The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-23
FRENCH ISOLATION CLAIMS4'
Reasons why Appropriations to Pay Them,
Are Not Made by Congress.

To THE EprroR OF The SUN-Sir! In THaH
SUN OF August 10 you announce that the Gov~y
eminent Is negotiating for an amicable settle-A.
ment OF all outstanding questions betweenfs
Great Britain and the United States. Z
No one will dispute that this effort In In theE
interest Of humanity and the welfare and4
prosperity of both nations. 1t would also be4
in the interest of justice and fair dealing forI
the Government to settle the Just claims oHa
It's own people. and there never was q timex
more betting than the present to call the4
peoples attention to the unsettled claimsJ
against the Government known a. the FrenchA
spoliation claims. I
have no interest in these claims directiyS
or indirectly, but have known the history ofx
them for over thirty years. and with youreh
permission would lay before your readeraNf
a brief explanation OF their origin. q
The history Of the French spoliation claim42
IL as follows: BY the treaty OF 1878 the United
States guaranteed to the King Of FrancsN
forever against all other Powers the presened
possessions of the Crown OF France In Amer-l
lea, as well as those IL may acquire By ths}
future treaty OF peace" The King OF France6
on his part guaranteed to the United St3teal1
liberty, sovereignty and independence. abb
solute and unlimited" and also the posi-
session of any additions or conquests obtained
through the war with Great BrItalni ana in91
case of war between France and Great Britalu4{
IL was agreed that the reciprocal guaranteesfI
should have full force and effect &C the ln-H
slant SuCn war HnOul1 DfGlHs ~ ~
effect. OF this alliance. was a great factor lnV
bringing our war of independence to a suo-N
The treaty worked all right until the Frenchft
Revolution and the subsequent wars agains4I
France Of nearly the whole Of Europe. Forl
the United States then to extend armed aSsi
sistance to her ally would have been a mosttl
dangerous proceeding. and President wasn't
proclamation OF strict neutrality as betweenA
France and the other countries OF EuropeJ1
France Insisted on the agreement Of I77Yi
haiDn carried ont and pDdpn NOTn0 to N0IOHC6Il
its execution in such a manner through heQN
Minister TO this country .Genet) as rendered.
ously protested against the Jay treaty with
Great Britain in 1895. because l. virtually
Great Britain had seized nearly all OF thSk.
French possessions in the West Indies, whichAV
the United States had guaranteed to ramos
To revenge themselves for our refusal tof
carry out the provisions OF the treaty OF lI1sss
merce. Their privateers seized over LOON
American vessels. aBpropTiated their csTg9esT
and left many sailors stranded In 1oreignA
ports. The spoliation caused a loss to .ourss
commerce Of over 500, 900, 900, BY, an act or
July 7 l7as. Congress declared that the treaties.
with France were annulled. tho pre- am bl9
Affirming that the just claims OF the United
States for reparation of injuries had beens'
amiCable adjustment bet ween the two oounNl
tries had been repelled viii indiSnityb. Thss
American navy had a number OF encountered
with the French war vessels, and war ap9f
| IhfuINu lltlIIlllFIlls DlI ~ NbF AiNlA " -VAN0AM
BY the ratification Of the convention Of 1901
A clause in this con vention provided mat they
claims Of the French against. us for telling
1873. and our claims against them Tor depre-
datiOns to our commerce, should be nalanced
against each other and declared settled.
The only recourse now left TO those Anert.
cans who had suffered loss At the hands Of
the French privateersmen was 10 look TO
their own Government for redress. This
they did. and the spoliation claims case began
its Ions and tedious career.
A report OF these claims was made TO the
House Of Representatives as early as 1902
and another report was made in 1907. Pays.
ment Of the claims, however, was resisted
until 1925, because there WAS doubt rs to the
liability of the Government. Since then
reports favOring the payment of the claims
have been made In nearly every Congress-.
II generally happened. however, that when
one chamber agreed to pay the other declined
To concur. Twice both houses agreed. but
Presidential vetocs prevented payment.
In 1884 Congress passed and presidents
Arthur signed a bill referring the whole mat
ter 20 the Court Of Claims. That tribunal In
1885 fixed the total to be paid at 81, 900 900.
In it's report recommending the payment OF
this. sum. the. court said: The result, which
we have reached is supported by resolutions
passed in each Of the original States, by
twenty-rOur reports made to the senate by
its committees. by over twenty similar re-
ports made to the House, and by the ,face
that while three adverse reports have been
made, one 10 the Senate and two to the House.
no adverse. report has been made, in either
body since the publication OF the. corre-,
spondpnce in 1925" Under the above decision
an instllmpnt OF 81 ,JDn.OO0 Of the 5000, 900
declared to be- justly owing was paid in 1891.
The chief for Directing TO ap-s
proprI4tions now TO pay these claims ares
That they are too old, that II the G0yern.
ment is liable they should have been paid
long been beyond the reI Oh OF relief; and.
thaE those who are now looking Tor CON-,
pensAtion are largely parties, Who nave
bought Up the claims. "a Il. FoWEns. =
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