The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-09

II
TO Have Successfully Landed ExpedL
tions. and These Six are From . Total
| of Over $4,000 American ships That
Might Bavs Turned FiIibusterers-
| Spain Delighted with the Message.
! Washington, Dec. s.-Secretary Gage
| has submitted TO the department OF
state his report upon the action OF the
treasury department in suppressing fill
clustering expeditions to Cuba in viola
ton OF the neutrality laws. . synopsis
Of which, was furnished by The depart
ment. is as follows:
| Secretary Gage put out the fact that
during two years and a half only six
| American vessels, Of an aggregate Of
1881 registered tons. are alleged to have
successfully landed expeditions from the
| United States in Cuba. With the excep-
! ton OF the Laurada, the six American
/ vessels alleged 70 have successfully TAX
en- part in expeditions in Cuban waters
are small tugs and pilot boat. each of
! less than 100 tons and obviously inca
| pable OF carrying large numbers OF men
| or large quantities Of arms and ammuni-
tions Three foreign vessels, OF an ag-
| gregs.e Of 1.773 tons, are alleged TO have
been successful in the came effort Re
| ferying TO these foreign vessels, the
Norwegian steamer Leon. the Danish
steamer Horsa and the British steamer
Bermuda, the secretary invites attention
20 the fact that the crews OF these ves-
sells are required to be shipped before
the consuts Of their respective nations.
which also impose on the masters os
those vessels various other duties to be
performed by the consuis. He suggests
that the inquiry might be pertinent
whether the Spanish authorities informed
these consuls that alleged expeditions.
and whether, II not. some measure ot re-
sponisbility does not rest on the Spanish
authorities for the alleged departure ct
these vessels, or IL the oonsuls were not
informed, whether the same n1easur of
responsibility does not rest upon them.
This suggestion Is made, not to si.ift re-
sponsibiity but to show that II these
alleged expeditions started without the
knowledge Of treasury officials. they also
departed without the knowledge OF Of
ficials OF other nations
"On the Atlantic and Gulf coasts in
1885," says Secretary Gage, there were
10,sss vessels under 200 tons and 2.Sl7
vessels Of LOO tons or less. total Of
1885 American vessels. Of description
and locality available for f1lfbustering
purposes That only six out OF 1885
American vessels succeeded in reaching
Cuba ana that less than fifty had any
share in these expeditions" Secretary I
Gage says "is . demonstration, first, OF /
the law-sbid.lg spirit Of the nation and 1
Of the obedience Of the people TO the
presidents proclamation: ana. second. OF .
a wholesome and repressivs fear upon I.
tine part Of those who might De disposed I.
70 be fawless and violate our obligations 4
as neutral nation, and Of belief that |
their efforts would bs frustrated by the
authorities Of the United States and that /
the risk Of discovery and punishment
greatly oUtweighed any chance Of profit
from the exceptionally hign money re-
ward. offered to vessel owners by the
Cubans.
Eight revenue cutters with crews OF
III men, armed with fifteen guns. have
,ruised 75.7ss miles. occupying 1s9
months in the aggregate. patrolins the
,oast to prevent filfoustering expedi-
ions. They have captured seven ves-
'eis and lis men; have broken up two
Is&t - I
reliance thirteen vessels under sus-
,icion. From time to time severa lother
evenue cutters have been employed on
emporary duty"
Perhaps the strongest statement In the ,
eport is this:
'If the Spanish patrol Of 200 miles Of
'uban coast had frustrated one-half the
Ium1oe, of expeditions which were frus-
rated by the United States authorities ,
dong coast line os $40 miles. not one
nan nor one cartridge would nave been !
llicitly landed in Cuba from tire United
'tates. Out Of the sixty alleged expedi- 1 ,
ions, only four have been broken I'D by ,
pain
Illustrating this statement he refers
articularly 10 the expedition tina, left,
n the Laurada from Baltimore and q
,nded at Banes on March 2l. Banes Is
n important seaport on the northeast r
cast Of Cuba with w.ica the United r
tates carried on a valuable fruit trade Z
nti tae Spanish order prohibiting TIE ,
xpo-t o. bananas was issued.
CLINCHEs THE CASE. 7
In all sixty alleged expeditions ere a
narined. OF these Secretary Gage Z
lows that tweaty-eigh; have been frus- Q
'atsi through the efforts os the treas {
- department; five have been f-trst-a- .
d 10y the United States navy; four
ave been frustrated by Spain: two have ,
sen wrecked. one 5riven back by s-orTn; q
le faiie1 from a combination ot causes. Y
le, t1e Delaware, he declines TO -ecog- Z
ze as other than a violation % .he y
-itis1 foreign enlistment act A.
1ain has suffered no injury from these =
TTy three failures. !, is Assumed tina. ~
ey viii De accepted by Spain az en-
nee os the success o. the United =
ases IN maintaining its obligations
"a that a de7aiIed statement conce-n- n
z eaca is unnecessary. =
Secretary Gage caen examines in de- :.
Il rae seventeen alleged successful ex-
,<tiorls- He points ou- 1i1e Vzrtsai soc IL,
- IN one case sas due % tie xeak- =
IS % the Spanisa patrol o. tse Cuban =
ast; That IN one case the Spanish sz- =.
oritiss a; New York have exoae-ated -
= officers ot the treasury department
IN al responsibility; nat n ooe cara
: Spanish minist=- disagree with tse -
"a stvfse- % ne Spanish legation
J slso disazre@s u-ira himself a. 20