Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-18
Was Not Taken in Obedience to
Instructions.
ACTED UPON HlS own JUDGMENT
Regrets for the Unfortunate Chi
cago Invitation.
LESSON OF THE INCIDENT

1t is learned that no instructions were
sent from Washington to Mr.. Storer. the
United States minister at Madrid. relative
to the presentation of regrets for the ex-
tension to the Due de ARGOS, the Spanish
minister here. of the invitation to attend
the May day celebration in Chicago of the
destruction Of the Spanish fleet in Manila
harbor. In other words Mr.. Storer acted
according to his Judgment and upon
his own responsibility in any representa-
lions he may have made to the Spanish
foreign office on that subject. 1t is not TO
be inferred from this statement that his
action. If reported, Is disapproved here.
On the contrary. 1t Is declared that his
course was In thorough accord with the
proprieties Of official etiquette, and that he
showed excellent Judgment in anticipating
complaint which would have been dis
agreeable to meet. His course Is closely
akin to that pursued by Lord Pauncefote,
the British ambassador here, in stating to
Secretary Hay, in advance of any informa-
ton as to the alleged opening Of Mr.. Ma
orums mail, that If such an act had been
committed 1t was a source Of regret and
was unauthorized.
The officials careful to make it clear
that Mr.. Storer did not make an apology
in the name of his government and they
are confident that the Madrid dispatch con-
yeyS an erroneous impression on that point.
lnasmuch as the offense, if there has been
pality for whose actions the United States
Is in no sense responsible, it would Of
course. not be proper for the United States
government to make an apology. On the
other hand, as already indicated. it was
entirely competent for Mr.. Storer to per-
sonaliy explain to the Spanish minister of
foreign affairs that the United States gov
eminent has no jurisdiction in such cases,
and also to point out how the incident may
have occurred, without intentional disre-
Spect to Spain.
Many Diplomats Were Invited.
1t has been enormously stated in connec-
ton with the subject that the Spanish min
lister was singled out for insult in this mat
ter; that he alone of the entire diplomatic
corps was the recipient of an invitation to
attend the May day celebration. Undoubt-
edly this would have added greatly to the
gravity of the offense were the statement
correct. But inquiry today discoses the
fact that many of the members of the dip
lomatic body have received invitations to
attend the demonstration in Chicago, and
1t is assumed that if others have not re-
ceived their invitations it is only because of
delays in the mail. At any rate, the dip
lomatic representatives of the principal con-
tinental powers have been honored in this
fashion.
The Spanish minister is satisfied with the
explanation of the affair that has been
made by Mayor Harrison, and he says that
he will not make the incident the subject
of any representations to the State Depart
ment, so that is the end of it.
The Lesson of the Incident.
The whole occurrence, however, has had
the effect to emphasize, in the minds of the
officials here, the propriety of RENTING to
the State Department any exchanges be-
tween the diplomatic body here and the
promoters Of enterprises and celebrations,
whether these latter are national state or
municipal 1t has only recently come to
be the custom for the managers of cere-
monials, such that about to take place
in Chicago to address themselves directly
TO foreign representatives in Washington.
With the best of intentions on the part q
the projectors. much mischief may result
from this laxity. In the present case, for
instance. 1t may readily be perceived that
the acceptance by a member of the diplo-
matte body in Washington of an invitation
to glorffy the crushing defeat of the Span
ish navy at the hands of Americans might
constitute gross violation of the spirit of
neutrality which is supposed to animate
their governments, and might involve in
difficulty with his own government the I'M
wary diplomatist who accepted such an in
vitation.
1t is said at the State Department that 1t
is too much to expect that there should be
a general knowledge of all these little dip
lomauc intricacies. wherefore, to prevent
humiliating incidents, it would be better
desire to secure the attendance of the dip
lomatic corps to avail themselves of the
knowledge and experience of the officials
of the State Department