Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1904-09-30
KAISER. PUNCH BOWL, ROW.
HIS GERMAN MAJESTY DID
NOT DREAM OF
TROUBLE
When He Made The Kearserge
Present Captain Hemp
hill Owns 1t, OF
Course.

When the Kaiser presented a punch
bowl to the American battIeship
Kearsarge, he probably had no pre-
monition that his gift would cause as
much gossip in the navy circles as did
of the old navy left to his wife the
Brooklyn navy yard.
Yet veritable tempest has been
brewed in the Kaiser's punch bowl,
which he presented to the Kearsarge
at the time of the historic Kiel re-
gatta, and which the captain of the
Kearsarge, it is alleged, has converted
to his personal use. AS the official
representative of this government the
Kearsarge was delegated by the Navy
Department in June of last year TO
visit Kiel and be present at the regatta
which had been planned there by the
Kaiser.
While there a magnificent punch
bowl was presented ITO the captain,
officers and crew. of this battleship D
by His Imperial Majesty, Kaiser Viii
helm III. The commanding officer of
the Kearsarge on that occasion was
Captain Joseph H. Hemphill. Some
time ago Captain Hemphill was de-
tached from the Kearsarge and took
the punch bowl with him. and the
bowl is now in his private quarters in
the New York navy yard-at least it
was there the early part of this week.
Nearly all the officers who were on
board the Kearsarge at the time of
the presentation have since been de-
tached. But It is asid there exists so
much feeling among them over what
they describe as cool preemption of
costly souvenir that they have been
on the point of entering an official
protest to the Navy Department, bas-
ing this on the contention that the
bowl was presented, not to any indi-
vidual, but to the battleship, aud that
as such it belongs TO this vessel and is
not the private property of the officer
who happened to be in command at
this particular period.
They point also to the following
from the constitution of the United
States as bearing on the question at
issue; "And no person holding any
Office of profit or trust under them
1.-THE United States) shall, without the
consent of Congress, accept any pres
ent, emolument or title of any kind
whatever, from any King, Prince or
foreign States1' The Kaiser was much
impressed with the Kearsarge, which
he inspected thoroughly. He was also
impressed with the fine appearance of
the crew, and desired to make gifts to
some of them. The men did not,
however, receive the gifts, it being
understood in Washington that the
usage prohibiting employees of the fed
eral government from accepting gifts
from foreign governments prevented
this. In regard to the punch bowl,
the argument was put forth that it
was presented to the ship; that the
ship itself could not accept, decline, or
accept conditionally, and that there
fore the punch bowl simply remained
where it was.
The Kaiser's presentation of this
punch bowl constituted rather un-
usual incident in naval etiquette. Ii
is usual for officers of the United
States, when they receive q gift from
foreign ruler, to accept it condition
ally upon the approval of Congress.
Ii is customary to notify the State
Department, and Congress is then
asked to authorize the acceptance of
the gift. In the case of the EN-
peror's punch bowl the procedure
was apparently varied. A bill is
uSually lntrOuuc6u III OOnBresS pro-
viding authority for the acceptance of
decorations and gifts conferred upon
officers of the United States govern
ment. A bill to be introduced in the
next Congress will authorize Secre-
tary Hay to accept the decoration of
the Legion of Honor conferred by
France. King Menelik, of Abyssinia,
conferred the gaudy order of the Star
of Ethiopia upon Captain Thorpe. U.
S. M c., who accompanied the Skin
ner treaty making expedition to that
country Captain Thorpe at once sent
this decoration to the Navy Depart
Inent and will not be permitted to
wear it until Congress grants leave.