The evening times., 1896-06-08
IGNORANCE OF TOURISTS
Americans Who Travel Abroad
Have Peculiar Views.
NO IDEA oF A ooNsUL's DUTY
Tourists Seem to Think that Uncle
Sans Representatives Must Help
Them When They Lose Their
Money-Swindlers Reapa Rich Har-
vest from Diplomats and Travellers.

The State Department is besieged at this
time OF the year with applications for
passports from the thousands OF people
who are going to spend their vacation and
,ard-earned American dollars abroad. A
majority of them have never crossed the
ocean and are entirely ignorant of CONT
mental methods, and the Understanding.
pocketbook-fleecing schemes of the trades
men, hoteLkeepers, restaurant proprietors.
etc., who reap large profits from citizens
OF the United States. These, however, are
not the only thingsOn which our cOuntrymen
are ignorant.
Some of them. incredible as 1t may seem
20 those who are better informed, have the
queerest ideas regarding the duties of Uni
ted States consuls toward the citizens OF
the great Western Republic. This is exem-
plified in the instance of a young man, a
washingtonian, who called at the State De-
partment to secure passport, intending TO
lounge over Europe for the next three
months.
After he had secured the papers identi
flying him, one of the officials, a friend
OF his. remarked. in jesting way:
NOW, be careful with your money, my
boy. Don't go broke in gay Paree. and get
yourself locked up as an individual without
visible means OF support"
''0h. that's all right" replied the other.
who just about now is probably wishing he
could die on account OF sea-sickness. ''If
my money gets away from me, shah Just
drop in on the American Ambassador and
get him to stake me-
This was said in all seriousness, as the
official explained 10 Times reporter In
telling tile story afterward
TOURISTS MIsTAKENIDEAs.
hour" said the official, '.in persuading him
that Mr.. Eustis had no more right to help
him than the gendarme he met in the streets
Of the French capital. Like all Americans
not enlightened on this point he wanted To
srow why we had ambassadors and con-
suls il it was not to succor Americans in
difficulty abroad.
He did not stop to think that the govern
ment provides 10 fund for the relief of its
.ndigcnt citizens stranded in a foreign
country, and If any pecuniary assistance is
offered them it is to the depletion of the
diplomats own pocketbook
THE only authorized aid our foreign rep
rcsentatiyes can render is to cable home to
the people OF the person in trouble. This
done, their duty ceases, although in many
cases our coDsuls and ministers advance
money and take chance of getting it
oack. Sometimes they succeed, but in the
majority of cases they do not, as i have
heard them say"
"of coursc," continued the Official,
there is an exception to this rule in the
case of American sailors distressed in alien
lands. Our country. like all others, protects
itsseamen. and W hen they a re helpless, with
out funds to reach home, it is the first duty
OF consul to relieve them at once and send
them to the United States"
Returning to the careless tourists who are
foolish enough to go broke on the wrong
side of the ocean. the official said there is
certain class of blackleg Americans who
travel not only over Europe, but all tue old
world. preyiDg upon the sympathies of sus-
ccpt1ble coDsuls. One fellow in pa rticular
is notorious. He represents himself as the
scion OF a Southern family. the son of re-
tired New York banker. the brother of a
wealthy mine owner or in any other ca
)acity in which he thinks the pity of the
consul can be moved.
He is professional gambler. ingratiat-
ing himself in the friendship of his fellow.
countrymcn abroad, robb:ng them at cards
when he can. When this fails aud he is pen
nless. he hastens to the nearest consul and
tries to work his other game, which has
often put deserving Americans under the
ban and caused them to be regarded with
suspicion. when they applied to a consulate
for assistance.