Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-19

comb. U.S.N.. retired. the celebrated as
tronomer. He was lately authorized by Con-
gress to accept from the kaiser the order
Pour lie Merite fur Wissenschaften und
kunste" Prof Newcomb has, indeed. re-
ceived more foreign honors. by far, than
than any other American. He is an officer
of the Legion of Honor. is the first native
American since Franklin to be made an
associate of the Institute of France. has
received exalted degrees from ten Euro
pean universities. is member of about
thirty foreign societies, has received five
medals from abroad and had his portrait
ordered by the car for the Imperial Uni
versity of Russia. while both the Imperial
University of Japan and the Imperial OBJ
servatory of Russia have presented him
with handsome testimonial vases in recog-
milton of his contributions to science.
Congress has no say in this matter of &C
cepting decorations where Americans IN
private life are concerned But where the
honored persons are upon the national pay
roll, i'll either active or retired capacity,
our ma tional legislature has full authority
in the matter. AS these decorated govern
ment functionaries know to their sorrow
there is a little provision in the ConStitu-
ton of the United States that no person
holding office under the federal government
shall, without consent of Congress- accept
any present emolumeSt office or title
from any king, prince pr foreign state
Locked in Safe Till Congress Consents
Until 1881 Congress dses not appear to
have exerted it's authority in the matter.
Our officials accepted gifts and decora tons
ad libtum and appea.ed not only at for
eign courts, but at home functions with
their hejewe,ed orders dangling upon their
manly breasts. They did not trouble them
selves to ask Congress or the State Depart
ment whether they might accept them.
1t question among the engineers
of our diplomacy whether it would not be
jeopardzng the entente cordiale between
us and our old world neighbors to have any
hitch in the matter of their acceptance
But about the time that President Arthur
took the helm Congress suddenly became
jealous of its rights in the matter and since
then our officials presented with gifts or
decorations by foreign governments have
been instructed to accept them subject to
the action of Congress and to deposit them
in the big strong box in the office of the
chief clerk of the State Department until
Congress shall allow them to be taken
home This safe today contains sufficient
gold, silver. precious stones and articles of
virtu to Sc. Uncle Sam up in very re-
spectacle jewelry business. The records of
the department show at present writing
that 123 government officers and employees
have since this rule went into effect, for
mally applied to Congress to be allowed to
accept their decorations and gifts. These
petitioners rank from ambassadors to as
sistant lighthouse keepers. The great
stumbling block to congressional consent
during recent years has been Chairman
Cullom of the Senate committee on foreign
relations. This veteran statesman from
Illinois regards such decora tons I'M
American, whereas Senators Lodge (Mass.)
and Frye (Me.) believe that official refusal
of such honors. especially when con-
ferred upon our diplomats, is a slight to the
foreign rulers offering them and action
not in accord with our policy of maintain
ing cordial relations abroad. Secretary
Root the head OF foreign office, shares
this view. Hence his request that Congress
permit him to relieve the pressure upon
the State Department safe.
Decorated by the Ca.
The car recently conferred crosses of the
Order of St. Anne upon Col. j. van r.
Hoff. Col w. S. Schuyler and Maj. Mont
gomery Macomb of the army; also Lieut..
Commander Newton A. McCulley of the
navy The grand Gordon of this order
was conferred by the same ruler upon
Charlemagne Tower at the time the latter
presented his letters of recall upon being
transferred from our embassy at st. Peters
burg to that at Berlin. The Order OF st.
anne belonged originally to the house OF
Sleswg- Holsten. being founded at keil in
1875 by Duke Charles Frederick, in men,
ory of the Empress Anne and In honor of
the Duchess Anna Petrovna, daughter of
Peter Ill 1t was brought to Russia by
Peter Ill son of the founder, and in 1886
Paul / declared it a Russian order. 1t Is