The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-17
TO SEND sPANIARDs HOME.
A Question as to Who Will Pay Their
Passage.
New York Evening Post.

New York Evening Post
1t is probable that in a short time such
New Workers as have curiosity to look at
captured Spaniards will have the opportun-
lty. The Spaniards, however, will not be
men belonging to the army or navy of
Spain, but the crews of the peaceful mer-
chantment who have been captured since
the outbreak of hoStilities. The disposition
or these subjects of Spain, it was learned
to-day at the Austro- Hungarian consulate
IN this city, has been matter of negotiation
between our government and the govern
nent or Austria-Hungary, acting on behalf
of Spain, the latter having designated the
Austro hungarian diplomatic representa-
tlVeS here as the custodians Of such inter-
estS as 1t might have left in this country.
The status of the captured crews of the
merchantmen was the first subject of con-
Sideration. They were considered prisoners
when their ships We're taken, and, in a
sense, prisoners OF war; but as they were
noncombatantS this country has had no de-
sire to detain them. The conclusion reached
was that they should be sent to this CITY
and turned over to the Austro- Hungarian
consul here for transportation, under. his
supervision, to Spain. Accordingly, the con-
SUI general of AuStro- Hungary was notified
by the ambassador of his government at
Washington that he might expect these I'M
fortunates of the Spanish merchantmen to
arrive here at any time. Curiously enough
however, the ambassador was unable to
give the consul general any definite infor-
nation as to what he was TO do with them
although 1t was understood that their OBJ
jective point was Spain. That is, he did
not say whether money had been or would
to defray the expenses of the captives dur
ing such period of detention as might ensue
here, or the cost of their voyage to SPAIN
nor did he say whether the Austro- Hun
garian government had authorized the nee
essary expenditure either from the funds of
the embassy or from those of the CONSULATE
In word, it was left undeterminedkand mn
provided who should furnish the money
necessary to send the helpless Spaniards
out of this hostile country.
At the Austro-Hungarian consulate il was
SAID that were its expected charges to ar
rive to-day the consulate would not know
what to DO with them, having as yet no
authority to eXpend a kreutzer of money on
their account. In the event of their appear
ance the consulate, it was said would tele-
graph to the embassy at washington for
further instructions, or perhaps directly to
the Foreign ONCE of the Austro- Hungarian
government If authorized to expend money
on behalf of the sailors the consulate would
secure them passage to Spain as soon as
possible. II 1t failed to get the authority
charity
1t was necessarily inferred from what was
stated that the Spanish government had
made no provision whatever for the pay
ment of the passage home of her merchant
marines. Whether the matter had been
subject of communication between Vienna
and Madrid was not stated at the consulate
but 1t is known that the Austro- Hungarian
government purposes to hold the Spanish
strictly to account for every cent spent
consulate here to supply the money The
question was put to the secretary of the
consulate. MT. stern, WD6Iler his govern
ment would expect Spain to indemnify Aus
tria-Hungary for whatever should be spent
by the latter on behalf of the sailors, and
Mr.. Stern replied with considerable en-
phasiS that the home government most GER
tainy would expect the peninsular govern
ment to make good every penny Into such
disrepute has fallen the credit of Spain that
it is regarded by no means impossible that
Austria Hungary may decline TO incur any
expense on behalf of Spain, and from many
indications it would seem unlikely that
Spain would give herself much trouble
about the four hundred poor victims
stranded here: so that the spectacle may
yet be presented of possibly a public SUBJ
scFiption to send them home. or possibly an
appropriat ton by Congress or an allotment
by the Navy Department, or the use of
cruiser TO land them somewhere in France.
Mr.. Stern said that he had heard some ap-
prehenSion expressed by Americans lest the
four hundred Spanish sailors landed here
might do some damage unless kept under
strict guard. He pooh poohed the idea, say
ing that they were poor unfortunates who
would beg for mercy, and be grateful to be
left with their lives. He thought it prob
able that they would be under surveillance
by the authorities after their arrival. but
not actually under arrest. If they came on
board some government vessel, as he
thought most likely. they would. il possible
be kept on board until they could be trans
ferred directly to the steamer which would
take them to Europe. If they had to be
landed, they would be distributed among
various foreign boarding houses-always
suposing that the money to do anything for
them was forthcoming from somewhere.