The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-02-16

|
| which will probably be exchanged this
week by Secretary Hay and Senior Yicuna.
/ the Chilean Minister, who IS expected to
reach this city in a day or two, revives
/ the convention OF August Z, 1892. for the
| purpose Of adiudicating the claims which
were duly presented to the Commission
| organized under the previous convention.
| but were not determined by that Commits
sion because of the expiration Of the six
months limit set for its duration.
The convention OF 1892 provided for the
adjustment of all claims of citizens. com
psnies. or corporations OF the one Govern
| ment against the other, and il is stipulat-
| ed that the proceedings of the Commission
should be considered by the contracting
| parties as a full. final. and perfect set
! Element OF any and every claim upon eth
! er Government and that every such claim.
whether or not the same may have been
/ presented to the notice Of or laid before
/ the Commission, should be treated as
| finally settled. concluded, and barred
or the twenty-eight claims against the
Government of Chile aggregating about
$26 600. O00 in amount. presented to the
previous Commission by the United States.
the Commission found in favor Of this
/ Government in six cases making awards
amounting to S24O.5OO. or the three
claims Of Chile against the United States,
amounting to S264.740. one claim was dis
missed by the Commission.
When the life OF the Commission expired
sixteen claims OF citizens of the United
States against chile. amounting TO upward
of 81 Coos Gee. and two claims OF Chile
against the United States, amounting to
S2S2. 24o. were left undisposed Of Nego-
tiatious were opened by MIR. Olney with
Senior Cana. the Chilean Minister here.
which resulted in the signing Of the con
vention reviviug the former convention for
the purpose above Indicated. One Of the
J largest claims against Chile, that OF the
| North and South American Construction
( Company, has been directly adjusted be-
, tween the Chilean Government and the
claimant company since the completion oil
I the labors OF the Commission.
The claim OF Patrick Shields for per
| sCnaI injuries received at Valparaiso IN
4 1891 which was dismissed by the Com
. | mission on the ground that Shields va!
! not citizen Of the United states. ha'
|: been settled recently by the payment b.
]
: pursuance OF the terms OF a protocol sign
!. ed by Secretary sherman and the Chilean
( Minister in 1897. Shields was a seaman
] on an American vessel, aud under Onite
I. States laws entitled To the protection o
: this Government although he had not bee
\. uaturalized. and hence did not come within
/ the terms OF the Claims Convention o
! 1891.
!. The claims against Chile cover rerio
: beginning IN 1916. during the first strug
/ gle of Chile for independence. down TO an
(. including the Congressional revolution
! against Balmaceds i'm 1891.
7. The two claims OF Chile against III
: / United States are those Of the SoIt
I American steamship Company and RicaT
B. DO L. TrumbulL The first arose out Of tn
:. seizure by the United States naval an
!. thorities 10 1891 of the famous steamshi
/ . Itata. The Itata was sent by the Con
. I gressiouaI party. then i'm lnsurrectio
:. 4 AGAINST the Government OF Balmaceda- {
: { bring from the United States a cargo
I , arms aud ammunition The vessel touch
Z . Ell at San Diego. Cal An agent OF IN
: CorgressiuualiSts had purchased 5000 r
!. Hcs and 1000 00o cartridges in New YoT
= CITY aud shipped the same by rail 10 Sa
/ Francisco \ schooner, the Robert an
i Minnie was chartered to carry the caTe
, 20 q point near Catalina Island. where sh
: was to De met 10y the Itata.
I
= Cials that the neutrality laws were bein
. violated were aroused, and under the i
!. rs-tiuns OF the Attorney General a
:. United States Marshal went on beard n
= ItaJa 40 san Diego and put keeper
I; 4 charge of her. aud then went in search
= the Robert and Minnie which he did M
>. , find in the waters of the United state
i . The schooner managed 10 cCmmunica
= I with the Itlta, and the latter without oil
= I tanning clearance papers and against u
:. / protest OF the person left in charge OF b.
= / by the Marshal sailed from San deg
Z Z putting the keeper ashore at the mouth
: the harbor.
:. Three DAYS later the Iyata and the Robe
:. I and Minnie came together near San CT
= / meule Island on the California coast. Al
: [ the arms and ammunition were tran
. / ferred 10 jhe Ir8t8. which sailed al once f
= / Chile. The United tSates had not al tn
=. / time recognized the CongressiOpalist par
= as belligcrents or otherwise. The Charlie
ton was sent in pursuit OF the ltata. but q
latter reached lqUique Chile in safety.
She was however. delivered TO the nav
force Of the United States lying at anch
in that port. and brought back to s.
Diego. where the ship was libeled In tt
United States District Court for Violate
OF the neutrality laws. The court held TIL
the evidence showed the only purpose
the Itata to be that OF a stOreship to trans
port the arms and ammunition to Chile
be used on shore by the insurgents, al
.. that none of the acts shown constituted {
arming fitting out furnishing with Il
intent 10 cruise against the establish'
Government OF Chile. The libel was accOr'
ingIv dismissed aud this decision WI
> affirmed on appeal to the United States CT
cult Court OF Appeals. and the Itata vi
released.
The court however held that there vi
= probable cause for believing that the We
sci was violating the neutrality laws. tt
- claim made before lie Commission was f
damages caused by the detention OF Il
vessel. loss OF use, etc. No consideration
the case on its merits was had by Il
Commission.
BY the terms OF the new convention Il
Commission is to have four months for Il
transaction Of its work, to be recloon'
from the day of its first meeting for bus
ness with the proviso that IL this period
sufficient for the settlement OF the claiu
the Commission may at their discretion e
tend the period one or two months more
The former Commission was composed
three members-John GOode OF Virginl
named by the President of the Unit
States: Domingo Cans named by the Pre-.
dent OF Chile: and Alfred De ClapareC
named by the President OF the Swiss Co
federation. George II. Shields was [
. agent and counsel OF the United States a
III Arthur W. Ferguson secretary. The DC
sonnet of the new Commission is not !
known.
n, 4 Futile Object Lesson.