Evening star., 1897-01-04
THE THREE FRIENDS
Senator White Says She Cannot Be
Prosecuted for Piracy.
MR.. ClEVELAND'S DECLARATION
Feeling That the Administration is
Exceeding Its Duty.
A p o S S b LIE EFFORT

In connection with the alleged intention
on the part of the United States govern
ment to prosecute the steamer Three
Friends for piracy Senator White of Cali
1ornia, who successfully defended the
ltata at the time of the Chilean trouble
calls attention to the declaration by Mr.
Cleveland in his message of December \
1888, with relation to the alleged Colom-
bian pirates, in which he declines TO con-
sider such expeditions as pratical Mr.
White is not a supporter of the Cameron
resolutions, and thinks that this govern
ment should keep its hands off. but he is
very positively of the opinion that no
prosecution for piracy can properly be in
stituted against the Three Friends.
Mr.. Cleveland in 1885 said: by decrea
the Colombian government proclaimed the
closure of certain ports then in the hands
or the insurgents. and declared vessels
neld by the revolutionists TO be piratical
and liable to capture by any power To
neither of these propositions could the
United states assent" Proceeding, he
says: Neither could the vessels of the
insurgents against the legitimate sover-
eighty be deemed hostes humani geueris
Wltnln the precepts of international law
Whatever might be the definition a:Iu pen
ATTY OF their acts under the municipal law
OF the state against whose authority they
were in revolt"
The feeling appears to be very general
In Congress that the administration is far
exceeding Its duty under the neutrality law
In the manner in which the shipment of
arms and munitions of war is interfered
with. The point plainly stated by many
OF the Cuban sympat hizers is that since
this government refuses to recognize that
there Is state of war in Cuba, the same
technicality which blinds the administra-
uon TO the state of affairs on that island
should operate also TO keep the neutrality
laws from being into ion, IL 20,
held that these laws operate only where a
state of war is recognized. There is an
other act which fixes the penalty for fit
ting out military expeditions, but which, 1t
Is held, gives no warrant for the inter-
ference with the shipment of arms and
supplies.
The fact that this government maintains
a neet in the southern waters to intercept
vessels engaged ir this trade, and that by
the delays thus occasioned the so-called
hlibuSters are placed at a disadvantage in
a transaction which is not in violation of
our laws, is regarded by the Cuban SYM
pathizers as nothing more nor less than a
direct assistance by the administration
onered TO Spain in putting down the revo-
luton. 1t is argued that the proper course
to be followed by this government II the
state OF war is not to be recognized is to
be blind In both eyes instead of one and
utterly ignore the fact that We refuse to
recognize officially.
President Harrison in a message to Com
gress concerning the Itata decision recog-
nized the limitation of the applica ton of
the neutrality law to a condition of affairs
Where belllgerency was recognized and
recommended an amendment to the law In
a message on the Itata case, Mr. Harrison
SAID that the court had held that ''inas-
much as the congressional party tof Chile,
had ROT been recognized as belligerents the
act dc ne in its interest could not he a viola
tlon OF the neutr ility law
III something is not done soon after the
reconvening cf Congress with the Cameron
resolution 1t is likely that some effort will
pe made by the friends of Cuba to check
the excessive ze AZ of the President I'm
maintaining fleet off the coast of Florida
10 interfere with commerce between This
sounlry ana the Island of Cuba, which this
government understands TO he in q sta,t .as
peace SUIT "A