The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-30

board the mbuTg-AmeTlCan line
steamer Allegheny in the port Of Car
tagena. Colombia This interest is in
creased by the fact that the incident
presents unusual features which prob
ably may justify and lead to drastic
action on the part of the German Gov
eminent
Colonel Murillo, although previously
banisked. together with his chief. Gen.
Tribe Tribe, was in the United States
of Colombia engaged in a mission of
peace. with the knowledge and consent
and at the instance of the Colombian
authorities Whether they became
suspicious Of him or not, for some rea-
son the Secretary Of War Of the little
State ordered him to leave the country
by the next steamer bound for the Uni
ted States. Until the Allegheny was
ready to sail from Savanilla Colonel
MurilIo was kept under guard. Finally
he was placed on board. furnished with
a passport and a safe-conduct issued by
the supreme Federal authority Of Co
lombia. When the Allegheny called at
the Colombian port of CaTtagena tie
provincial governor resident 1t that
place ignoring the safe-conduct of his
sUPeriOrs, demanded the surrender Of
Colonel MUTiIio. and after much con-
tention with the officers and crew Of
the German vessel took him ashore by
force At the last moment the victim
OF this outrage was wrapped in a Ger
man fiag, which the Colombians who
were trying to capture him tore into
shreds, and, according TO the testimony
of passengers, called it a dirty rag"
a more studied or fragrant insult TO &
ship and the flag OF a friendly country
il would be hard to conceive. and we
are unable to believe that the Kaiser
Will allow the matter to pass unno-
ticed.
Notwithstanding some doubts which
comparatively recent events. and the
later practice Of the United States Gov
eminent in such cases. have raised con-
corning the status of passenger vessels
in foreign ports, the leading writer's on
international law are pretty we'll
agreed that a foreign merchantmen is
subject to all the laws and regulations
of the place and country where it hap
pens to be This subsection ordinarily
would include the right of search and
capture in a case where the local aU-
thorities knew of OF suspected the pres
ence Of a citizen of their own nation
accused OF crime or fleeing from justice
on board such vessel
Our Government took a view opposed
to that of most DubIicists in the case
Of the Guatemalan general, BarTundia,
who was seized and murdered on the
American steamer Acapulco by an
armed force sent 70 arrest him by
Guatemala. An American gunboat
lay alongside OF the Acapulco, but
its commander refused to interfere, and
our Consul General at San Jose, the
port where the outrage vas perpetrat-
ed, advised the AcapulcO's master that
under international law he must give
up his passenger. Naturally, the cpl
sode created intense Indignation in the
United States, q feeling which was
fully shared by the Government. The
Consul General was sternly repTimand-
ed, and the naval officer who permitted
q cold-blooded political murder to DE
committed under his eyes on the deck
Of q ship flying the Stars and Stripes
was promptly relieved Of his command
in disgrace. With such a precedent as
a guide, ii is improbable that ar Amer
lean naval commander, present when
an affair of the Barrundia sort should
appear imminent, would hesitate to
stop tie proceeding, and, If necessary,
resort 10 arms.
What Germany may do in conse-
0uence Of the MuriIIo seizure has not
been indicated as yet But the Berlin
Government has the course Of the
Washington authorities IN the AcapuI-
co case TO fall back upon by way Of
justification. and, Furthermore, appears
TO have good ground upon which TO
base sharp measures in the insult 10
the flag 1t is not likely that much Of
an official character viii be said on the
subject in Berlin until action Of some
sort has been taken. The Kaiser is ad-
dicted TO the sensible habit Of striking
first and explaining afrerward, If he
has to In the Haitien affair It viii be
remembered that one Of his officers IN
command Of tTaining-ship anchored
in front Of Port au Prince and notified
the President Of Haiti that he would
lombard the town in three hours II the
claim of a German subject against the
State was not previously paid in cash.
A week OF ten days nence it would not
surprise US to her that something
equally strenuous and effective had
been done at SavaniIIa or Cartagena,
or both.
Whatever may be the outcome of the
case under consideration, it Is highly
desirable that the general question in
vOlved should be settled and a definite
policy and practice adopted If the
views expressed by Mr. Blaine on the
subject, when he was Secretary Of
State, were sound, then the Govern
ment should declare the inviolabiIity Of
passenger vessels in South and Central
American ports. WhetheS$ from the
viewpoint Of international law such a
declaration would hold good or not is
perhaps d question, but the principle Of
invioIability Il susceptible Of establish |
ment by treaty, or might be given the |
force of international law on this side !
Of the world through its adoption by |
the Pan-Ameriean Congress when that
body shall meet in the City Of Mexico !
next autumn. Every consideration Of |
justice, humanity. and the peace Of the |
hemisphere demands that such exas- |
peIr&Uing offences as that committed |
against Germany in the harbor Of Car |
tagena, should be made impossible in /
the ffIrlIre