana In his special communion
| ton to the Senate OF May, 1894. possibility
| of more effective harmony in the irsular adj
| ministration may be suggested by the resigna-
| ton OF the president of the municipal council
and the agreement of the three powers
| upon his successor another German subject.
| The Chief Justice of Samoa has also re-
signed, ara as he is en- American citizen the
proposal OF his successor will naturally fall to
| the United States, which necessarily con tinues
| to exercise all stipulated rights and duties
under the tri-partite general act and of Berlin
during the continuance OF that mpact, how
| ever 1rksome and unnatural these rights and
duties may prove to be.
The rest of the report is occupied with
routine matters.