The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-15
OUR DEALING
WITH SPAIN
Inter esting Facts Revealed by the Rec.
0rds Of 1895.
ALLIANCE INCIDENT RECALLED.
Spain Anxious to Make Amends nj
the Time..The Nora Case has Been
Settled by the Payment o. $780,.
OOO-.impOrtant Differences Ex.
garding Cuban Sympathizers.

gafuiGS CUBAN SympathlZers.
Washington. D. c.. July H.--It re-
quires seventy-one printed pages in the
volume of foreign relations to set out
the correspondence which has passed
between the United States and Spain
during the year 1895. yet in no case
is there printed any matter in the ma
ture of reports from United States Off
GERS touching the rebellion, it's causes,
progress or prospects. The chapter of
Spain begins with the celebrated Mora
case, which. having been settled salts
factorily by the payment of an indem-
nifty by Spain of a million and a half
dollars, is now closed incident. Next
in order comes the Allianca incident
beginning with Secretary Gresham's
vigorous demand upon the Spanish
government for a prompt disavowal OF
the act of the Conde de Ncnadito in fir
ing upon the American steamship: for
an expression of regret and the issu-
ance of orders to Spanish naval COM
manders to refrain from interference
with legitimate American commerce
whether within three miles of the Gu
ban coast or not.
The conclusion of this incident is for
the first time told officially in this pub
lication. The Spanish government
showed an entire readiness to do ev-
erything that International law requires
to smooth away the bad impression
made by the incident, and after pro-
curing a report on the subject from the
Cuban officials, the Duke of Tetuan.
Spanish minister of foreign affairs, de-
livered to United States Minister Tay-
lor u statement in which he says that
the Allianca was fired upon with q
special purpose. not to hit her, she
being outside of the jurisdictional zone
of Spain. This was an involuntary
error which no one could lament more
than the government of his majesty
whose purpose was never to set OBJ
Stacies or hindrances to the legitimate
commerce of the United States aud
much less to give the slightest offense
to the flag of a friendly power. He
adds that instructions have been sent
to the commanders of the ships of the
navy "tO avoid repetition of events
similar to that now in question, which
is disavowed by the government of his
majesty"
THE INCIDENT CLOSED.
Mr. uhl then acting secretary of
state. closed the incident by accepting
the dukes communication as a sufficient
and satisfactory explanation, without
conceding that the exact lnca tion of the
k1liannn OF ha ti,,1n hn SInf fraI
| can be considered as a controlling cir
| cumstance. Correspondence passing be-
| tween the state department and the
| resident Spanish minister relative to the
| enforcement of the United States neu-
| trality laws takes up considerable
space. 1t begins with the cases of the
yachts Amadis, Lagonda and Baracoa,
but these have already been made pub
lie through legal proceedings. Half Il
| dozen letters tell the story of the fruit
! less attempt of Marshal Campos. then
| captain-genral. to prevent the United
| States Consul-General Williams from
| exercising diplomatic functions in in
! terven!ng to protect American citizens
arrested by the Spanish officials in
Cuba. Secretary Olney acted with
vigor and promptness in this matter,
addressing himself to Minister de Lone
here and to the Spanish government at
Madrid at the same time through Min
lister Taylor, and in less than a month
Consul-General Williams was recog-
nized as having full powers to look after
such matters, being thus placed on an
equality with the German consuls in
Cuba.
| One short letter from the United
States Minister Taylor to Secretary
Gresham in February 9, 1895, tells the
story of q diplomatic victory that from
| it's business value deserves a prominent
place in the volume. This was the final
concession by the Spanish governmen.
| to the United States citizens of the right
to pay minimum import duties on goods
sent to Cuba. A premonition of claims
to be preferred against Spain appears
in several letters from e. Atkins & Co..
of Boston, to Secretary Olney, giving
notice of the destruction of their valu.
able Solded sugar estate by the insur-
| gents Incidentally they note that the
insurgents are mainly negroes and that
the orders to burn their property were
sent from Cuban headquarters in New
York, with purpose of causing trouble
between the United States and Spain.
The chapter on Spain ends with COR
| respondence relative to the cases of GER
tain citizens arrested and expelled from
Cuba, Francisco Garlic, John A. Som
ers and the Ansleys.