Mr. Egan to Mr. Blaine.
Santiago, December 5, 1891. (Received January 22, 1892.)
Sir: I have the honor to refer again to the receipt of your telegram on yesterday, stating that Chilean minister for foreign affairs has telegraphed Chilean Minister Montt, in Washington, that my testimony in Baltimore case was asked twenty days ago and not given, and requesting to know by whom was I asked.
I telegraphed on yesterday to say that this statement on the part of the minister for foreign affairs is to me inexplicably incorrect.
When the intendente of Valparaiso first requested information from Capt. Schley, on 29th October, the captain had not the authority to give any, and he replied on 1st November, referring the intendente to this legation, and saying:
I am of opinion that if application he made to him (the United States minister) your excellency will he supplied with the names of several individuals who will be able in their turn to give you other names of persons who saw the killing of Riggin and the wounding of a number of others of my men during the lamentable disorders of 16th ultimo.
Some eight days later, the 9th November, the minister for foreign affairs wrote me requesting me to supply the information indicated in Capt. Schley’s letter. (For copy of his note see inclosure in my No. 230 of 11th November.)
Meantime Capt. Schley had, under date of 3d November, supplied the intendente with a list of the witnesses indicated in foregoing quotation, residents of Valparaiso, and was engaged in a correspondence with the intendente respecting the conditions upon which the sailors of the Baltimore could give their evidence, which conditions he hoped, from day to day, to be able to satisfactorily arrange in accordance with modified instructions which were being transmitted to him from the Navy Department. On the 14th of November I called at the ministry of foreign relations and explained this matter fully to the undersecretary, and a couple of days later I had a conversation on the subject with the minister, in which I stated that the original instructions which I had received regarding the conditions upon which the men of the Baltimore could give evidence had been considerably modified in communications which had passed between the Navy Department and Capt. Schley, and that under the circumstances I considered it would be much more expeditious and much more conducive to an early and friendly understanding to leave the matter between Capt. Schley and the intendente of Valparaiso.
I also explained that Capt. Schley had on 3d instant given to the intendente all the other information which he had referred to in his letter regarding important witnesses not belonging to his ship.
The minister expressed himself as much pleased with this course, and in reply to my question said that under the circumstances a written reply to his note of the 9th was not necessary.
There never was any reference to any personal information of mine, as I had no knowledge of the case beyond that transmitted to me by Capt. Schley, and in view of my conversations with Minister Matta—for I had a second interview with him on the 21st November, in which we spoke of this matter of giving evidence as satisfactorily concluded—I am greatly surprised at the statement communicated by him to the Chilean minister in Washington.
I have, etc.,