the prohibition of maritime mercantile traffic decreed on October 30, in the same respect as the four ports of the Cibao, by the same reason of finding them in the hands of the revolutionists. The incidents that occurred there at the time of the discharging of the steamer Cherokee of the "Company W. P. Clyde" on the 3d of this month, the discharge that was interrupted by a violent firing at the time, the rebels occupying the city of San Pedro Macoris, imposes the sensible necessity to close also that port to maritime commerce as a measure of public order and to guarantee the interest of the commerce that with free access of the insurrected place will suffer injury of which the Government, by the measure of closing the port, very different from a blockade between belligerents, who wishes to preserve its responsibility and that of the Republic. Accept, etc., [Inclosure 2.] Mr. Powell to Mr. Galvan. MANUEL DE J. GALVAN. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency's communication of November 7, informing this legation that the port of San Pedro de Macoris was closed to maritime commerce on account of the said place being in the hands of the insurgents. In reply to your excellency's communication, I can not recognize that any of the ports named are closed unless there is before such ports armed force sufficiently strong to forcibly prevent a vessel from entering the ports named. If your excellency's Government has not such a force at the places named, I can not recognize the said ports to be closed to American commerce. Accept, etc. W. F. POWELL, United States Chargé d'Affaires. [Inclosure 3.-Translation.] Mr. Galvan to Mr. Powell. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN RELATIONS, HONORABLE SIR: I have the honor to note the receipt of your excellency's note, dated the 9th of the present month, declaring that your excellency can not recognize that any of the Dominican ports (which are legally closed, as has been notified to your excellency through this department and as has been circulated to the diplomatic and consular corps of this capital) are effectively closed to maritime commerce unless there is a sufficient armed force situated before said ports to prevent a vessel entering into the named port. What it means is that your excellency, even after the preceding explanation that has been given by this department, insists on mixing the case of the jurisdiction of public order and of internal right, employed by the Dominican Government in closing the ports that are occupied by the insurgents, with the case extraordinary that in international right are submitted to the rules of blockade. It is very different. The Dominican Government, through my department, makes it present to your excellency that one of the judicial consequences injurious to the interests of the commercial importer is the nullity of the payment of the port and custom-house dues in the hands of whom has not the legitimate quality delegated by the treasury to receive the said duties, wherefrom is derived the unavoidable obligation by the merchant debtor to repeat the payment when the competent authority demands. My Government hopes that in authorizing your legation for its citizens to violate the mandates of this Government, operating in the ports accidentally prohibited to maritime commerce, will take it for convenience to give notice to them of the preceding. Accept, etc., MANUEL DE J. GALVAN. FRANCE. VISIT OF UNITED STATES SQUADRON TO MARSEILLE IN HONOR OF THE ARRIVAL OF THE PRESIDENT OF FRANCE. Mr. Porter to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES, Paris, April 16, 1903. (Mr. Porter reports that war vessels of four nations went to Algiers and saluted the President of France on his arrival there on April 15; that the President, in returning from an important official visit to Tunis, will arrive at Marseille on April 30. Ambassador suggests that United States war ships should go to Marseille and salute the President on his arrival.) Mr. Loomis to Mr. Porter. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, (Mr. Loomis states that the United States European Squadron has been directed to proceed to Marseille to participate in the reception of the President of France on April 30.) Mr. Porter to Mr. Hay. No. 1185.] EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: It gives me much pleasure to report that the sending of our vessels of war to Marseille to salute President Loubet upon his return from the important visit he had just made to the French possessions in North Africa has given peculiar satisfaction to the French Government, and has been highly appreciated by the people and the press of this Republic. President Loubet treated Admiral Cotton with marked consideration and respect, and after congratulating him upon his command and giving expression to many sympathetic messages to be conveyed to our Government, invited him and his aide-de-camp to Paris as guests of the Government. A handsome compartment was provided for him on the train, a state carriage was awaiting him at the station here on his arrival, a French officer was attached to his person as aide-decamp, he was assigned to a prominent seat at the banquet given by the President and at the breakfast of the minister of foreign affairs, both in honor of King Edward VII, who was visiting here at the time. The President invited the admiral to sit in his box with him and the King at the gala performance at the opera, sent him the President's box at the Theatre Français the next evening and his box at the opera the evening after. These special marks of attention have been much commented upon and must be interpreted as a pronounced expression of appreciation of the Government of France of the courtesy shown it in ordering our vessels to participate so conspicuously in honoring the return of President Loubet and his ministers to France. I inclose herewith a clipping from the Paris edition of the New York Herald. I have, etc., HORACE PORTER. [Inclosure.] Extract from the Paris edition of the New York Herald, May 1, 1903. A cordial greeting was exchanged yesterday afternoon between M. Loubet and Rear-Admiral Cotton aboard the cruiser Jeanne d'Arc, which had just brought the President of the Republic from Tunis. Soon after the firing of the usual salutes, in which the ships of the American squadron took part, Rear-Admiral Cotton, accompanied by his staff and the commanders of the Cincinnati and the Machias went aboard the French cruiser, where they were greeted by Commandants Huguet and Boisse. The drum-roll salute announcing their arrival, says the Journal, was drowned in the noise made by the cheering of the people on the quay and the tooting of whistles . from the harbor craft. Conducted by Commander Huguet, the American officers descended the companion way to the saloon, where M. Loubet was awaiting them. After a mutual greeting, Rear-Admiral Cotton said that it had given him a great personal pleasure to be delegated by Mr. Roosevelt to convey to the President of the French Republic the expression of the sincere wishes for the welfare of France and its President entertained by the American people. M. Loubet responded that he was deeply touched by this manifestation of friendship, for which France was deeply appreciative. He referred to the warm reception President Roosevelt recently extended to General Brugere and Admiral Fournier, and said that the French people were glad to see the popular President of the United States continue the traditions of Franco-American friendship. M. Loubet expressed great admiration of the American war ships, and invited Rear-Admiral Cotton to dine with him next Saturday at the Elysée. The admiral then presented his staff, and the party then repaired to the dining saloon of the Jeanne d'Arc, where a collation was served. The visitors withdrew after having been aboard the Jeanne d'Arc for twenty-five minutes. The visit was returned on the part of the President by General Dubois, accompanied by Commandant Huguet, who proceeded aboard the Chicago a few minutes later. Rear-Admiral Cotton, surrounded by his officers, met Commandant Huguet on deck, while the marines presented arms and the ship's band played. After the first compliments had been exchanged, Rear-Admiral Cotton conducted his visitors to his stateroom and offered them a glass of champagne. General Dubois, in the name of the President, thanked the rear-admiral for his visit and asked him to convey to President Roosevelt M. Loubet's expression of friendship. He also said that M. Loubet was extremely pleased that the rear-admiral had accepted the invitation to dinner. The rear-admiral's flag officer and the naval attaché of the American embassy at Paris are included in the invitation. 66 STOPPAGE AT SEA OF FRENCH STEAMSHIP 'AMIRAL FOURICHON" BY A UNITED STATES WAR VESSEL. Mr. Jusserand to Mr. Hay. [Translation.] EMBASSY OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, Washington, July 3, 1903. Mr. SECRATARY OF STATE: I have just been advised by my Government that the steamer Amiral Fourichon of the French company styled "les Chargeurs Réunis," which sailed from Santa Rosalia, Mexico, on the 18th of March last, has been stopped in the course of her voyage by a war vessel of the United States. It appears from a report of the captain that on the 20th of March, at 5.30 p. m., in 20° 11' latitude north and 109° 33′ longitude west, four American war vessels sailed toward the French steamer, and that one of them, speeding ahead, fired a blank cartridge. The Amiral Fourichon immediately stopped and gave the phonic signal indicative thereof. A short while thereafter an ensign of the American Navy boarded the Amiral Fourichon and asked various questions of the captain. He inquired, among other things, his name, the number of men on the ship's crew list, and whether he had any mail on board. This last question having been answered in the negative, the officer apologized for the stoppage of the French steamer, and, at the captain's request, entered the reason for his visit on the ship's log book, as follows: This vessel was stopped in order to obtain mail for United States war ships. (Signed) CHARLES P. SHUFF, Ensign, U. S. Nary. In bringing these facts to your knowledge, I have, by order of my Government, the honor to call your attention to the anomalous circumstances recited in the report of the commanding officer of the Amiral Fourichon, and I should be thankful if you would enable me to transmit to my Government some information regarding the stoppage to which a vessel under the French flag appears to have been subjected without serious cause. Be pleased to accept, etc., JUSSERAND. Mr. Hay to Mr. Jusserand. No. 47.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 1, 1903. EXCELLENCY: I referred to the Secretary of the Navy your note of July 3 last relating to the stoppage of the French steamship Amiral Fourichon by a United States vessel of war on March 20 last. I have now received that Department's reply. It is dated the 28th ultimo and forwards the reports of the various naval officers connected with the incident. From those reports it appears that on March 20 the United States Pacific Squadron was making passage from Acapulco to Pichilinque Bay, Mexico, and was, in the afternoon of that date, directly in the usual track of the American mail steamer, bound from San Francisco to Acapulco, by which the commander in chief of the squadron expected an important mail. At 5.10 p. m. the smoke of a steamer was sighted somewhat on the port bow of the flagship New York, and course was changed to meet the coming ship, as no doubt was entertained that the approaching vessel was the American steamer then due, from her scheduled time, at that point on her route. Finding that the course of the steamer would take her some distance from the squadron, at the speed under which the vessels were cruising, the commander in chief directed the Boston to proceed under full speed, intercept the ship, obtain the mail and rejoin the flag. Before the Boston was at all near the steamer it became dark, and as no signals could be made to or seen from the ship, a gun was fired from the Boston to attract attention and show the Boston's desire to communicate; not as a peremptory demand to heave to. At no time was it possible to see the colors of the steamer, if she displayed any, and her nationality was unknown until a boat from the Boston was alongside. The boarding officer explained that the object of his visit was to obtain mail for the squadron if she had any, apologized for the delay caused, and promptly withdrew. This was at 8.05 p. m. At the request of the ship's master the United States boarding officer made an entry of the occurrence on the ship's log, and the explanation given of the reason for the stoppage of the vessel was satisfactory to the master. It should be added that about half an hour after the French vessel had proceeded on her way, the Pacific mail steamer looked for was sighted and the mail obtained. The commander in chief of the squadron and the commander of the Boston had no intention of stopping a foreign vessel and did not claim to have any right of that character. Hoping that this explanation will be deemed satisfactory to the Government of France, I avail myself, etc. JOHN HAY. Mr. Jusserand to Mr. Hay. [Translation.] EMBASSY OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, Manchester, Mass., September 5, 1903. Mr. SECRETARY OF STATE: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency's note of September 1, relative to the stoppage at sea of the steamship Amiral Fourichon. I shall not fail to acquaint the minister of foreign affairs of the Republic with the results of the investigation conducted by the Navy Department, which you have been so good as to communicate to me, and I have no doubt that my Government will appreciate the exceptional and fortuitous character of the circumstances under which the incident took place. Be pleased to accept, etc. JUSSERAND. |