The San Francisco call., 1904-11-01
THE DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGE.

THE urnev incident in Massachusetts, which aache Of
legation Washington demanded the diplomatic
privilege of exemption judicial process issued against him
for violating already entered into domestic
politics 1t IS being used IN the campaign against PRESIDENT
Parker press striving to make it appear that
diplomatic privilege thing just invented by President
Roosevelt part OF an imperial mus we nave tn
papers saying he idea that the King can do wrong
that the OF foreign the and only person
earth who is above our awls very distasui TO the american
That idea can hardly be distaseu any sensible American
the practice observed by all nations the case OF our
diplomatic all the members of their household and
attaches OF their legations Diplomats amenabe to the law OF
nations IN all matters ssthan capital crimes her eeplo
from and extends their domestic servants provided
they file list of the with the foreign office OF the nation to
which they accredited where remains an open public record
The Government Of the United States under the constitution
organized I7S In April GOTH passed the existing
statute giving privilege and exemption to members OF forelgn eg
sovereignty that the King do based the law
House. John President by George Washington
President and Thomas Jefferson Secretary OF State 1t provides
any process be sued forth prosecuted by
person courts States any particular
Judge Justice heren whereby the person OF
any Embassador public minister any foreign Prince
state or any domestic any ambassador public
minister imprisoned his their goods
chattels dsaned seized attached such writ shall
adjudged utterly null void Any who
shall forth such process the shall be
deemed oo of the laws of nations and dsurbers OF the public
and be imprisoned not exceeding three and fined at
the discretion of the
1t understood by every nation that this privilege and
lion carries with complimentary obligation the part OF those
which they accredited Their failure to do this be
their Government by the foreign Office OF
the to which they are accredited and they are punished by
recall and such other measures as their Government may choose
o take.
Mr. Gurney, whose claim privilege before Justice of the
Peace IN Massachusetts discussion
the speed laws OF that commonwealth relating automobiles Those
proper and necessary protect life and limb but the
courts OF the state had no power 70 Punh MIN Inc ustce "tnn
whose jurisdiction the law violated should have informed the
Governor of the who would have brought the
Secretary Washington, through
the facts would have been made known the British ambassador
and the offending ubecretary of his legation would have been
home he probably will be- 1t the policy intention
of Government permit its privileged representatives abroad
XOaf
which they The purpose OF this
obvious Such conduct destroys the usefulness of the diplomat by
disturbing the relations Of the two countries
We suppose The Parker press will far to pledge its
candidate the repeal OF the statute OF I7oo since there
limit the oies Of campaign of demagogy But sensible
Americans will sypaize with proposition which would make
their country ridiculous in the OF the world.