Savannah morning news., 1885-08-12
DISHONEST DIPLOMACY.
EX-CONSUL GENERAL WEAVER
PUT IN A BAD LIGHT.

Receipts for Rent Given by the Vice Con
sui General and no Money Taken In
| Consideration of His Retention of
Ofice Being gAssured-The Government
Then Charged with Rent.
| WASHINGTON, Aug. 11.--Col. Edmund
Jussen, of Chicago, Consul General to
Vienna, is winning golden opinions for
himself at the department here. He has
already furnished two interesting reports
on agricultural and industrial matters,
and, as will be seen by the subjoined let
ter, effected one very important reform in
the brief period Of sixty days he has
filled the office:
''My predecessor" he writes, 'instead
of paying his lessor $500 on account of
rent, put this amount annually into his
pocket and charged it TO the government
as rent paid"
PAYING FOR THE OFFICE.
The lessor, DR.. VIM. Herr, signed and
delivered a receipt for the rent quarterly,
but declined to take the money In cOnsd-
GRAFTON of the assurance that he would be
retained in his position as Vice Consul
General. The whole transaction was
simply bargain between this DR.. Herr
and my predecessor, Mr.. James Riley
Weaver, by which the title of Vice Con-
sui General was sold to DIR. Herr for the
sum of $500 annually.
JUssEN APPROACHED.
In proof OF this Col. Jussen cites the
following facts: F'A few days after l as
sumed charge of the Office DR.. Herr called
upon me and asked me to step into his
private Office and then and there made a
proposition to continue the arrangement
which, as he stated, had always been car
iaA hU 10
told me that eX-Consul General Weaver
| had never paid any rent whatever, and
that he Herr was quite willing to ten
der the premises rent free In c0nsidera-
tion Of his being retained as Vice Consul
and having the privilege of printing this
title upon his card. / declined peremptO-
rily and in terms which l thought could
not be misunderstood.
A CREDIT MoBTLIER MATTER.
''The honorable Vice Consul seemed to
be under the impression that | objected
merely to the form and not to the sub
stance of the bargain, and attempted to
reach his purpose by another and more
circuitOus route. Evidently well Versed
in the manipulation of Credit Mobiler
schemes, he proposed that l should pay
the rent regularly, and that ! should call
on him once year for advice in reference
! to an investment in Austrian securities.
| He would then make an investment as
my agent, and would guarantee that L
should receive a profit of 5000 for the an
nual amount of the rent.
EAIPHATICALLY DECLINED.
Gas matter of fact, l declined the
second proposition as emphatically as
! the first, and my landlord and Vice Con-
sui has failed to honor me with his pres
/ ence since. The Hon. John Nj. Francis
4 has informed me- that the harp9in in
! question was an open secret In official
American circles at this post.
81 have no sort of explanation for this
sale Of title by public officer except that
Vienna Is an expensive place to live In,
and that at the best the compensation of
the Consul General is very moderate and
! should be increased in order that be might
the better represent the Republic with
/ dignity and success" Col. Jussen asks
permission OF the department TO appoint
as Vice Consul General Otto Mas, whom
he describes as a naturalized American
citizen, well and favOrably known in this
/ country.
PENSION EXAMINERS DISTRICTS.
! There are at present twenty supervis-
/ ing examiners districts under the Pension
| Office. On Aug. Il this number will be
| reduced to five, and the States of Ohio,
/ West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina,
/ South Carolina, Georgia and Florida will
/ be organized into one section, to be known
as the Potomac district. 1t has not
| yet been determined where the headquar-
/ ters will be.
GEORGIA PosTIAsTERs.
John W. Taylor was to-day appointed
\ postmaster at King, Echols county, and
| James A. Murray at Gordonia, Ware
county, Ga.