Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-11

other politician who declared: 'T'd like to
see the Government that can change quicker
than can.''
Egan's Hand at Every Corner.
In the midst of their grave complications
with this Government on account of the
attack upon American sailors at Valparaiso,
Egan prevailed upon the Congressional
leaders to go SO far as 10 say that he was
perfectly acceptable as a Minister. To say
nothing of previous charges or information,
there has been a growing conviction ever
since the re-establishment of amity between
the two republics that Egan and McCreery
were both culpable. and that possibly Ad-
miral Brown, influenced presumably by
Egan, had been guilty OF having furnished
the Balmacedans with the important infor-
nation that the "Insurgents" had landed q
force at Quinteros Bay and were about to
march upon Valparaiso. A few weeks ago
it was announced that both Minister Egsn
and Consul McCreery had been granted
leave of absence, and it was assumed that
they were ordered home to explain what
seemed impossible of explanation while
they were thousands of miles away in the
Southern Hemisphere.
Mr.. McCreery, one of the charges against
exchange, upon information received pri-
vately and officially, started for home about
three weeks ago and is expected soon to
step into the State Department. Egan
seems to be in no hurry. He thinks, it is
said, that he ought not to leave pending the
settlement of the claims resulting from the
assaults on United States sailors, forgetting
that if his Government thought his presence
necessary at Santiago in that connection he
would not have been granted leave of ab-
sence, which was really equivalent to an
order to report at Washington.
Significant Leaves of Absence.
1t is limited at the State Department that
fresh '1eave of absence" has been cabled
to Egan, that he may speedily follow Nc
Creery, and that Admiral Brown, of the
San Francisco, now daily expected to reach
San Francisco from the Sandwich Islands,
may be ordered on to Washington to ex-
plain. It would be an exceedingly inter-
esting concluding chapter to the volume of
acts which came so near to involving this
country in war with Chile to have these
three gentlemen meet in Washington and
give diagram of their peculiar conduct
which led this Government to boldly
espouse the cause of Balmaceda, whose own
Government, in the face of their partisan
misinformation to our State Department,
was blown away in a moment, as child
would puff a feather in the air with q
breath.
A great suspiration of relief was heaved
at the State Department, this afternoon,
when the cable brought the welcome news
from Berne, the antique capital of Switzer-
land, that the international complications
over the George affair are ended, the ex-
plantations being satisfactory. The incident
is closed. This incident shows the absurd1ty
to which courtesy may be carried in the
treatment of any sort of fellows who may
be attached to "a foreign legation. DR..
George is factotum of the Swiss legation,
which is about as important as legation in
the Fiji Islands would be. Dr.. George ran
over to Bay Ridge, on the Chesapeake, one
day not long ago. While in dairy, Mrs.
Horde, of Baltimore, lost her pocketbook,
and the doctor" being the only other per-
son in the room, she charged the theft upon
him.
Couldn't Get OF on Trick.
A special officer awaited him. He pro
tested that he was an attache of foreign
legation at Washington, and was exempt
from arrest, even if guilty. This was
proposition so extraordinary that the Bay
Ridge policeman, not knowing what q lega-
tion was, and never having heard of the as
tonishing franchise which hedged about the
sacred persons CT foreign clerks in the dip
lomatic service, remarked that he did not
care if George was President of the United
States, he would run him in to answer the
charge of robbery.
George was taken to Annapolis, and there
is no telling what further indignity would
have been heaped upon him had not the
purse been found on bench in the dairy.
Why neither Mrs. Horde or Dr.. George, or
the officer thought of looking for the purse
before all this occurred is not explained
Then followed terrible international
melee. DR.. George demanded satisfaction,
in default of which the Swiss army would at
once be called out for active service.
Numerous letters passed between the State
Department and the Governor of Maryland.
Cable messages few thick and fast between
Borne and Washington. Finally the
Governor of Maryland announced that be
had procured the dismissal of the officer,
and he regretted that, under the laws of
Maryland, that was all he could do, except
to apologize to DR.. George and the Swiss
Government for the insult The Federal
Council of Switzerland having sat upon the
matter, finally decided to-day the amende
honorable had been made. Everything is
again lovely and DR.. George is as happy
over his beer and schweitzerkase as though
nothing had happened to ruffle his temper.
Not Much of an Outcome.
Thus this exciting international imbroglio
has resulted, all told, in the dismissal of
one poor Maryland policeman, whose small
wages barely kept his family alive, and
who merely refused to believe as genuine
a statement which has been often used by
Washington dudes as trick to escape ar
rest when they have been disorderly. More
over, members of foreign legations are not
always dignifed and orderly. 1t often hap
pens that attaches of legations indulge in
the most disgracetul conduct, insulting citi-
zens and police officers with impunity,
knowing that their relations protect them
from penalties which no American citizen,
similarly misbehaving, could escape.
OPIUM SMUGGLING UNCOVERED.