Evening star., 1914-04-18

flag is hostile act not to be excused.
Il have already received your verbal
message of regret that this event has
happened and your statement that it
was committed by an ignorant officer
The responsibility for hostile acts
cannot be avoided by the plea Of
ignorance.
In view of the publicity of this oc-
,, eurrence, must require that you send
by suitable members of your staff
formal d1savowal and apology for the
act together with your assurance that
the officer responsible for it will receive
severe punishment. Also that you pub
iicly hoist the United States flag In a
prominent position on shore and salute
will be returned by this ship.
Your answer to this communication
should reach me and the called for
salute be fired within twenty-four hours
from s pm. of this date
Modifies His Demand.
Commenting on this, Secretary Daniels
said. few days ago, Rear Admiral
Mayo himself modified his demand
somewhat. saying he would not insist
on having the salute fired while the
American flag was hoisted on Mexican
salute was to the flag "in a conspicuous
place" either on the mast of the Dol
phin or Mexican gunboat
There was much discussion in official
circles not only about the propriety Of
returning Huerta's salute in view Of
the peculiar diplomatic relations be-
tween the Mexico City administration
ana the Washington government, but
because OF navy regulation No. 1874,
which reads:
NO salute shall be fired in honor of
any nation or any official Of any nation
not formally recognized by the govern
ment Of the United States"
Point Is Explained.
In explanation of this point. Rear Ad-
| miral F'iske, aid for operations, after
conferences with other aids at the Navy
Department and Secretary Daniels, issued
the following statement:
This regulation is interpreted as a
prohibition against firing a salute in
honor of any government which has re-
| Gently come into being, or in honor of
an off1cial OF such government, II 1t has
not been formally recognized by our gov
ernment- Any such salute would be con-
sidered as recognition of that govern
ment. and in order to escape from the
consequences of such apparent recogni-
| ton it would become necessary for our
government formally to disavow it.
In 1888 Rear Admiral Stanton, United
States Navy, made the mistake Of salut-
| ing the flag of Rear Admiral MelIo. who
was then in revolt against the Brazilian
| government The Brazilian government
oolnPla,ned 10 our government, which
| promptly disavowed the salute, and re-
| heved Admiral Stanton from command
National Salute Given.
| Paragraph 1874 is not interpreted as
| prohibiting the firing of a salute in honor
| of any nation of which the government
| has merely passed from the hands of
| certain individuals to the hands Of other
| individuals, even though our government
may not have recognized the new indi-
| EldualS- For instance, our ships in enter
| ing Mexican ports have saluted the ports
/ and the salutes have been returned This
! salute is considered merely as in honor
| of the sovereignty of the Republic OF
| Mexico. and not in honor of any indi-
| viduals who may have gotten control of
| the machinery of the government The
SaluteS are national SaluteS, and not per-
| sonal salutes.''
Must Return Salutes.
Secretary Daniels. discussing the re-
turn of the salute. said he had consulted
the general naval board, who unani-
mously agreed that in all cases where
salutes have been given. they must be
returned Mr.. Daniels spoke of the fact
that Mexican gunboats, even though in
the possession of the unrecognized
Huerta government, were saluted when
they passed American warships. He re-
ferred to the recent visit at New Orleans
of a Mexican gunboat which was not
saiuted by the shore batteries. The
War Department inquired of the Navy
Department at that time about prece-
dents and the army officer in charge at
New Orleans was advised to return the
salute.
1T is not a salute to a government or
Ian administration, said Secretary
Daniels. but to the flag of people,"