Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-26
Concerning Charges Is
Made By Minister Peirce.
Acted as Counsel with Govern.
ment's Permission.
Ship Owners Have Failed to Keep
Agreement, He Asserts.

Boston, March 25.-Herbert D. Peirce,
United States minister to Norway, ar
rived in Boston today on the White
Star steamship Cymric from Liverpool.
to spend q vacation with his family in
Cambridge. Mr.. Peirce gave an inter-
view on the question of the charges
which were the subject of Il recent
hearing before congressional commit
tee concerning his receiving pay during
arbitration proceedings at The Hague
in the matter of the suit brought by
fou American sealing vessels to recover
damages from the Russian government
for alleged illegal seizure and deten-
ton. Prof. II. w. Elliott of Cleveland.
o.. brought the charges before the conf
mittec, which after consideration of
papers from the late Secretary of State
OHM Hay and Secretary of State Elihl
Root. in which they hold Mr.. Peirce to
have acted perfectly within his rights
dismissed the charges.
Mr.. PIERCE said:
THE dispute between the Russian
government and the American scaling
vessels occurred while | was charge
daffaires at The Hague in 1894 and 1901
and as the United States government
representatives there during the seven
years of the controversy, l was thor
oughly conversant with the matter. One
of the vessels was New Bedford
whaling bark owned by Wing & Co,
and there were besides three Schonn-
ers, one of which was owned by the
Eagle Co. of San Francisco. They final
ly asked me to act as their counsel IL
the matter and I Immediately wrote to
Washington asking for permission 10
act as counsel for the American ship
owners for a stipulated remuneration
which the ship owners and had agreed
upon. The state department at once
wired me their permission FOR me t"
act as counsel for pay. The Russian
government, however, refused to sub
nit the matter to arbitration unless
they could treat with an official United
States government representative anG
this phase I also wrote the state de-
partment at Washington about. Again
they gave me their permission to act
in an official capacity and thus | was
in a double role, as the United States
representative and as paid counsel for
the fishing vessels. / won the case Tor
the ship owners and secured for them
damages from the Russian government
for the loss of time during the detcn-
ton.
Then when tried to get my fec as
counsel for the ship owners, upon Wnlch
l had a written agreement, | found
that they had taken the case from me
without the jurisdiction OF the DiStric,
of Columbia to San Francisco, and J
accordingly brought suit. That is the
sum and substance of the whole affair
The ship owners simply did not kecr
their agreement to pay me the counsel
fee upon which they rad agreed.
In concluding the interview MI
PIERCE said that it seemed hardly just
that any objection should be made 10 I
United States representative abroa'
taking an offered opportunity with the
sanction of the state department T.
earn "a little money on the side, cs-
pccially when he personally was spend
ing four time the salary he received L
keep up the standing Of the American
foreign department in the diplomatic
circles.
The cymric was delayed for 4S hours
nv continuous head winds and high
seas. A Greek immigrant was found 81
ficted with the smallpox soon after
the ship left Liverpool and he was Re-
moved to the detention hospital upor
the t,vmric's arrival here today. Tho
ships docking was delayed until all the
steeragc passengers had been Naccln&t-
ed
Asked concerning the Nobel peace
prize which was awarded to President
Roosevelt. Mr.. Peirce said that the
choice Of President Roosevelt was "x-
tremely popular among all classes OF
Norway, the opinion being practlcailN
unanimous that the prize was most
Justly conferred. Mr.. Peircr said he had
nothing further to say in connection
with the award, the matter having
been closed in previous dispatches.