Mr. Taylor to Mr. Gresham.
Madrid, April 19, 1895.
After interview, minister of state has replied in writing as follows:
As I had the honor to tell yon in my note of the 9th instant, I proposed to supplement it as soon as the report called for was received, which, having started from Havana by mail on the 30th ultimo, is expected at Madrid every day. The fact that my colleague of marine has transmitted to me a telegram from the commander-general of that station, which has been received in my department to-day, enables me, however, to recognize that when the Venadito fired upon the Alliança, the latter was in fact, according to the evidence taken, outside of the jurisdictional zone of Spain, and that, therefore, recognizing that fact the official accidentally in charge of the command of the Spanish ship at that time committed an error, undoubtedly involuntary. When His Majesty’s Government shall be able to understand the event in all its details from the study of the report which will shortly arrive, as I have already said, it will examine the conduct of the official who then commanded the Venadito in order to proceed as it shall be fit, as His Majesty’s Government has promised. It can not but lament an occurrence so contrary to the sentiments which animate it, as it has said on various occasions, not to interfere or hinder under any pretext the legitimate commerce of the United States.
Minister of state promised me verbally that the commander of the Venadito should be appropriately punished as soon as the degree of his guilt can be exactly ascertained.