New-York tribune., 1900-12-08
pnRrnG4L AND ROLLAND.

rrhara is probably no serious danger Of a
breach Of the peace between Portugal and Hol-
! land IL there were, the situation, despite IT'S
Gravity. would be little short of ludicrOus After
all the talk OF a great European war over the
| Trgnsyaal question il would SAVIOR OF opera
bouffe for there 10 be an attempt AT war
between two of the minor Powers over mere
technical detail in which the merits OF the
general dispute were not involved. and in which
there could be no prospect, whatever the issue,
of giving aid to the hard pressed burghers.
The trouble has arisen over the conduct and
the status Of Mr.. Potts. who until recently was
the Consul Of both Holland and the Transvaal
al Lourenco Marques. Not long ago the Portu-
euese Government cancelled his exequatur as
Transyaal Consul on the ground that he was
using his place for political purposes Ihree
davs ago il also withdrew his exeQuatur as
Consul for Holland on the same ground, charg-
ing that he was assisting the Beers in their
beIligerency. and thus compromising PortugaFs
standing as a neutral This caused much re-
sentiment in Holland. and this feeling was in
creased nv the coming of ex-President KRUGER
and nv the urterances of the King of Portugal
M a dinner given 10 some British officers. The
latest outcome of il is that the Dutch Minister
70 Portugal and the Portuguese Minister to
Holland have been temporarily withdrawn from
their places. and direct diplomatic relations
between the two Governments have thus been
suspended.
Just such things have often occurred before
between nations without war and without serl-
GUS danget or thought of war. II is perfectly
we'll established principle that, unless under
special treaty, consul enjoys no diplomatic or
other special privileges or immunities. He can
not enter upon the performance of his duties
until he has received an exequatur. And the
Government of the country TO which he is sent
may for cause decline TO grant him an eXequa-
tur. or, having granted it, may withdraw It at
any time. The latter has often been done. IL
it is done without adequate cause it may be
regarded as an unpleasant but not necessarily
as hostile act Under the Jay Treaty between
this country and England each Government had
the right Of dismissing consuls ''for such rea-
sons as 1t should itself think proper" And
there is no ground of dismissal more generally
accepted as sufficient than that Of participation
in political affairs.
The only question at issue. then. seems TO be
whether OF not Mr. Potts has meddled in poll
tics or otherwise acted improperly. 1t is to be
presumed that Portugal made certain of that
point before taking action. The fact that Mr..
Potts was also Consul for the Z ransvaal sug-
gests that his inclnations were strongly toward
favoring and aiding that country. The Lisbon
Government would scarcely. however, act upon
mere assumption, but would secure evidence Of
overt acts. As for the Kings speech and his
dispatch TO Queen Victoria, they seem to have
been strong in expressions of friendship for
Great Britain. bat there is no hint at unfriendli
ness toward Holland Portugal was England's
first Continental ally, centuries ago, and rela-
lions between the two have ever since been
peculiarly intimate. But il is inconceivable that
that well known fact or any post-prandiai ex-
pressions of ii should be taken casus belli by
any other friendly and neutral Power.