Evening star., 1897-05-18
The Sessions of the international
Postal Congress.
GEN. BATCHELLER'S LATEST ORDER
Newspaper Men Forbidden En-.
trance Into the Building.
IDEA AS TO THE DELEGATES

~o-i6iSo III d SOOO many embarrassing
SITUATIONS which are apt to result in no
very pleasant feeling when the time for
adjournment arrives.
! The consunmation of what will probably
be regarded as fiasco in the proceedings
of the congress was reached YESTERDAY
when Gen. Batcheller, its president, issued
an order to secure. as far as possible, star
chamber proceedings In its work This
order was to exclude all representatives of
news agencies from the building in which
the congress is holding its sessions. As a
sllght courtesy to the American people,
who are being taxed $4,000 for the enter
tainment of the Congress, Gen. Batcheller
mas given permission to ch airmen of COM
m1ttees to issue every evening a bulletin
stating what action has been taken during
the day, or what matters had been under
consideration, SO far as it is deemed ex-
pedlent to allow any one outside the con-
gress to know what Is being DONE
Ever since the congress assembled here
there has apparently been a feeling of
nervousness on the part of Gen. Batcheller
lest the proceedings of the congress should
be subjected to any criticism. He has ap-
parently enjoyed complimentary remarks
about himself, but has appeared to fear
unbiased comment on his own acts. Many
of the delegates, men of high degree, and
in some instances exalted by the possess
sion of titles conferred by royalty, have ap-
peared to possess great aversion to hav
ing their actions in the congress known.
Various measures have been reSorted to in
order to throw a blanket of obscurity over
their methods of procedure. In some quar-
ters this created friction which resulted in
some free lance" criticisms not only of the
congress, but of it's president, Gen. Batch
eller. The character of French used by
Gen. Batcheler and some other delegates,
priding themselves upon their knowledge
of that polite tongue, has been called in
question, and other criticisms have been
made, much to the annoyance of Gen.
Batcheller. AS a means of stamping out
future criticism Gen. Batcheller has issued
an order fOrbidding the entrance into the
building of any one likely to write Of the
proceedings or in criticism of himself for
the public press. AS stated above, he has
kindly given his permission to have chair
men of committees give to the press com
pimentary notices about what they do or
pretend to do.
Exclasiyeaess of the Sessions.
AS it is now the great universal postal
congresssls sitting in the old Corcoran Art
Gallery building with all doors leading to
the chambers where its deliberations
members of the congress are permitted into
the exclusive circles. All this has natural
ly given rise to a good deal of comment on
the part of Americans, who have observed
the peculiar methods adopted by the con-
gress since it assembled here. On every
on the congress at large and Of its methods.
In the first place many regard 1t as un-
fortunate that the Postmaster General
should have been very much hampered in
the selection of delegate who might be
chosen as president of the congress, upon
whom depended SO much in making 1t a
success.
The first requisite of an American dele
gate who should be chairman Of the Amer
lean delegation, and consequently presi-
dent Of the congress. was that he should
have a knowledge of the French language.
This naturally very much narrowed the
power Of the Postmaster General to make
a judicious selection. General Batcheller
had the qualification Of a certain knowl-
edge of French, and he was selected for
that position.
When the congress met here it was said
that when 1t had met in Vienna and in
Paris its deliberations were behind closed
doors, the custom prevailing in the coun-
tries in which the congresses were assem-
bled making 1t unnecessary to pay any at
tention to the public at large because the
public at large formed a much less influen-
tial class there than they naturally would
in a republic. When 1t was suggested that
while it might have been well when In
other countries to follow the customs of
those countries. In the United States the
custom OF this country should be followed
and the public be allowed to know what
was going on in the congress, the reply
came promptly that the delegates, reared
to the uses of monarchy, should not he ex-
pected to stoop to the commonplaces of
Amerfcanism. So it was that the doors
were closed. Doubtless great injustice has
been done to some Of the delegates by the
suggestion that the star chamber proceed
1ngs were to make easy a certain trading
in votes, which it would not be proper to
permit to become known. The continuance
OF this method of doing business has re-
suited in no great popularity of the con-
greSs at large, and a good many people be-
came possessed of the idea that the con-
gress was made up to a large extent of
Obi
played by not permitting any one to Judge
of them while at work. This unpopuiarity
spread. By the click of the telegraph it
mas gone from east to west. The admins
tration desired to show the delegates from
every country on the face of the globe
what American hospitality meant 1t want
ed TO get up some popular demonstrations.
An Idea as to the Delegates.
1t wanted the people at large to welcome
the delegates. Indeed movement to this
end was started. and was about to be
taken up. when the idea spread that the
delegates were q lot of snobs. This may
or may not have been more or less unde-
served and malignant At any rate, it got
abroad. A great demonstration was to he
gotten Up on the Pacific coast. The San
Francisco board of trade, 1t was Thought.
would welcome the delegates and entertain
them royalty, showing them what q great
country there vas in the west, but that |
PePoidI ucuiouStTdlloH I0ll tErOuRn. An X
curs!on to Richmond. Va, was planned.
and again 1t was thought that the people
of that city would combine to welcome the
foreigners. But again the idea of snobbery
and of star chamber proceedings in mat
ters that every one thought concerned the
American public got abroad. and on the |
very eve of the excursion the project felf |
through. The same has been the case In
other cities, but the unfortunate reputation
that has grown up for the congress has
resulted In giving 1t the icy hand and the |
marble heart.
Just what all this star chamber proceed |
ings is about no one seems able to discern
Why the delegates should fear having their |
actions known seems not to be understood
Every government on the face of the earth |
has its delegate in the congress. so that the |
secrecy Is not necessary in order to keep |
Information from other governments. II
appears only to be necessary In order to |
keep the people at large In the dark II. is /
doing that to some extent. Stranrelv
enough, the people who have been kept In |
the dark refuse to make preparafions ~
extend to the delegates any hospitality
Later on the congress win be taken ON
board railroad train, switched about :
portion Of the west, brought back to New |
York and hidden farewell by the govern