Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-13
TROOPSHIP De TANNED
The Tartar Stopped at Hong Kong
for Beng Overloaded.
DENIED THAT She WAS CROWDED
Vessel Subject to British Naviga-
ton Laws.
TW ENTIETH KANSAS ABOARD

The War Department has been informed
that the steamship Tartar. which Is re-
turning to the United States from Manila
with large number of soldiers aboard,
has been detained at Hong Kong by the
local authorities because she is overloaded.
Secretary Root had conference with the
President this afternoon regarding the mat
ter. He said that statement would be
given out at the War Department.
When Secretary Root returned to the
War Department from his conference with
the President, he gave out the following
two cable messages an official statement
of the case:
HONG KONG, September IL, 1899.
Ccrbn, Washington:
British authorities refuse to clear Tartar
because overcrowded. authorize eight twens
ty-four MITCALF.
MANILA, September Il. 1892
Adjutant General. Washington:
The Tartar was sent to Hong Kong to
dock. requested by Maj Long, no dock
being large enough at Naga saki. She has
capacity for 1.i4o man and Ill cabin passen-
gers. She took back l,li2 men and IL
Francisco she carried comfortably LAS
| men and 80 cabin passengers. OTIS.
Secretary Root declined to say what ac-
ton. If any. would be taken in the matter.
Adjutant General Corbin. when ap-
preached on the subject. said that Gen.
Otis and Col. Mitcalf. commanding the
troops on the transport, had been asked for
additional information in regard to the
case and that no action will be taken until
they have been heard from
No More Stops ut Hong Kong.
In the meantime Secretary Root will
confer with the officials of the State De-
partment as to the International features
iy,
order not to make an issue with the British
authorities, the War Department will d.
rect that the men i'll excess of the limits
fixed by the British navigation laws be
brought home on another vessel. The only
way that this course can be avoided is BY
ignoring the British claim and clearing with
the entire original passe nger list without
regard to the British laws. One of the re-
suits of the present incident will be the
issue of orders prohibiting any of the
transports from stopping at Hong Kong
on their way to or from the United States.
The Goth Kansas on Board.
The facts in the case, as near as can 10
learned here, that the Tartar started
from Manila with the Goth Kansas In-
fantry, returning home to be discharged,
and about 400 soldiers whose time had ex-
pired in the regular regiments, or who had
been detained in the hospital at Manila
while their organizations had preceded
tf, m to the United States.
1t has not been customary for the trans
ports to touch at Hong Kong on the return
trip from Manila to the United States; in
deed, the voyage is several hundred miles
lor ger by that route
When she ar1iv at Hong Kong the ves-
sci was detained. the commanding officer
being notified that her passenger list must
be reduced before she could proceed. This
n cessitated the detention of about 400 SOL
diers at Hong Kong until they could be
taken up by another ship. 1t is believed
here that the reason for this action on the
part of the British port authorities vas to
be found in the bitter complaint on the
part of the unattach d soldiers of over
crowding, they being the principal suffer-
ers inasmuch as the Kansas men had been
given all the best accommodations on the
beat.
The Tartar a British Ship.
The Tartar is a British ship. She belongs
to the Canadian Pacific Steamship Com
pany, plying between British Columbia and
Australia. She chartered by the quar-
termaster's department of the United States
army to carry United States troops but it
it is net believed here that this charter
could in any respect affect her nationa ity.
She could cease 20 be British ship aud be-
come entitled to American registry only by
act of Congress. Beng British ship, then,
soon as she entered a British port such
as Hong Kong, the British navigation laws
immedia tely applied Under the merchant
shipping act of Great Britain just many
cubic feet of space must be allowed aboard
ship for every passenger. ard by that rule
the Tartar would accommodate only about
750 soldiers Technically, therefore, the
British authorities seem to be acting within
their rights.
The Charge Denied.
At the War Department, however, the Of
ficials declare that the Tartar was not
overloaded, and that matter of fact
she had fewer passengers than she had
when she made the trip from San Francis
co to Mani a. Still. the British authorities
cannot be bound by the American law, and
the real point a issue is believed to be that
raised by Consul Wildman of Hong Kong
ramely, that the Tartar is at present, and
for the time being at least, an American
rational vessel and is so exempt from the
operation of British law.