The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-26
HcLBSAMS PROGRESS TO FEZ
mir nor OVER THE DIPLO-
WiTIC JICkASS SUPPLY.

%-,,.er. Are IrOned In the Desert Alone
-, Grarc Vt the Kaiser and the Berber.
.,o,rR orocc Sept. is.--The Hon.
- n Gummere, American Envoy
.naordinarv and Minister PIenipotentiary
Lworocco. departed yesterday at the head
Y. huge caravan to present his credentials
solid silver cup to his Shereehan
muhne.. Mlley Add Fl Aziz, Sultan Of.
s,TeSlahaHmedan Empire Of Morocco.
va,d Of the Mountains OF the Noon, Do
I,oder Of the Faith.
The story Of the diplomatic triumph
..,sined BY Minister Gummere over the
yo;ser's representative, DIR. Rosen, has
aas, escaped official bounds, and IL is very
g.ohahle hat by this time In several Euro
IN ~capitals they are laughing over II In
~ clubs. It is probably the only ease on
.soord where a shortage in jackasses nearly
Sronght about international complications.
The American Minister, Mr.. Gummere,
.me here from Trenton, N. j. In 1898 as
Corsul General. II was a matter OF en-
Sarrassment and annoyance to him that for
.svsn years he had no standing with the
suItan and never got an invitation to visit
MnlpV ADJ I'll hLlL az blO OdRtOuL ivy o.
The British and German Ministers travelled
from Tangier to Fee in state, each with his
Dopulous and brilliant arava Of soldicry,
.srvants. mules, asses and d~romedaries,
"a occasion demanded, and were received
Nv the Sultan with marked honors. Gum
mare however. was not In the Sultan's set
at all His Sheree6an Highness had no
time 70 waste on a Consul General. Nothing
lass than a Minister would do.
In March, 1905. President Roosevelt APP
Dointei Mr.. Gummere to be Envoy Elk
taordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary,
missing him 10 a rank equalling that Of the
British and German diplomats at Tangier.
Mr. Gummere's chance had come. Things
move slowly in Morocco, however, and it
wa long bafore the Sultan extended q for
mai invitation to the new Minister to Cross
the country and visit him in Fec. Mean
while, Mr.. Gummere hadn't been idle.
President Roosevelt had instructed him to
procure a large solid silver CUP to be pre-
sentei to the Sultan in the name OF the
President Of the United States. The new
. Minister got the cup in London, where also
he purchased a complete outfit for his
caravan and to furnish the empty, house
which the Sultan, according to custom,
would assign to his use while he was in Fez.
All the other diplomats had outfits, but
Ence an accredited American Minister
bad never ~journeyed to Fez, there wasn't
90 much as a donkey provided for Mr..
Gummere.
We had nothing" he remarked plain
lively; no light wines. no heavy wines, nc
ironing b~oards-nothing at all
The new Minister got busy promptly
I and made arrangements with muleteers,
dromedary drivers and owners OF asses
for the use OF all their live stock. He
secured fifty mules, fifty asses and fifty
dromedaries, which about exhausted the
supply Of animals fit for the long journey
along the bride path between this city and
the Sultan's capital. The fifty large pack
ing cases we're to carry the supplies and
furnishings. Three different firms made
the packing cases. The boxes were made
in Gibraltar, the handles in Spain and the
locks in Tangier. These cases contained
every RECRUITMENT, from a toothpick to .
grand piano.
1t took weeks to organize the caravan.
The Minister secured ESQ Moorish soldiers
s a guard of honor. The W and
other attaches numbered fully $50. There
we're laundresses to do up the Ministers
linen daily, burnishers to polish tho Min
tSer's buttons and his metal ornaments.
srvants for the official burnishers, bakers,
servants for the official bakers, keepers
Of the Minister'S asses, OF the Minister'S
mules and the Minister'S dromedaries, SER
wants for the officers Of the Ministers
bodyguard, keepers of the saddles and
keepers of the Minister'S ironing boards,
Of which there were three, n for Mr..
Gummere's shirt fronts, cuffs and collars,
one on which his rousers could be creased
and another for the pressing Of his even-
: ing clothes in the desert.
Mr.. Gummere proposed to travel in style
and show the Sultan something that would
make him sit up. For days before the
caravan was ready to start the Minister
in semi-military garb organized and re-
viewed his caravan, which he divided
Into brigades and divisions. All TangieI
was excited about the expedition and
IN the cool Of the evening watched the
Minister reviewing his force.
There had been an understanding among
the American, British and German Min.
sters that Mr.. Gummere should 90 first
then after ten DAYS the German Minister
\ would start for Fee with his caravan anc
Lter another ten days the French repre-.
sentative would go on to the capital. Sud
9enly while Mr.. Gummere was inspecting
ms forces and making sure that all the
ironing boards and light wines were &C
counted for DR.. Rosen, the German Min
ster, made up his mind that he didn't wan
70 wait. He announced that he ives going
when Gummere went and set about Il
procure mules, asses and donkeys.
Inc American Minister had about en-
hAustod the supply Of these useful quad
rupeds and had ordered the dealers moi
% supply any one else. DR.. Rosen wa
nrmly determined on going, however, and
managed to get enough animals for hi
VI hosen wouldn't listen to argument Of
Persuasion. Relations became somewhai
strained.
Then, when Mr.. Gummere realized tina
~, hosen intended to 20, too, he cabled thS
s1te Department protesting against The
opposed action OF the German Minister
ne Kicked, and kicked hard. He didn'
.ant his star dimmed by the German hmi
Dary, and he wanted to know II b STAT
apartment couldn't Ak things UP. Tha
@Iegrari, at urgent rates, was the fathe
sad mother Of ~cablegrams which passed be
ven Tsngier and Washington, betWeei
\ rAshlngtOn and Berlin, between Berlin AM
anger and " or three times more 'roun'
Somebody in the State Department pu
nc case before the German Ambassador b
H. united States. Freiherr Speck voI