Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-19
Adopted by the Senate After Modii-
= cation.
OUR RELATIONS WlqH TEE qRANSVAAL
Attack on Pension Commissioner
in House.
THE FINANCIAL BILL

At the conclusion Of morning business in
the Senate today the resolution Of Mr.. AL
len (Neo) calling upon the Secretary of
State for information as to whether any rep
resentative Of the Transvaal had applied to
the United States government for recogni-
ton, and il such application had been
made: If 1t had been accepted, and if not,
why not, was laid before the Senate.
Mr. Spooner {Wis) moved that the reso-
luton be directed to the President. and he
be requested, to furnish the information, if
not Incompatible with public interests.
The Senate had no right to demand nfor
nation from the President, but the Pres
ident was the absolute judge to whether
1t was proper to communicate the informa-
ton asked for. He utterly repudiated, he
said. the doctrine advanced repeatedly by
senators that the people were entitled to
Information from day to day regarding the
conduct of our foreign business.
1t was perfectly manifest, he thought,
That diplomacy, to be successful, must be
secret. 1t was quite evident, too, that from
the status of foreign affairs the Secretary
Of State was the servant of the President
and not Of Congress.
The debate on the Allen resolution con-
tinued, Senators Allen, Spooner, Teller and
Hale taking part. The resolution was flnal-
ly amended so as to call upon the Presi-
dent '1f not, incompatible with public in
terests'' to supply the information.
Mr.. Hale made an impassfoned speech, In
which he said he was friendly to England:
but he regretted that such a great power
should now be trying to crush govern
ment a republic which was seeking to es-
tablish itself in South Africa, especially as
England claimed to be a nation of liberty.
The resolution as amended was then
passed.
The Senate passed the bill authorizing the
Secretary of Navy to construct of stone,
nf u-o1 b. sod 1vN- a olS
at the navy yards at League Island, Pa,
and Mare Island. Cal
The financial bill was then taken up and
Mr. Morgan addressed the Senate in oppo-
sition to the bill
AT 2:55. on motion of Mr.. Aldrich, the
Senate adjourned Until Monday.
Representative of the TransvaaI.
The State Department has not been ad-
vised from any official source that Mr.
Montagu White, the consul of the Trans
vaal Republic at London, is coming to
Washington as "a diplomatic representative
of the Transvaa Republic.
In advance of his coming the officials do
not care to forecast the decision of the
department as to his claim for recognition.
The rule is to admit to the Secretary of
State any proper person who comes on pub
lie business. but that admission does not
itor. On the contrary, many such visits
may be paid by the same person without
committing the State Department upon
that point.
During the preceding administration Sec
Rotary Olney in that way accorded several
interviews to the representatives Of the
Cuban junta. That Mas while the Cuban
revolution was in progress. and before the
United States became involved in war with
SPAIN But, regardless Of how his SYM
pathies may have lain. Secretary oiney
consistently declined TO. extend any official
recognition TO the junta, although among
the visitors was person claiming to be
IT mister to the United States from the Gu
ban republic.
Department he will undoubtedly be seen by
Secretary Hay, but. while the Secretary
may talk freely with his visitor. that inter-
view will not in itself amount to official
recognition of Mr. White as the diplomatic
representative of the Transvaal.
1t will remain for the State Depart ment
officials later on to pass upon the sufficiency
of any credentials that Mr.. White may
bring to establish himself In that character.
Col. O'Beirne, who first sought recogni-
ton, was refused the ground of his
American citizenship solid and lawful
objection.
What will be done in the case of Mr.
White cannot be foretold, but it may again
be recalled that the same rule that was ap-
piled by the State Department to the Gu
ban representatives might fit precisely the
case of Mr. White. In other words the
government may have the same reasons for
declining to recognize the independence of
the Transvaal that it had to decline the
recognition of Cuban independence, a
course in which 1t felt fully justified by the
results that followed.