The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-04-08
THE DIPLOMATIC METHOD.


It is said by gentleman who has had
large experience in the diplomatic af-
fairs of our Government that Mr.. l'or.
ter, United States minister to Italy, will
not retire because of the withdrawal
Of the Italian minister to this country.
Neither will the course OF the Italian
minister necessarily put stop to cum
municaJions between the respective
Governments The minister having
turned over the charge of affairs to his
secretary, correspondence with his Gov
ernment can be carried on through that
officer. Its not customary for Govern
mentS TO address each other directly,
but always through minister or some
representative. \ declaration of war,
the same official said, did not necessari-
ly follow such action as that of the
Italian Government. There were many
precedents for it, nearly all Of which,
however, were among European ma
tionS. Through better understanding
of the differences that may exist, or
through friendly interventions of a
third power, these difficulties are often
adjusted without recourse to arms.
DIPLOMATIC PRECEDENTS.
So far as is recalled there have been
only a few instances where foreign
ministers TO the United States have
been recalled at the request Of our Gov
menJ or have been given their pass
ports, two of which instances he recol-
lecteG. The Grss Of these was that Of
the French Minister Citizen Genet, who
was recalled by the French Govern
ment at the request Of the United States
because he was personally offensive to
this country. The other case occurred
at the time Of the war of 1912 with
Great Britain, when minister from
that country was given lis passports.
There are no cases recalled where a
United States minister to foreign
country has been gi:'en his passports,
though there may have been one or
more instances of this kind. It is said
that there nave been a number Of cases
where protests have been made against
United States co1suls and even where
the flag o. the United States has been
hauled down. Tie idea of war over
the incident is ridicu!ed by this gentle
man, as also is the prospect Of an extra
session Of Congress growing out of the
same incident. He suggested that the
misunderstanding may possibly exist
as to the real nature OF the letter of
Governor Nichols to Secretary Blaine
with respect to the killing of the Ital-
iaaS. 1t IS assumed that Baron Fava
sent the letter to mis- Government and
that possibly that Government may in
tecpret it as the sentiment Of the Fed
eral Government in the case. Nations,
he pointed out, do not go to war in
these times over small affairs.
Mr. Porter, the present minister Of
the United States to Italy, he said. is
generally regarded as man of shrewd
ability, and fully able to
cope with the questions at issue.
AMERICANS IN ITALY.
Late this afternoon certain erroneous
reports were in circulation respecting
alleged outrageS Oh American citizens
III Italy. Careful inquiry at the de-
partment of State fails to disclose more
than two complaints of that character
during the past six months. Moreover
they appear to be devoid OF features
to give rise to international
com plicationS. In one case an Ameri-
can citizen, who was in the habit of |
crossing the Piedmont boundary line
in frequent drives, was suspected of |
and when he refused to |
allow Italian customs officers to search !
his carriage for contraband articles he
was arrested and made bitter COM
pl9int Of discourtesy. In the other case