The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-06-16
How Bayard Mistreated a Nation Whose
People Gave Few Votes to Democracy.
A Suppressed Incident Almost as Sensational
as the Sackville Case Recalled by the Ar
rival of the Scandinavian Minister.
Several Important Consular Positions
Filled by the President Yesterday.
Ruling in a Pension Case that Will Help to Re-
duce the Surplus-Opposition to Civil
Service Rules in the Census Bureau.


A DIPLOMATIC SECRET.
ment of the Scandinavian Government
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, June 15.-When Sir Julien
Pauneef0te was appointed minister from
England to the United States. vice Lord
Sackville, recalled by request. there was
great deal of newspaper talk and columns
of description of the gentleman, his man.
ners. family connections, and all other de-
tails concerning him which by any possi-
bility might be of interest to the general
public. This vas probably due to the fact
that his predecessor had been somewhat
tragically removed from his position.
A week ago Mr.. John Austen Wolff Gripp
presented his credentials to the President
as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary from the kingdom of
Sweden and Norway to the United
States. Four lines in the local papers,
and as much in the Associated Press.
was deemed sufficient space to give to
this diplomatic change. yet there
was as much of o suppressed sensation in
the appointment of Mr.. Gripp as there was
in the appointment of Sir Julien. Some
how or another very little attention is paid
dom with the United States. except in some
few cities where the Scandinavian popula-
tion predominates. Immigrants from Swe-
den and Norway to this country make some
of our very best citizens They are, as q
rule, hard-working. industrious, honest and
STRAIGHTFORWARD people. who attend strict
ly to the idea Of acquiring homes and car
ing for their families They mingle little
in politics, and although there We're three
natives of Sweden and Norway in the last
Congress, very little attention was paid to
capturing the Scandinavian vote by either
political party in the late presidential lent dan SSn
matte representation of the. Scan
dinavian peninsula was fully as
sensational that which brought
about the removal of Lord Sackville, and
who now presides over her Majesty's lega-
tion on Connecticut avenue.
Under the terms of the so-called Dinglev
shipping bill, which passed the House sew
concluded that they had the right to de-
mand that the tonnage tax on all vessels
coming from ports within the kingdom to
ports of the Republic of the United States
should be reduced from to cents per
ton. That able gentleman who -presides
over the navigation of the Treasury
Department, and who can tell the difier-
ence between marline spike and top
agree with the views taken by the
Swedish government, and refused to
permit the Swedish vessels to enjoy the
benefits of the Dingley shipping act
He held that the lower rate of tonnage ap-
piled solely to vessels coming from adjacent
ports of Central and South America. and
that in spite Of all treaties which might
contain contrary clauses, Swedish vessel
owners had no right to demand the conces-
sion.
Under ordinary circumstances this mighe
have been a correct construction of the act
of Congress, but unfortunately for ths
81 H. IL -
Navigation there was a similar case decided
in the twenties when the United States de-
manded under the treaty of 1927 certain
concessions from Norway which were
granted to vessels coming from European
ports. The Swedish government then took
the position later maintained by Morton.
| the United States Commissioner of Navl-
cation. that the geographical zone applied,
| and that United States vessels were not en-
titled to the lower rate of duty. Henry
Clay, however, who was then Secretary or
State, declined to accept the construction or
| the Norwegian law by the Swedish govern
| ment, and insisted that under Article VIII
of the treaty of 1927 the United States was
| entitled TO the lower rate OF duty. In re-
| sponse to the logical letter of the Secretary
! of State, the King of Sweden granted the
| demands of this country, and the necessary
| legislation to carry out his instructions was
| enacted by the Norwegian Parliament.
| In supporting it's demand for a three-cent
tonnage duty upon vessels hailing from Its
4
It's minister to call the attention of the
State Department. then presided over by
| that prince of diplomates, Ttos. L. Bayard,
/ to the letter of 1928 written by Henry Clay.
Baron Reuterskjold. This gentleman wrote
to Mr.. Bayard early In the year 1887, and
| called his attention to the letter OF Mr..
| Clay, Mr.. Bayard replied that he had nc
net be found in the archives of the depart:
ment. The minister Immediately cable6
to Stockholm for copy of the document
| from the Swedish archives and as soon ae
it was received sent it to Mr. Bayard. This
was in March. 1887. Ordinary diplomatic
| courtesy would have demanded that the
letter of the Swedish minister should have
had a reply as soon as the matters TO which
1t called attention could be looked up In
the department., but Mr.. Bayard ignored il
| entirely, and mp to the close of his admin
| istration of the State Department no reply
| had been sent to the representative OF the
| Swedish government.
| After waiting nearly six months that
| government became disgusted at the ia
| grant violations of etiquette on the part of
| the American foreign secretary, and Baron
| Reuterskjold was recalled. 1t was given
ont that be had taken a leave of absence.
| but this deceived no one who knew the facts
| In the case, aud when 1t was subsequently,
announced that he had been sent as minis
| ter to one of the southern European courts,
| COnstantinople, think, the truth dawned
| upon the official of the State Department..
| Yet no reply was sent. and the Swedish
! mission to the United States remained va
can't until June 1, when Mr.. Gripp presented
| his credentials.
This is a little piece of diplomatic history
| which would have attracted more attention
| If the Scandinavian vote In this country
was as important factor in politics as
| either the Irish or German vote has proved to
be. AS it is, when a brief reference was
made In this correspondence, more than a
year ago, TO the exact situation, 1t stirred
up the Scandinayians in the Northwest par
tlcularly. and thousands of letters have
been received here inquiring as to the cor
rect status of the case. In the meantime,
il is generally believed. the brutal action
| of the late Secretary ot State in utterly ig-
noring the courteous and diplomatic letter
of the Swedish minister had great deal to
do with the large increase in the Redublic-
an vote among the Scandinayians of Iowa
and Minnesota.
A BATCH OF CONSULs