New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-09
HARDSHIP FOR MR.. IRELAND.
He Finds That Duty Must Be Paid on His
Educational Exhibits from the Far East

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: I have always deprecated the foreign habit
OF publicly crticising things American and.
am not citizen of the United States. / there
fore refrain from making any comment the fol-
lowing facts
My desire give publicity to the facts them
selves may be attributed TO the circumstance that
a number OF Americans have been kind enough to
express interest in the work which l am
row engaged. and that your hospitable columns are
the most satisfactory means open to me of max
ing people acquainted with matter which threat
ems to impair the usefulness of my labors.
Early in 1901 I appointed by the University
of Chicago TO visit the Far East and make re-
port the various systems of government under
which the Indo-MaIayan people live.
The dependencies to be included in my report are
Hong Kong. British North Borneo. Sarawak, Bur
luah the Straits Settlements. the Federated Malay
States. Java. French Indo-China Formosa and the
Philippines
I need not enlarge upon the inherent difficulties
of my task. Those who know the Far Eastern
tropics will understand all that is implied by two
years of travel in such countries; others
could gain nj adequate idea of the conditions
from any mere written statement
The work itsef-that is. the juxtaposition. detail
by detail. of every important feature of the ad-
ministration of the British. Dutch, French Jap
anese and Americans in the Far East. from actuai
observation-is unique in character and has never
before been attempted; and my natural desire mas
been to conduct my Investigations and form
my plans for giving the results to the American
public as to the highest degree of usefulness
compatible with the restrictions imposed on me by
the magnitude OF my material and the limit of my
ability.
In order to make the work as complete as pos
sible l decided gather large collection OF
ethnographicaI specimens for exhibition to stu
dents, and also to take large number OF photo-
graphs illustrating the nature of each country
visited and the life of the natives.
Ny arrangements with the University OF Chi
cago did not include any provision for the ex-
penses incident to either of these matters and
I therefore used a considerable sum OF money
for the purpose from my private purse.
a few months ago l found myself IN possession
of a large number of Photographic plates, 1ncIud-
ing many of extraordinary interest to ethnologlsts
and also of considerable collection of weapons
idols, native manufactures, and so on there
fore wrote to the Secretary Of the United States
Treasury, and asked whether, as the photographs
Photographic plates and ethnographical specimens
intended for scientific and educational pur-
poses. they could enter the United States free OF
duty.
To this letter I received reply from which
extract the essential features:
THE department is in receipt of your letter OF
for free entry into the United States OF certain
ethnographicsl collections which you nave p nr
Far Eastern countries Tor use IN pre-
pairing report for the University OF Chicago ana d
vered by You in the United states the articles TO
be eventually taken 10 your nome IN E1sIdnu Vi
p IN reply - have to state First that PaTagragh
70l of the tariff of July a. 1884, proVlqes IoE
free OF WORKS OF art, pno tOSTa pr
ures etc. brought by professional arllStS 4tGl-
by them temporarily for exhibition, and IA ustIa-
ton promotion and encouragement or art SCI
ence or industry in the United States DhdeI lnIS
nr0vison of the law your collection or specimens
could not be admitted to free entry -..a.
"SecOnd-Paragraph 102 OF the Salc act VI ot5
for the free entry of works Of art etc. llnpoIleC
in good faith for exhibition under BOND at AAea
IIace so that the articles mentioned by you coulu
not ba admitted free of duty If presented py you.
.'F-ifth-The Photographic plates, II OF oonlestI
origin and not developed aDroao' "oN1H 0 ~
duty.
In regard to the fifth point, 1t is OF course aD9
lutely impossible to expose plates In the tropics
and have them developed ten thousand miles away
after months of delay.
NV position In this matter IS quite slrhple-
cannot afford to pay duty on the articles reIerreo
N ann the result is that, although my repoI'
is m he made to an American university anu
nv Iec+,1res delivered to American audiences my
whole means of illustrating the one by nelIiS
nbotoqranhS and the other by the eAhIol1Ao1i "a
specirnens is taken from me. :, 1,o .na,+ ont
81 NV rrivate purse OF money eItdtei nc.
The amount of remuneration pald me I9F my m
49, ~ the University of chicago, ana II u
fo-+1rate that the United states IoETi ! - ~
1qTtuda'T ,dar the circumstances. be unwilling 10
fnret+o what would be, from its STANDPOINT an 80
enitaeirraI sum but prefers 10 divert Iroli! tiaI
Hit5 SITES a mass of educational maIeIldl
1,hicb il view of recent events, snouid poSoe7o
cohSlu0i"'' ALLEYNE lRELAND,
sne.ial Commissioner for the University u iii
singsnore. Straits Settlements. March T. 1913