invite the attention of his excellency Baron von Rotenhan, acting secretary of state for foreign affairs, to the applications of the Mutual Life Insurance Company and the New York Life Insurance Company, for permission to resume business in Prussia, interrupted in the year 1895, and which applications have been pending upon reexamination in the Prussian ministry of the interior and remained undetermined for many months, the delay in granting which is beginning to operate to the embarrassment of these companies in the conduct of their business in other German States, and other European countries. The undersigned, as instructed by his Government, begs to express the hope that it may be found consistent by the Prussian ministry of the interior at an early day to reach a conclusion granting the prayer of the applicants, that thereby the embargo now existing upon their business in Prussia, to their serious disadvantage, may be lifted. With the well-grounded belief that the requests of these applying American companies for restoration to the rights and privileges formerly accorded them, and by virtue of which they undertook business and made large investments in Prussia, will not be long withheld, and that his excellency will soon be enabled to put the undersigned in the way of informing his Government of the reply which it confidently awaits, the undersigned avails himself, etc., EDWIN F. UHL. No. 108.] Mr. Uhl to Mr. Olney. EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES, Berlin, August 12, 1896. (Received August 27.) SIR: I have the honor to inclose herewith, with translation, copy of the acknowledgment this day received from the Imperial foreign office to my note No. 78, of August 5 last, addressed to his excellency Baron von Rotenhan, acting Imperial secretary of state for foreign affairs, in regard to the pending application of the Mutual Life Insurance Company and the New York Life Insurance Company for permission to resume business in Prussia, copy of which note accompanied my dispatch No. 101, August 5, 1896. I have, etc., EDWIN F. UHL. [Inclosure in No. 108.-Translation.] Baron von Rotenhan to Mr. Uhl. BERLIN, August 10, 1896. Referring to the note of the 5th instant, the undersigned has the honor to inform his excellency the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States of America, Mr. Edwin F. Uhl, that he has not failed to again call the attention of the Prussian minister of the interior to the matter of the American life insurance companies, "the Mutual" and "the New York." The undersigned has also made use of the above note for that purpose, and he expresses the hope that he, after it has been brought to the attention of the minister of the interior, will be able to acquaint the ambassador with his decision at an early date. The undersigned avails himself, etc., ROTENHAN. No. 143.] Mr. Adee to Mr. Uhl. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 101, of the 5th instant, inclosing a copy of your note of the same date to the imperial German foreign office recalling its attention to the applications of the Mutual Life Insurance Company, of New York, and of the New York Life Insurance Company for permission to resume business in Prussia. Your course in regard to the matter is fully approved by the DepartALVEY A. ADEE, Acting Secretary. ment. I am, etc., Mr. Uhl to Mr. Olney. [Telegram.] BERLIN, November 28, 1896. Minister for foreign affairs promises an early decision insurance cases. No intimation as to result. UHL. No. 224.] Mr. Uhl to Mr. Olney. EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Berlin, December 24, 1896. (Received Jan. 8, 1897.) SIR: I have the honor to report that I have had, within the past few weeks, several interviews with his excellency Baron Marschall von Bieberstein, Imperial secretary of state for foreign affairs, concerning the pending applications of the American life insurance companies for permission to renew business in Prussia. In the latter part of October I called upon his excellency and requested that, if consistent, the decision might be made known to me before the beginning of December. I again took occasion at this interview to represent to his excellency the great interest which was felt by the Government and the people of the United States in the favorable disposition of this matter, and expressed the earnest hope that the President might be able, in his then forthcoming annual message to the Congress, to announce that the application of the companies had been granted. I had before this. stated to the Prussian minister of the interior that, if in the examination then proceeding, further showing upon any apparently doubtful point was found to be necessary or convenient, I should be pleased to be informed in that regard and would see to it that the additional information was promptly supplied. In the interview last referred to his excellency, I was told by him that he expected a decision would be reached before the date suggested by me. I saw him on the 28th ultimo. The subject was again referred to. He then said he was confident he should be able to announce to me the decision within eight or nine days. Very shortly after this meeting he became ill, was confined to his residence for several days, and was again at the foreign office for the first time yesterday. once sought and obtained an interview, reminded him that the time I at had passed within which I had been led to hope the expected decision would be made known. I was informed by him that by reason of his recent illness he had been unable to review the report, which was in his possession. I found him disinclined to express any opinion upon the merits of the pending cases. I was unable from the entire interview to extract any great confidence in an early favorable decision. The not infrequent reference in this connection by his excellency to the recent proclamation of the President (which he deprecated, and as to which I had not called) in the matter of tonnage taxes, light-house dues, etc., the effect of which puts ships from German ports entering our own upon "an even keel" with ships from the United States entering German ports, impressed me. I took occasion during the interview to suggest that the legislature of the State of New York would meet early in January next, and that the readmission of the American companies into Prussia would doubtless materially aid the Prussian insurance companies now seeking to do business in that State, and I also referred to the possible attitude of the legislatures of several other States with reference to the business of Prussian companies within their several jurisdictions as indicated by bills introduced therein at the last session. He finally said that as the ultimate decision rested with the Prussian ministry he could not definitely say when it would be made, but he hoped it would be reached early in the new year. I have, etc., EDWIN F. UHL. No. 251.] Mr. Uhl to Mr. Olney. EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES, Berlin, January 23, 1897. (Received Feb. 8.) SIR: From interviews had this day by myself with Privy Councillor Wermuth, of the Imperial home office, and by Mr. Jackson with his excellency Dr. von Boetticher, the head of that office, I am informed that the pending applications of the American insurance companies for readmission to Prussia, together with the accompanying papers submitted by the companies, and the reports of the experts, etc., are now before the Prussian ministry of state, of which Dr. von Boetticher is the vice-president, and that it is expected very soon to have the question made the order of the day, so that a final decision in regard to it may be made. I have, etc., EDWIN F. UHL. Mr. Uhl to Mr. Olney. [Telegram.] BERLIN, January 25, 1897. Adelson, representative New York Life, here. Informs me he has nothing more to present to Prussian ministry of state either in the form of statement or argument. UHL. CASE OF AN INSANE AND DESTITUTE GERMAN SEAMAN LEFT AT A UNITED STATES PORT. Mr. Olney to Baron von Thielmann. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 7, 1896. EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to inclose for your perusal and consideration a copy of a communication' received from the United States circuit court commissioner at Savannah, Ga., in regard to one Jacob Franck, a seaman on board the German steamer Maria Elizabeth, who, having been discharged from that vessel, or having deserted, in December, 1895, has become a charge upon the community by reason of insanity. As a destitute German seaman, his case is presumed to fall within the provisions usually made by Governments for the relief of their merchant seamen left destitute in foreign countries, and under this aspect it may be capable of disposition without consideration of the alternative phase presented by his insanity and pauperism, in which latter alternative the matter may be properly one for the cognizance of the Secretary of the Treasury in execution of the provisions of the immigration statutes of the United States. Accept, etc., RICHARD OLNEY. Baron von Thielmann to Mr. Olney. [Translation.] IMPERIAL GERMAN EMBASSY, Mr. SECRETARY OF STATE: I have the honor to acknowledge your excellency's note, No. 97, of February 7, relative to the seaman Jacob Franck, now in Savannah, Ga. I have at present laid the matter before the Imperial consul-general in New York, and shall, upon receipt of his reply, inform you more in particular with respect to any action concerning Franck. In the meanwhile I beg to say that it is the custom in Germany for destitute insane foreigners to be housed and maintained at public cost until their removal is decided upon, and that in this case a similar treatment may be expected on the part of the authorities of the State of Georgia. Accept, etc., THIELMANN. Baron von Thielmann to Mr. Olney. [Translation.] IMPERIAL GERMAN EMBASSY, Mr. SECRETARY OF STATE: Referring to my note of the 8th instant, relative to Jacob Franck, a seaman who is now at Savannah, I have the honor to inform your excellency that correspondence took place in 1 Not printed. December, 1895, on this subject between the Imperial consul at Savannah and the Imperial consulate-general at New York, in which the possibility of sending the seaman in question home was fully discussed. The inquiries made by the German consular authorities elicited the fact that Franck, who was formerly a fireman on board of the German steamer Maria Elizabeth, is really insane, and that there is good ground for the belief that he left his place and his vessel while not responsible for his acts. The Imperial consul at Savannah informed the authorities of that city that in view of the state of the case no obligation on the part of the German consulate to care for Franck could be recognized, and Franck was thereupon discharged from prison. He was, however, very soon rearrested for disorderly conduct and burglary and recommitted to prison, where he has since become a raving maniac. The owner of the vessel (whose address is now unknown, since, according to information received from the consulate-general at New York, no steamer Maria Elizabeth appears in the latest list of German seagoing vessels) can not, however, be compelled to pay for the transportation of a maniac to his native land, and the Imperial consular authorities have no means at their disposal for such a purpose. The fact that he had deserted would, moreover, of itself exonerate the owner from any legal obligation to care for a sick seaman. It has, furthermore, by no means been shown that Franck is still a subject of the German Empire, nor is it known whether he has relatives in Germany or elsewhere who would be able and willing to furnish the means to convey him home and to support him after his arrival there. The general principle that the State authorities of a country or other public authorities are bound at first to care for an alien who is in need of assistance is so generally recognized that some provision for such a purpose has probably been made by the laws of the State of Georgia. This principle has also been maintained in similar cases by the United States Government, as is shown by the accompanying documents (sic). I have the honor in this connection to refer to the case of Valdimir (Vladimir?) von Suminski, an American citizen of unsound mind, to which the note of Hon, Edwin F. Uhl, Acting Secretary of State, of October 11, 1894, to Mr. von Holleben, my predecessor, had reference. In this case the Department of State (as appears from the Hon. W. Q. Gresham's note of July 15, 1893) instructed the United States consul at Hamburg to communicate with Suminski's relatives. The consul did so, and addressed, under date of January 12, 1894, the communication of which a copy is herewith inclosed to Burgomaster Versmann, in the concluding portion of which it is distinctly stated that sick aliens are cared for in the United States. I avail, etc., THIELMANN. [Inclosure.] Mr. Robertson to Burgomaster Versmann. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Hamburg, January 12, 1894. SIR: Replying to the valued favor of your magnificence of the 10th instant, I have the honor to inform you that in July or August last this consulate succeeded in communicating with one Stanislas de |