Mr. Thompson to Mr.
Gresham.
Legation of
the United States,
Petropolis, November 10, 1893.
(Received December 18.)
No. 66.]
Sir: On the 21st of October Rear-Admiral Libran, in
behalf of the commanders of the foreign naval forces in the bay, informed
the diplomatic representatives through the dean of the corps that the
Federal Government was having cannon prepared in the arsenal of marine, and
projectiles made in the war arsenal and that these acts would provoke on the
part of the insurgents an attack upon the arsenals which would bring
disastrous consequences upon the neighboring quarters and especially the
Misericordia hospital, which contained 1,400 or 1,500 patients of all
nationalities, meeting of the diplomatic representatives was held and I have
the honor to report herewith correspondence covering the matters noted
below.
I have, etc.,
[Page 67]
[Inclosure 1, in No.
66—Translation.]
Diplomatic Corps to the
Naval Commanders.
Rio de
Janeiro, October 22,
1893.
The representatives of England, Portugal, Italy, the United States of
North America, and the chargé d’affaires of France present their
compliments to Rear-Admiral de Libran and have the honor to submit for
his consideration, as well as that of the other commanders interested,
copy of the draft of a note that they intend to send to the Federal
Government in case the said draft shall meet with the joint approval of
Admiral de Libran and the said commanders.
[Inclosure 2 in No.
66—Translation.]
Naval Commanders to the
Diplomatic Corps.
Rio de
Janeiro, October 23,
1893.
The commanders of the foreign naval forces have the honor to present to
the representatives of their respective powers the observations which
the note addressed to them suggests.
They think that the operations of the war arsenal can not be assimilated
to the presence of cannon in the city, for if the arsenal is making
arms, these arms are not destined for an action of the city itself but
for an action of the forts. One can not, therefore, accuse the
Government of failing in its promises, for up to the present we have
asked for the abstention of the city in direct acts of war only.
Moreover, they think that one cannot indicate to the Government what it
should do to deprive Rear-Admiral de Mello of his projected pretext for
an attack. For, to indicate to the Government a line of action to follow
is to become responsible for the consequences which might ensue.
They think, therefore, that it would suffice to point out the new
situation to the Government and to confine the note to the contents of
the first paragraph in calling attention to the consequences which a
military action would bring upon the arsenal and population, while
leaving it free to decide upon that which it shall think proper to
do.
The commanders of the Portuguese, Italian, English, American, and French
naval forces.
- A. de Libran.
- O. F. Stanton.
- W. M. Lang.
- A. de Libera.
- Augusto de Castilho.
[Inclosure 3 in No.
66.—Translation.]
Diplomatic Corps to
Minister of Foreign
Affairs.
Rio de
Janeiro, October 23,
1893.
The representatives of England, of Portugal, of Italy, of the United
States of North America, and of France have been informed by the
commanders of the naval forces of their respective countries that the
Federal Government is at the present moment having cannons prepared in
the arsenal of marine and projectiles made in the war arsenal, and that
these acts will provoke on the part of the insurgents an attack upon the
arsenals.
This attack would bring disastrous consequences upon the neighboring
quarters, and especially the Misericordia Hospital, which contains from
fourteen to fifteen hundred patients of all nationalities.
à S. E. Carlos de Carvalho.
[Page 68]
[Inclosure 4 in No.
66.—Translation.]
Minister of Foreign
Affairs to the Diplomatic
Corps.
Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
Bio de Janeiro, October 24,
1893.
I have received the joint note which your excellency and the
representatives of Portugal, Italy, the United States of America, and
France addressed to me to-day, saying that they have been informed by
the commanders of the naval forces of their respective countries that
the Federal Government is at the present moment having cannon prepared
in the marine arsenal and projectiles in the war arsenal.
I have brought to the knowledge of the Vice-President of the Republic the
facts set forth on this subject in the said note.
Be pleased, etc.,
[Inclosure 5 in No.
66.—Translation.]
Senhor Nascimento
to the Diplomatic Corps.
Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
Rio de Janeiro, October 27,
1893.
The Vice-President of the Republic has taken cognizance of the verbal
note which the representatives of England, Portugal, Italy, the United
States of America, and France addressed on the 24th of this month to my
predecessor concerning information received from the commanders of the
respective naval forces according to which the Federal Government is
having cannon prepared in the marine arsenal and projectiles made in the
war arsenal. The Vice-President thinks that the rights of the legal
government would be singularly limited to the advantage of the
insurgents if its means of defense were successively considered
dangerous, but his excellency authorizes me to declare to the
representatives that the acts denounced do not exist; no preparation of
the kind indicated has been made in the two arsenals.
