Mr. Thompson to Mr.
Gresham.
Legation of
the United States,
Petropolis, December 5, 1893.
(Received January 2, 1894.)
No. 94.]
Sir: Concerning the matter of bombardment, I have
the honor to report great difficulty in dealing satisfactorily with that
subject owing to peculiar conditions which embarrass the situation. The
Government is situated within the corporate limits of the city of Rio de
Janeiro and can not be deprived of the right to defend itself from assault.
The city has remained unfortified, but infantry with small arms are
stationed near the shore to prevent the approach of insurgent launches to
land troops.
When launches or torpedo boats approach the shore they are fired upon by the
Government troops stationed on the water front, and that is made a pretext
for indiscriminate firing on all parts of the city
[Page 79]
with machine guns stationed at Fort Villegaignon and on
the war ships of the insurgents.
No regular bombardment with large guns has taken place, but many men, women,
and children have been killed at points far removed from the location of the
infantry on the city front, and the commanders of the foreign naval forces
declined to interfere to prevent the indiscriminate firing. I foresaw this
difficulty and suggested that the naval commanders should require the
insurgents to give notice of any intention to bombard the city. They did
not, however, think they could do that, because in warning Mello not to
bombard they had assumed an attitude of hostility to the insurgents. I am
still of the opinion that the indiscriminate firing upon innocent people
should stop or at least timely notice be given of the bombardment to enable
honcombatants to place themselves beyond the reach of the fire. In some
instances large shells have been fired into the city. It seems to me that
instructions similar to those given to Admiral McCann* in Chili covering bombardment would apply very
well to the situation here. In this connection I have the honor to submit,
as per inclosures herewith, copies of correspondence that has taken place
since my last report between the Government, the diplomats whose Governments
are represented by naval forces, and the foreign commanders; also a letter
touching the subject of bombardment, addressed to me by American merchants
residing in Rio, most of whom are engaged in the coffee trade, and all of
whom are worthy citizens.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 94.]
memorandum.
British
Legation, November 9,
1893.
Observations made by the British
Minister.
On the night of the 7th instant I received a telegram from the minister
for foreign affairs begging me to call npon him at his ministry on the
8th instant at midday. I accordingly did so. His excellency said that on
the 6th instant while firing was going on between the forts at the
entrance of the bay and Villegaignon, some people along the shore had
applauded when some shots fell upon the fort, which then fired upon
them, the fire being returned with rifles by the Government troops; that
on the same day the Aquidaban fired for nearly a
quarter of an hour upon the town with machine guns throwing bails in
various directions, and amongst other places the Miserecordia hospital
was struck on that day. That by the fire from the Aquidaban and Villegaignon one civilian had been killed and
two persons wounded in the city; that while the Aquidaban was firing some steam launches from the foreign
squadron were seen to approach her, and that she then ceased firing and
had not since then fired upon the town. His excellency said that he did
not know whether to attribute this fact to any remonstrances on the part
of the foreign squadron or not. But he said that although the Aquidabad had ceased to fire on the town,
Villegaignon had not, and that guns had been at intervals fired during
the following day, the 7th instant, sometimes in one direction,
sometimes in another, and that the holophote on the Gloria had been fired at in broad daylight.
Senhor Nascimento reminded me that the Government had entered into an
agreement with the foreign representatives not to fire with guns upon
the fort or ships; there had, he said, been rifle firing from the town
and into the town from steam launches which had not done much harm.
Alluding to the firing onto the Gloria holophote
some time ago he said that that had been attributed by the foreign naval
commanders to the act of subordinate officials, which statement the
Federal Government had accepted, it having emanated from the foreign
commanders, but in this case the
[Page 80]
town had been fired upon by the insurgent flagship. His excellency went
on to say that the Government had strictly observed their engagement but
that they would be strangely limited in their rights if they were not to
return the fire of the insurgents if they fired upon the town. He said
that he was afraid that as they became desperate they would have
recourse to the same acts in order to create, if possible, a panic in
the town and he begged to call my serious attention to the matter.
I sent a short memorandum of my conversation with Senhor Nascimento to
Capt. Lang yesterday, begging him to report it to the Italian admiral,
and I also spoke to M. Lugun on the subject and I expressed the hope
that he would see Admiral Magnaghi at once with regard to it, which he
said he would.
[Inclosure 2 in No.
94.—Translation.]
Naval commanders to the
Diplomatic Corps.
Rio de
Janeiro, November 17,
1893.
The commanding officers of the naval forces, as a sequel to their
telegram of the 9th instant, have the honor to add that in their opinion
the cannon firing that the Brazilian Government reproaches the Aquidaban and Villegaignon with having directed
against the city is not of a different nature from that which passes
incessantly between the insurgents and the Government troops along the
quays, in the fusillades to which the Government itself does not seem to
attach much importance, as shown by its note to the dean of the
diplomatic corps. Indeed, the shots from the Aquidaban and Villegaignon in the direction of the city were
evidently fired with mitrailleuse and other arms of small caliber, to
reply to the fire of the land troops against the insurgent boats and the
garrison of Villegaignon.
The commanding officers have several times had to recognize that the
insurgent forces could not always be accused of having provoked these
little fights. They have probably been frequently brought about by the
inexperience of the troops stationed along the quays, an inexperience
that has been proven by the fact that these troops fired upon a
Portuguese boat carrying its war flag.
On this occasion the Government excused itself by saying that the troops
had not recognized the flag and thought that they were firing upon an
insurgent boat.
In this state of affairs the commanding officers can only confirm the
opinion that they have expressed in their telegram, namely, that there
is not sufficient reason to address a collective note to Admiral de
Mello in order to remind him of his agreement.
The commander of the Portuguese naval forces.
Augusto de Castilho.
The
commander of the Dutch naval forces.
Hoffmann.
The commander of the naval forces
United States America.
Henry F.
Picking.
The commander of the English naval
forces.
N. M.
Lang.
The rear-admiral commanding the French naval
forces.
A. de
Libran.
The rear-admiral commanding the Italian
naval forces.
G. B.
Magnaghi.
[Inclosure 3, in No.
94.—Translation.]
Diplomatic corps to the
Minister of Foreign
Affairs.
Rio de
Janeiro, November 16,
1893.
The ministers of England, Portugal, Italy, the United States of America,
and the chargé d’affaires of France have the honor to inform his
excellency the minister of foreign affairs that the commanding officers
of the foreign naval forces in the bay of Rio de Janeiro having examined
the complaints made on the 8th instant to the dean of the diplomatic
corps are of the opinion that the fire directed upon the city of Rio de
Janeiro by Fort Villegaignon and by the Aquidaban
with machine guns was provoked by the incessant firing of inexperienced
troops stationed along the shore of the city.
The commanders are fully of the opinion that under the circumstances it
would not be appropriate to communicate with Admiral de Mello in order
to remind him of his engagements.
[Page 81]
[Inclosure 4 in No.
94.—Translation.]
Minister for Foreign
Affairs to the Diplomatic
Corps.
Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
Rio de Janeiro, November 21,
1893.
The minister of state for foreign affairs has had the honor to receive
the note which the ministers of England, Portugal, Italy, the United
States of America, and the chargé d’affaires of the French Republic
addressed to him on the 16th instant announcing that the commanding
officers of the respective naval forces in the bay of Rio de Janeiro
having examined the complaints made by him to the dean of the diplomatic
corps are of the opinion that the fire directed upon the city by the
fort of Villegaignon and the battle ship Aquidaban with quick firing guns was provoked by the incessant
fusillades of inexperienced troops stationed along the shore of the
city.
The object of the conference of the 8th instant to which the note alludes
was not and could not be the presentation of complaints against the
conduct of the insurgents, but merely to make known that they continued
to fire upon the defenseless city in spite of the existing
agreements.
In this conference the minister of state for foreign affairs confirmed
what he said on the 27th of the preceding month to the foreign
diplomatic agents, namely, that his entrance into the ministry would in
no wise change that which had been agreed upon, for the reason that
under the present administration the direction of political affairs
belongs to the President of the Republic, that the Government persisted
in its intention of not placing cannon on the existing batteries, and
that it was not exact to say that cannon were being prepared in the
marine arsenal and that projectiles were being made in the war arsenal,
and finally that the squadron, already despairing of victory, as soon as
it thought itself lost would violate in toto the
agreements it had entered into with the foreign naval forces.
The Vice-President of the Republic, with all due deference to the belief
of the commanders, can not understand how, their ships being actually
anchored at the end of the bay and the view being intercepted by the
Ilhas da Cobras, they can be certain that the fire of the fort of
Villegaignon and of the battle ship Aquidaban was
provoked by the incessant fusillades of the inexperienced troops of the
shore.
Doubtless muskets have been fired from the shore, but always justifiably.
The commanders can not pretend, for instance, that the troops stationed
along the shore should remain passive when the boats of the insurgents
approach in a hostile manner. In driving them off by musket firing they
exercise the right of defense which the Government has not yet
surrendered and certainly will not surrender. It is a matter of public
notoriety and one which the commanders can not ignore that the
insurgents fire upon the city indiscriminately, killing and wounding
many people and destroying property in places which are free from all
hostile action.
The Vice-President takes cognizance of the notice given out by the
commanders that it would not be proper for them to address Mr. Mello to
remind him that he should respect his agreements.
[Inclosure 5 in No. 94.]
Messrs. James B.
Kennedy and others to Mr. Thompson.
Rio de
Janeiro, November 29,
1893.
Sir: The undersigned American citizens doing
business in this city, feeling that their lives are daily endangered
without any notice, respectfully request that, if you do not deem it
inappropriate, you will send to our Government at Washington in their
name the following message: “This city is fired into daily with small
shot and shells without any notice. A number of foreigners have been
killed. We ask that our squadron be instructed to prevent firing into
the city until proper notice is given and to keep constantly a line of
communication with the consulate.”
Thanking you in advance for complying with our request, which we trust
you will feel able to do, we subscribe ourselves, your obedient
servants,
- James B. Kennedy.
- Louis R. Gray.
- William T. Anderson.
- William J. Ewing.
- Frank Norton.
- E. T. Lawrence, jr.
- William H. Lawrence.
- John S. Keogh.
- S. T. Stratton.
- J. V. Bechtinger.
- A. C. Hill
