The Portland daily press., 1889-06-15
WHY SWEDEN SENDS A NEW ENVOY.
The Commissioner of Navigation
Made Wrong Decision,
And Mr.. Bayard's Peculiar Diplomacy
Complicated Matters.
The Flag Which Was Adopted ii2
Years Ago Yesterday.

WASHINGTON, June 14.-When Sir Julien
Pauncefote was appointed minister from
England to the United States. vice Lord
Sackville, recalled by request, there was a
great deal Of newspaper talk and columns Of
descriptions of the gentleman, his manners,
family connections, and all other details con
cerning him which by any possibility might
be Of interest to the general public. This
was probably due to- the fact that his prede-
cessor had been somewhat tragically re-
moved from his position.
A week ago Mr.. John Austen Wolff Gripp
presented his credentials to the President as
envoy extraordinary and minister plenipo-
tentiary from the kingdom of Sweden and
Norway to the United States. Four lines In
the local papers and as much in the Associa-
ted Press was deemed sufficient space to give
to this diplomatic change, yet there was as
much of a suppressed sensation in the ap-
pointment of Mr.. Gripp as there was in the
appointment of Sir Julien.
Under the terms of the so-called Dingley
Shipping bill, which passed the House sew
eral years ago, the government of Sweden
concluded that they had the right to de-
mand that the tonnage tax on all vessels
coming from ports within the kingdo to
ports of the republic of the United States
should be reduced from to cents per ton.
The gentleman who presides over the navi-
cation bureau of the Treasury department,
did not 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
g fnrr cd 10
sells coming from adjacent ports of Central
and South America, aud that in spite OF all
treaties which might centain contrary
clauses, Swedish vessel owners had no right
to demand the concession.
Under ordinary circumstances this might
have been correct construction of the act
of Congress, but unfortunately for the posi-
tion assumed by Morton, the Commissioner
of Navigation there was similar case decid-
ed in the 20's when the United States de-
manded under. the treaty Of 1927 certain con-
cessions 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 navigation, that the
geographical zone applied, and that United
rate of duty. Henry Clay, however, who
was then secretary of state, declined to ac-
cept the construction of the Norwegian law
by the Swedish government, aud insisted
that under article OF the treaty of 1927 the
United States was entitled to the lower rate
of duty. In response 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 in
struction was enacted by the Norwegian
Parliament.
When Mr.. Morton's decision was an
Baron Reuterskjold, the then
Swedish minister, procured copy of Mr..
Clay's letter which Secretary Bayard could
not find on file in his department. Ordinary
diplomatic courtesy would have demanded
that the letter of the Swedish minister
should have had reply as soon as the mat
tiers to which it called attention could be
looked up in the department, but Mr.. Bayard
ignored 1t entirely and up to the close Of his
of the State Department no
reply had been sent to the representative of
the Swedish government
After waiting nearly six months that gov
ernment became disgusted at the flagrant vi
Olations of etiquette on the part of the Amer
can foreign secretary, and Baron Reutersk-
jold was recalled. 1t was given out that he
had taken leave of absence, but this de,
ceived no one whe knew the facts In the
case, and when 1t was subsequently an
nounced that he had been sent as minister to
one of the European courts,
the trutd dawned uppon the
officials of the State Department. Yet
no reply was sent, and the Swedish mission
to the United States remained vacant until
June 1, when Mr.. Gripp presented his Gre
dentialS,