Show THE ITATA CASE A Question Whether She Yio lated the Neutrality Laws She Received Her Arms and Munitions Oat side of the United States Limits She Will Be Sent to San WI Diego WASHINGTON Tune Secretary Tracy says the next step will be to send the Itata back to the United States to stand trial There i no expectation that the officers and crew of the Itata will jeopardize their liberty by returning with the vessel to San Diego and in fact as it was reported from Mexfco that the commander of the Insurgent war ship Esmeralda acted was captain of the Itata a far C Acapulco there are at least good reasons who bo must I not return to the United States In official circles is believed tho Itata is not likely t suffer heavily as the result of her escapade Credence is given to the statement telegraphed from Chi that the vessel took the contraband arms and ammunition from the Robert and Minnie outside the United States jurisdiction jurisdic-tion I this is true the offense against the neutrality laws is minimized and it is very doubtful i a ease would be made out against her in the present state and uncertain uncer-tain construction of tho law There is little lit-tle doubt sho can b < held on other charges such as contempt of court in sailing away while under injunction kidnaping the marshal mar-shal and sailing without clearance papera but these are minor offenses whose punishment pun-ishment is likely to take tho shape of fines and not go to the length of a forfeiture of the vessel The only dispatch received at the navy department today from Admiral McCann at Iquique was correcting the statement as to the location of the Itata when the arms were transferred to it from the schooner Robert and Minnie This transfer the dispatch says took place off Sanclemonto Islands a few miles from the coast instead or off San Diego harbor The location of the transfer may be of importance in determining de-termining the question of jurisdiction of United States courts |