Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

The United States offers asylum to the oppressed of all lands. But its sympathy with them in nowise impairs its just liberty and right to weigh the acts of the oppressor in the light of their effects upon this country, and to judge accordingly.

Putting together the facts, now painfully brought home to this Government, during the past few years, that many of the inhabitants of Roumania are being forced by artificially adverse discriminations to quit their native country; that the hospitable asylum offered by this country is almost the only refuge left to them; that they come hither unfitted by the conditions of their exile to take part in the new life of this land under circumstances either profitable to themselves or beneficial to the community, and that they are objects of charity from the outset and for a long time-the right of remonstrance against the acts of the Roumanian Government is clearly established in favor of this Government. Whether consciously and of purpose or not, these helpless people, burdened and spurned by their native land, are forced by the sovereign power of Roumania upon the charity of the United States. This Government can not be a tacit party to such an international wrong. It is constrained to protest against the treatment to which the Jews of Roumania are subjected, not alone because it has unimpeachable ground to remonstrate against the resultant injury to itself, but in the name of humanity. The United States may not authoritatively appeal to the stipulations of the treaty of Berlin, to which it was not and can not become a signatory, but it does earnestly appeal to the principles consigned therein, because they are the principles of international law and eternal justice, advocating the broad toleration which that solemn compact enjoins and standing ready to lend its moral support to the fulfillment thereof by its cosignatories, for the act of Roumania itself has effectively joined the United States to them as an interested party in this regard.

Occupying this ground and maintaining these views, it behooves us to see that in concluding a naturalization convention no implication may exist of obligation on the part of the United States to receive and convert these unfortunates into citizens, and to eliminate any possible inference of some condition or effect tantamount to banishment from Roumania, with inhibition of return or imposition of such legal disability upon them by reason of their creed, as may impair their interests in that country or operate to deny them the judicial remedies there which all American citizens may justly claim in accordance with the law and comity of nations.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

JOHN HAY.

Mr. Wilson to Mr. Hay.

Confidential: Roumanian series.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
Athens, August 8, 1902.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 14, Roumanian series, dated July 17, 1902, relative to the proposed naturalization treaty between the United States and Roumania.

Since the draft of the treaty approved by the Department was submitted to the Roumanian minister for foreign affairs nothing further has been accomplished, as the Roumanian Government refused to consider the project favorably.

Upon the receipt of your dispatch, I called upon the Roumanian minister to Greece, who has within a few days returned from Roumania, and asked him if his Government, after examination, had found the draft of the naturalization treaty submitted to it acceptable.

Mr. Ghica told me that just before leaving Bucharest he had a long audience with the King, during most of which relations with the United States were discussed. His Majesty told Mr. Ghica that he considered a naturalization treaty between the United States and Roumania unnecessary, and that he did not favor considering the matter at all. Upon my endeavoring to point out to Mr. Ghica that, in our opinion, such a treaty would be of great advantage to both countries, he said that he would be perfectly frank with me and tell me the real objection that the King had expressed against the proposed treaty.

According to His Majesty's opinion, a naturalization treaty would be most injurious to Roumania for the reason that it would complicate the already troublesome Jewish question in that country.

As you stated in your dispatch on this subject, on account of discrimination against them a large number of Roumanian Jews are driven from Roumania and a majority of them take refuge in America. If, therefore, there was a naturalization treaty, these Jews would return to Roumania and as American citizens claim rights and privileges to which they were not before emigration entitled. The King also fears that with a naturalization treaty between the two countries an even larger number of Jews would emigrate to America, and for the express purpose of returning to Roumania and claiming protection as American citizens.

I expressed to Mr. Ghica my regret that the United States and Roumania had been unable to conclude any of the proposed treaties, and expressed the hope that he would use his efforts to bring about a favorable consideration of the naturalization treaty, but as he assured me that the ministry and members of the Government shared the unwillingness of the King to consider such a treaty, I have not communicated with the Roumanian minister for foreign affairs, and shall await further instructions from the Department before so doing.

I am, etc.,

* * *

CHARLES L. WILSON, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.

Mr. Adee to Mr. Wilson.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

No. 15, Roumanian series.]

Washington, August 22, 1902.

SIR: Referring to the Department's No. 14 of the 17th ultimo, Roumanian series, on the subject of the treatment of Jews in Roumania, I inclose for your confidential information a copy of an instruction a which has been sent to the diplomatic representatives of the United States in the countries parties to the treaty of Berlin of July 13, 1878, in the hope that it may seem wise to those powers to take measures to persuade the Government of Roumania to accord to the indigenous Jews the generous and equal treatment prescribed for them by the Berlin treaty.

I am, etc.,

ALVEY A. Adee,
Acting Secretary.

a Printed under Austria, page 42.

RUSSIA.

MUTUAL EMBARRASSMENTS OF UNITED STATES AND RUSSIAN OFFICIALS AT NIUCHWANG CONFLICT BETWEEN UNITED STATES SEAMEN AND RUSSIAN OFFICIALS-DELAYS IN TRANSMISSION OF TELEGRAMS, ETC. α

Count Cassini to Mr. Hay.

[Translation.]

RUSSIAN EMBASSY, Washington, December 28, 1901. DEAR MR. HAY: Having been since yesterday indisposed afresh, and it being impossible for me to leave the house, it becomes necessary for me to have recourse to the pen in order to lay before you a matter which has been made the subject of a telegram I have just received from Count Lamsdorff.

Information which has recently been received by the imperial ministry from Niuchwang is to the effect that the consul of the United States in that city is raising constant and irritating difficulties with the Russian authorities; that he is taking under his protection Chinese subjects of a more than doubtful reputation; that he refuses to recognize the competence of the Russian tribunals and of the Russian authority upon whom rest provisionally, during the occupation of the country, the responsibility for the maintenance of order and tranquillity. These facts, being in flagrant contradiction with the cordial assurances based upon the reciprocal confidence which I have had the honor to hear from your excellency's lips on frequent occasions, and which I have hastened to bring to the knowledge of my Government, can not but painfully impress the Imperial Government, while, however, giving it the impression that they are the result of the personal and not very prudent activity of a consular agent little acquainted with the situation and with the excellent relations established upon a solid footing between our two Governments. Therefore I venture to hope, dear Mr. Hay, that, taking into consideration what I have communicated to you, you would be so kind as to furnish, as soon as possible, to the consul at Niuchwang explicit instructions to the end that he shall be careful to avoid acts and proceedings which are in absolute contradiction with all that I have seen and heard since I have been in this country.

Permit me to hope that you will complete your kindly intervention in this matter by enabling me to communicate your response, which I venture to hope will be entirely satisfactory, to Count Lamsdorff.

Be pleased to accept, etc.,

a See also under China, page 145.

CASSINI.

Mr. Hay to Count Cassini.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 30, 1901.

DEAR COUNT CASSINI: I have had the pleasure to receive your letter of the 28th instant in relation to the course of our consul at Niuchwang, and, appreciating the kindly spirit of friendship and the desire. to continue and fortify the good understanding between our two countries which it discloses, I hasten to reply in the same vein.

For our part, we have received from the consul at Niuchwang complaints of his treatment by the Russian authorities there and the difficulties he has at times found in following the general and special instructions of the Department which are applicable for the guidance of all United States consuls abroad, and are in no sense especial to that particular post. I have not, however, thought it expedient to bring these matters to the attention of your Government, either through you or through instructions to the United States ambassador at St. Petersburg. I have constantly had in mind the somewhat abnormal character of the state of things at Niuchwang, and have been disposed to make every allowance for the difficulties and embarrassments which must naturally attend the merely provisional administration of the Russian military and civil agents, during the temporary occupation of that port and its vicinity, in their efforts to maintain the order and tranquillity for which they are responsible until the proximate withdrawal of Russian control shall restore the normal conditions.

It is, nevertheless, painful to me to learn from your communication that the embarrassments of this provisional order of things have their reciprocal effect, as is perhaps natural, and that the Russian agents at Niuchwang have on their side ground to complain of the course of the United States consul in the exercise of powers and the discharge of functions common to all United States consuls. I can readily understand that our consul's discretion may at times be at fault in applying to the peculiar situation which surrounds him the general rules of consular intercourse, and that he may not fully comprehend the degree of latitude he may use in modifying those ordinary rules to fit the special case which confronts him. That errors of judgment in this regard can in any way suggest a less friendly disposition of this Government toward that of Russia is an inadmissible proposition. You are right in assuming that the course of which you complain is not directed by this Department. It certainly does not reflect any sentiment here entertained. On the contrary, it is our desire to carry out the policy of which we have conspicuously given proof, to leave Russia unembarrassed in the provisional execution of a purpose forced upon her by the troubles in China, which equally affected other nations, and to regard the temporary occupation of Niuchwang as a measure contributory to the end we all sought of restoring order and good government in China and securing to the interested powers equal safeguards, opportunities, and rights in their intercourse with the Empire.

In order to give the desires of this Government full effect, I shall instruct the consul at Niuchwang to use due circumspection in his official acts, to bear in mind the difficulties that naturally environ the situation, and to use every endeavor to adapt himself to circumstances and avoid all occasion of friction with the agents of Russia with whom he is called to deal in the discharge of his official duties. I do not doubt

that similar motives will inspire the course of the Russian officials, and that in this way mutual expression will be given to the friendly desires of both Governments.

I am, etc.,

Mr. Hill to Mr. Tower.

JOHN HAY.

No. 269.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 31, 1901.

SIR: For your information I have to inclose herewith copies of correspondence with the Russian ambassador at this capital in reference to the reported acts of the United States consul at Niuchwang; also copy of the Department's instruction to Mr. Miller in the matter.

I have, etc.,

DAVID J. HILL,
Acting Secretary.

No. 517.]

Mr. Tower to Mr. Hay.

EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES,
St. Petersburg, January 13, 1902.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 269 of the 31st of December, 1901, in which you inclose to me copies of the correspondence with the Russian ambassador at Washington in regard to a recent conflict between certain American sailors and the Russian police at Niuchwang, in which connection the acts of the United States consul at that port became the subject of official consideration at the Department of State; also copies of Count Cassini's note of the 28th of December and of your reply to him dated the 30th of December, and of Mr. Peirce's dispatch of the 31st of December to the consul at Niuchwang.

As I had heard of this matter through the telegraphic reports to the European newspapers, I referred to it informally at an interview which I recently had with Count Lamsdorff, imperial minister for foreign affairs, and asked him whether he had any information as to the reported difficulty, or whether I could be of service in any communication that he might desire to make to the Government of the United States.

Monsieur de Lamsdorff replied that he had received from Niuchwang a full report of the encounter which had taken place; that the trouble arose between some sailors on shore and the Russian police, who are responsible for public order in the city, and that it might have been composed immediately if the American consul to whose attention the question was brought had been willing to lend his aid toward the reestablishment of public order, but that, upon his refusal so to act, communication had been had with Mr. Conger, at Pekin, who responded immediately and took such steps as were necessary under the circum

stances.

a Printed, ante.

« ÎnapoiContinuă »