New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-04
4 NATIONAL DISGRA or.
r,,r rvrFFICIENCY OF THE UNITED
STATES CONSULAR SERVICE.
AMERICAN CITIZENS IN sPANisHANERI'A''
,.,,,xrp1rs OBLIGED TO LOOK TO ENGLAND
rop PROTECTION - CONGRESSIONAL
NrGGARDLINESs AND PARTISAN
SHIP RESPONSIBLE 49, THE
SUGAR TRrsT ~ Cuba.

SHIP RESPONSIBLE - TIE
srGAR TRUST ~ CUBA
II Is the privilege Of comparatively few Americans
- note personally the effect upon other countries
OF the foreign and industrial pohcy OF 'he nv
states Government. 1t was the writer's soon 'o''-
une to observe bow the tarin DISCUSSIONS Vi ''''
I,,,. and Iuly in Congress affected the sugar III
,.,-.. T., CHINA and how the United States con-
sul,r nolIcy operated In cuba and Mexico Inc
,s,t On those tw, countries taught lesson III
nractical craftsmanship which VIII never DE lot
gotten 49,, ,,
What Interested the writer most was '"e W.
growing out OF our Governments perhic""S po''V'
respecting its consular appointments ms pun,
so weak and defective to render our 'o"S"''
sorv,ce veIl-nlgh useless. The experience oil snip
ovre-s and masters " vessels visiting lor''E"
Lands will afford a fair example of Its utter ihe"'-
cheney ,,
American shipping Interests have long peen ''n''s
CRYING ont for justice and protection M" '''
RECOGNITION from the Government commensurate
with their magnitude both prospective anu '''''''
The arbitrary fines imposed upon American '''
trading at cuban and Mexican ports can be o"''''
os examples of some of the evils due 10 'ne '"''"'
Of the United States Government 10 eu''""''' P''
lection against fraud and robbery
ON the IIth of last July. at a M inc 'P'''.s'
health officers launch at Havana are" a'ohsS'
~ an American steamship and demanded To see
the ships surgeon. who had been Informed oil .n'
approach of the launch and was getting INTO MS
clo;hes AS rapdly az possible. The health or''''
not finding the surgeon waiting Tor hlih' P'e''"
10 become angry. and went back TO the city anu
the vessel was fined $lco Notwithstanding inc 'ac'
.h, ,b. surgeon appeared on deck before IN"
launch's wheel had responded to the gong me
health officer was deaf to the explanations OF me
c,ntain and the pursor No amount OF pleading
and argument could LIT the fine The authorities
a, Havana were inexorabe. Nothing but the pay
,ncnt OF the fine would suffice and the snip h"d I"
nay 4 Had this been neglected and the vessel gone
70 sea she would have been obliged to go without
her ships papers. and every ship-o"h'r anu "''N
hand knows what that means.
The next port Of entry was Progteso. fucatan
Here another fine was imposed With even less red
son than that upon which the robbery AT haNan"
was based ~ this port the customs oic.hi AT"
the health officer came on board. and according /"
The revenue officers own admission. found The snip
papers correct and regular. Among these papers
were clear bills OF health signed by the American
S,,n,sh and Mexican consuls at Havana, documents
which would have cleared any vessei al any p''' III
any interpreting country.
But they amonntci to nothing At PtoUeso. They
wero declared insufficient. The health officer gave
orders 10 fumleate the ship becsuse the vessel had
Just come from Havana. whore there were some
cases = yellow fever A half-pound OF sulphur was
burned In IN" hold Of the ship fore ana Art 'or "hch
the steamer had 20 pay 49,. II was Sunday morn
Ing and "A huIlf~ht was billed 20 come Of In the
'' ,.. ''', wa,t,s IN. cnol,I Of Yucatan. some
afternoon a. Meiri" me o'p.," y, D,',
twelve miles IN IN" INTERIOR me o''0'l7 81 VIZ '.P
declared that the money WAS extorte1 20 pay the
49, -, oc,..,s 20 the y,.,, sranish
expenses 81 the port ""''rs 20 me go
sport This may or may not have been true. but II
seemed strange that such a COURSE on tn part oi
tn, port Hirals should be pursued on this paricu-
lar day when they knew That there Is no time In
N, who. year when Havana IL free from yellow
fever ami smallpox.
r. f,-, moi frs
ship. r. vas sunlown when the vessel dockcd AZ
that port The captain OF The ship paid Il visit to
49,, ,,.t,, ..,, ,.,, lived With his family IN ti,.
station house ~ IN" M"N'Ah 'eht" "'to"' "''l
r'.,t,,rs ,no,, ~, rr,,,ches having nroken his tx
80. re-, ..,, .,I D.,
were old friends. ana. wishing - sho" the agent
co,rt..y tbe raptain sent oyer To- IN. ship for a
tray 'i REFRESHMENTS Amen An si"o 10 ,"'''' d.
When the waiter was bringing the tray ne ever
,,.. mn, ., o., -, ,.,.e,t o.. .,. ,,.
' '','', ,'s, "''' '''' '''''' ''''
The next morning the Mexican Central Rail
!''' l'' IA - ~. I's ~ W 20, -
IN" snip Tor Nr". "'k, IN thr ireight Dl' wa
'', ~, ''',y ~ , "sys T." ,ha nn,nicr.nr ~
enc OF me if'lFhicArf clerical oHrrs'sht, eVl,
.'HNy. ~ WIS P,lh,N Ga, 10 VIZ ,i'.s' hS,.'' =. =.
the road ~no admitted the error lnmrIia'ely. J.,
wa Il "'".eI oi no S' az ~,
out of wnch to manufacture an excuse Tor me
OF ahpth'F s!"., , ,,-, -,
rms maze ShD III american money winch the
iuckesS snip hdI 10 De!Ore her nose vas turned
for the hOmewdrd trip. Il amounted 10 absolutely
nothing to protest 50 the outrage had 10 be- swaI-
lowed
Instances OF this Kind could be multiplied in
definitely by any one who would take the trouble
t. talk 10 shp-owners and masters
Such proceedings are seldom attempted In either
Cuba or Mexico on ships belonging 20 any one
Of the great European Powers. The reason this
system OF robbery be successfully carried
out Is because the United States Is too niggardly
In Its Onsullr apprOpri atoms and too lax IN the
selection Of the who supposed 10 represent
the American Government In Mexico and cuba.
policy alOptcd by England Eng.Ish consuls re
ceve a sufficient salary and are not permitted to
enrag. I'm any business which Womb directly mr. in
directly interfere with their efficiency as Enpllso
reur.ssntatlve. The intel States il rcnrcsrn.cs
bv Americans who have more or less buslness az
their own in Mexico and Cuba ana who do not
dcnend lnon their salary AZ Cnvernrncn, oG,ci,L.