New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-24
THE USE OF PASSPORTS.
DOCUMENTS WHOSE VALUE AND ~"
POSE ARE LITTLE UNDERSTOOD
HOW THE GOVERNMENT ISSUES THEM AND WHAT
THEY CONTAIN-sOME LUDICROUs Mis-
TAKEs-A BIT or HISTORY

HOW THE GOVERNMENT ISSUES THEM AND WHAT
THEY coNTArN-soME LuDIcRoUs MIS-
TAKEs-A BIT OF HISTORY.
Washington. Nov II (speciaD.-Accordins TO 'he
number and character of the letters received D.
the passport clerk at the State Department. -
would seem that the general public OF the on''e'
States knows little OF the value or genera USE
Of the passport in foreign countries lne'e "
those who In foreign travel subject themseNe'' "
pecally in Germany. TO much useless "o"o -,
worry which could be avoided by the sihp'e "
NJ takIna ont a passport from their own Govern
ment Although not OF great importance III i''"
cases. this Is a guarantee by the roNe'' -.
the United States that the person bearing 1t 10 "o
he claims to be. and, bearing such eVine"ce' %
titled TO the consideration OF the oihcers Vi '
Government he Is visiting Ordinarily speah'"s' do
every one knows who has taken short buropea"
trip. the possession of passport on Dr'e' 'o
ney through England or France Ia NOT Oh any ~
ticular value. for in nine cases out OF te" II - ~
called into requisition. But persons who want 10
20 into Alsace- Lorraine from France are oi'e" P
to great Inconvenience and delay II they 90 NOT
have passports which are vsed by the Germ"
Embassy at Paris for the rules H. parts Vi Wv"
many in regard TO the identity OF persons are HIVE"
rigid ,,ooo
So long as people are travelling through Europe
their movements may be unquestiohed' Du' II W..
give an appearance Of intending to live or soJou'"
at a place they are frequently called upon ~,
their passports and forced to give an accou' =,
themselves and their object In staying i",' "
particularly the case IN Germany, where peop'o ~
the smaller towns have frequently been ques'o"''
abruptly by the civil authorities WITHIN So
time after their arrival. Passports are cer'a,,ns
necessary for the Turkish dominions' ihciu"'"s
Egypt and Palestine and should be certiheu ny
Turkish consular officer before entering "it"'" ~
limits OF Turkish jurisdiction. ,
Tho word nassport seems to bear some mysuca'
nf
The passport clerk OF the State Department W. II.
Trou,and has received any number or curious
communica tions from persons OF . lower o'",
Intelligence asking questions which e@ci.e no ,r,
amusement on the part OF the reciPie"''
vocueness Of the ideas OF these people IN regd'u
10 the passport and It's uses is SHOWN pS ~"
amusing cases short time ago An ola coo'eu
roman somewhere down South. with nve OF 81
cbraren wrote to the Secretary OF stare Ior
nassport She said she had heard that ne was
great and good man. and that she thought ne "o'
take pity on a poor. lone woman with SIX cn''''
who wanted to get from her place OF residence III
the South to other part OF inc count >
a,stanca of several hundred miles. She threw her-
self with all manner OF urgent appears " no
goodness and charity, metaphoricahy III ne ,r
and prayed for passport for herseii an" S'
dren that she might reach her destlnato" VIM.
navment OF the railroad fare. which eApen''UI.
she could not afford 1t is presumed tAat s"e n"'
NOT taken her railroad Journey and that her pcNa-
ninnies Will grow up and die in their present pace
OF residence. ,-,o
On another occasion an old German came i''o
.ho nassnort division and asked for one Tor nm
self and fvo friends. 4 passport was even ,
,o, hin, and he left highly pleased snort
,,. after this the passport clerk received ie''e'
from the Pullman agent stating that SIN ",'
had cot on one of his trains ana were h'7"|
dignant when they were asked Tor ,hei' -
rbov said that the Secretary OF State had given
.lat he
tho, thew were going wherever they Pleased II
s I, was their confident belief that, II neces-
cary they could go to the ends OF the earth OH 'iie
sup of paper from the state Department.
DIFFICULTIES WITH THE DE5cRlPIloN'
sucb s,unditv IS hardly comprehensive IN per-
sons having the reasoning power out rom ~.
character OF many OF the letters received az INC
,assnort division such incidents are hot u ''
orrrence In order to comply with the cohu'-
.,o,r NJ tho State Department, a number OF que
lions in regard TO the applicant are asker ~ ~.
ss,or, clerk and a description must also De pu'
in tho face CT the passport THIS description '
times occasions a great deal OF d'stre'S u" ' 20
y, the feminine portion OF the applicants "no 'e
sort 70 subterfuges conceal Their correct as
49,, 80 ouestoner In reply to the question: many
~ ,ben saw that they have no age ana that '"eS
don't think such questions should DE a'Ae'
beine told that the regulations III ict''' ~ 80,
nor,s require IT, after laundering about LOT VIM
ting M
:, af,erward looking mad as hornets me MN
=, 80, care In the description OF the appiicah, IL
e sometimes difficult for the questioher 10 III o
tho different blanks for the foreheau eyes ,.
mouth chin hair, complexion anu ia -.
49, ossis.ance OF the applicant VINO often asS's's
h1r, , clerk OF the Department once "aue az
unfortunate error in filling out TINS aesc' p'o''
49,, ,ah.od was described as blue, the eyes
o ..straieht" the nose was curved the hou'i
vas ..recedng." the chin was RED inc na.' o",
"oo,o,, and the complexion was roun"
- ~ this wonderful description was oue 10 vac
III, ou,,lng the description or the eyes i" Wv
-, .n,arded for the forehead. the nose IN 'ia'
,.,od for the eyes, and so on In all the o'"''
blanks Such passport coud no. IAN ~ 80.
dooroe If interest among the AMBITIOUS il sol,'
,asvv local officials in some OF 'he S'''" nu t
80 In assisting the passport clerk 10 III ou
NV ,.,,or one woman described her NOUN
''' .,a. r,cbt" Another called 1t "Cupid oo"'
a, ,,o,o heen various descriptions OF lea'"
,varIed by their owners which cou'' ,hot
49,, IN the faces OF a passport lot INC - This
49,, ro,cht be slight differences OF op''''
~, So osnecially applicable to the case u " 70
might oe r,ar Who answered most OF the ques-
,,o,s nut to him by the worn
Tho l,st OF such incidents Is io"e. os ,,ust he
,rho law saws that passport W NC - -
,nad nv the Secretary OF the ,h''eu ,,.,.ror,
~. nast this signing has Deeh uo"o - ,rod
'"e rh.v were first written by hand anu S's..1
way! c.ro,orv himself. Hamilton Fish sisheu u
'S ~ Nth pen himself, ana contlnueu .,e
s,nm throughout his whole term of once rns
,anor was considerable. but not nearly 80 s'ea,
as it would be Evarts. whlie sser rn1a was
60 used rubber stamp. and his example ~a'
fouowed by Mr. Blaine in both terms - Ne
sen used pen at first, but 'owafu VI. ,o,r, ~
- ho,dored II because OF the great aHouii' Va
'e. and used a stamp instead. Bayard used ,ne
nen for passports All passports issued during MS
pen -. hore his name signed with peh'
at +, was his private secretary who did the s'shns'
General Foster adhered to the use OF 'he S'a"p'
Now all passports in the desk OF the passpo'a -,
w" an,o,, ON, have a llthograph fac smile OF
49, tratura Of the Secretary OF State. IRIS Is
dar,r,nrc from old methods. and for the reason
that # gives no appearance Of separate signing d.
In way objectionable.
ANY one can get OF these passports VINO -