No. 571.
Mr. Cushing to Mr. Fish.
Madrid, August 14, 1874. (Received September 3.)
Sir: I trust you will not consider me as acting officiously if I call your attention to the possible maritime complications which may arise [Page 906] in consequence of so many foreign cruisers, German and others, being ordered to the Bay of Biscay.
If the purpose of the German ships, for instance, is to impede the landing of supplies for the Carlists, and they confine themselves to the jurisdictional waters of Spain, either within the limit of the old cannon-shot theory of one league, or even the new one of two leagues, in either ease they will have to cruise on a very difficult coast, subject to much tempestuous weather and in close proximity to a lee-shore nearly destitute of lights, without which it is difficult to see how they are to effect anything; for although the larger ports of Guipuzcoa and Biscay are held by the government, yet many small ones, such as Burmeo, Lequei-tio, Guetaria, remain in possession of the Oarlists, and need to be watched carefully, provided it is intended effectually to prevent their receiving supplies of arms and munitions of war by sea.
Or, in the impossibility of acting very efficiently otherwise, will German or other cruisers venture to pursue or overhaul merchant-vessels beyond the jurisdictional waters of Spain?
It seems not to be amiss to remember that although the German naval officer who commanded on the Mediterranean coast of Spain during the insurrection in Murcia, has been acquitted of charges, yet his action off Carthagena was of a pretty positive character.
Without enlarging on the incidents of this question,
I am, &c,