The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-09
FILIBUSTER VOYAGES FEW.
SECRETARY GAGE SUBMITS A RE-
PORT ON. THE SUBJECT.


Have Been SuecessfuI-The Steam
err Bermuda Alleged to Have Re
mained at Banes Two Days on One
of Her Trips.
Washington, Dec. S-Secretary Gage has
submitted to the department of state his
report upon the action of the treasury de-
partment in suppressing filibustering ex-
petitions to Cuba in violation of the neu-
tralty laws, a synopsis of which. as fur
nished by the department, is as follows:
Secretary Gage points out the fact that
during two years only six American yes
sells of an aggregate of 1,S31 registered tens.
are alleged to have successfully landed
expeditions from the United States in Gu
ba. With the exception of the Laurada,
the six American vessels alleged to have
successfully taken part in the instruction
in Cuban waters are small tugs and a pilot
boat, each of less than 100 net tons, and
obviously incapable of carrying large num-
bers of men or large quantities of arms and
ammunition.
Three foreign vessels of an aggregate of
LIB registered tons are alleged to have
been successful in theAame effort. Re
ferring to these foreign vessels, the Nor
wegian steamer Leon the Danish steam
er Horsa, and the British steamer Bermu-
da, the secretary invites attention to the
fact that the crews of these vessels are
required to be shipped before the consuls
of the respective nations, in accord with
the laws of those nations, which also i'm
pose on the masters of those vessels va
TiOuS other Duties tn ba Y,erfarp,a1 boforo
the consuls. He suggests the inquiry
might be pertinent whether the Spanish
authorities informed these consuls of the
alleged expeditions and whether, if not
some measure of responsibility does not
rest on the Spanish authorities for the al
legged departure of these vessels; or. if the
consuls were notified, whether some meas
ure of responsibility does not rest upon
them. This suggestion is made not to
shift responsibility, but to show that if
these alleged expeditions started without
the knowledge of the treasury officials
they also departed without the knowledge
OF the officials of other nations whose ac-
ton was necessary preliminary to clear
ance.
With the vessels referred to. it is alleged
there have been associated about a dozen
harbor tugs, three or four lighters, a few
small steamers and about a dozen small
sloops and schooners, in all, less than
fifty.
On the Atlantic and Gulf coasts in 1895
there were 1865 sailing vessels under 2OO
tons and 2,917 steam vessels of 1.OOO tons
or less, total of 1856 American vessels
OF description and locality aVilable for
hlibustering purposes.
That only six out of 1885 American ves-
sels succeeded in reaching Cuba and that
less than fifty had any share in these
expeditions, Secretary says, is a demon.
stration, first, of the laW-abiding spirit
of the nation and of the obedience of the
people to the Presidents proclamation
and, second, of a wholesome and repres-
sive fear on the part of those who might
be disposed to be lawless and violate our
Obligations as neutral nation and of a
belief that their efforts would be frus.
trated by the authorities of the United
states and that the risk of discovery and
punishment greatly outWeighed anv
chance of profit from the exceptionally
high money rewards offered to vessel own
ers by the Cubans
Eight revenue cutters with crews of 315
men armed with fifteen guns have cruised
Io'6S miies, occupying 1879 months in the
aggregate, patrolling the coast to prevent
tiibustering expeditions. They have cap
tured seven vessels and IFS men; have
broken up two expeditions and have held
under surveillance thirteen vessels under
suspicion.
IOn tiiil9 TO time several other revenue
cutters have been employed on temporary
duty.
Perhaps the strongest sta tement of the
report is this: IF the Spanish patrol of
2,200 miles of Cuban coast had frustrated
one-half the number of expeditions which
were frustrated by the United States au-
thorites along coast line of $40 miles,
not one man nor one cartridge would have
been illicitly landed in Cuba from the
United States. Out of the alleged expedi-
tions only four have been broken up by
SPAIN
Illustrating this statement, he refers par
ticularly to the expedition that left on the
Laurada from Baltimore and landed If
Banes on March q. Banes is an important
seaport on the northern coast of Cuba.
with which the United States carried on
d valuable fruit trade until the Spanish
order prohibiting the export of bananas ap-
peared. 1t appears that the Laurada re-
manned in this seaport two days landing
men and arms and was not molested by
the Spanish authorities in Cuba who had
been informed of her landing, and even
minutey where torpedoes had been placed
Unless Spain is prepared to avow the in
ability or indispostion to defend her inter-
ests in Cuba, Secretary Gage holds that
responsibility for the success of this expe-
dtion may properly be fixed upon Spanish
officials in Cuba, who had been fully in
formed by the Spanish legation The Span
sh authorities have repeatedly asserted
that all of the seaports of Cuba were in
their possession.
In all, sixty alleged expeditions are ex-
amined. OF these, Secretary Gage shows
that twenty-eight have been frustrated
through the efforts of the treasury de-
partment, five have been frustrated by the
United States navy, four have been frus-
trated by Spain two have been wrecked,
one driven back by storm, one failed from
a combination of causes, one, the Della
kn crfafg
than violation of the British foreign en-
listment act AS Spain has suffered no
injury from these forty-three failures, il
is assumed that they will be accepted
by Spain as evidence of the success of the !
United States in maintaining its obliga-
tions, and that a detailed statement con-
corning each is unnecessary.
Secretary Gage then examines in detail
the seventeen alleged successful expedi-
tons. He points out that the partial sue,
cess in one case was due to the weak
ness of the Spanish control of the Cuban
coast; that in one case the Spanish au-