Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-30
SAILOR LADS
STRANGE TALE
CAUSES STIR
STORY OF MISTREATMENT BY
CONSUL DENIED
American Representative at Rio de
Janeiro Asserts That All Appli-
cants for Relief Are Dealt
with Courteously
sv associated Press.

BY associated Press.
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 29.-The story from
Pittsburg concerning Howard Ray, aged
Ia years, who said his home was in San
Francisco and that he was shanghaied
at Norfolk, Va, by British vessel and
carried to Rio de Janeiro, where his ap-
peal for aid to the United States consul
at that place was not needed, was shown
to George e. Anderson, consul general at
Rio de Janeiro, who passed through st.
Louis tonight from his home in Spring
field, Ill, to Nashville, Tenn, prepara-
tory to returning to his post after his
biennial leave of absence.
Concerning the story of Ray the consul
general said that while there were on an
average of about 400 applications for re-
lief year at the Rio consulate he was
positive that no such case as that offered
in the story of Ray was presented pre-
vious to his departure from Brazil on his
vacation, October IS.
ut Is possible that such case has
come up since that time he said, "but
in such an event l am sure that 1T has
been properly, not to say generously.
taken care of. 1t is the policy of the Of
flee, in which I am seconded by the vice
consul general and the deputy consul
general now in charge, .that every de-
serving case should be taken care of,
even at personal expense to ourselves
Censures Boy
''I have no doubt that Ray If he ap-
piled for relief and deserved it. has been
maintained at the personal bounty of
the men he complains of. So far as his
charges of shanghaiing' are concerned
1t should be explained that consular
officer could have no possible motive for
refusing to investigate such case, but
in the case of a British vessel the Ameri-
can officers, of which Ray complained
can only be construed as indicating that
a fair investigation was made The un-
supported statement of Ray would not
avail against that of the officers of the
ship, of course. in any investigation in
Rio any more than in a court of law"
Consul General Anderson called atten-
tion to the fact that all such cases as
that of Ray cannot be relieved at govern
ment expense unless the unfortunate
comes from an American vessel or is by
"habit and calling an American seaman, P"
in which category Ray would not come.
even had he been able to prove his
American citizenship. which was essential
in case like that he relates.
British Subject
The consul general said: ''It should be
noted that Ray, according to his state
ment, was off British vessel, and such
being the case, under our law lie WAS a
British subject and entitled only to Brit
ish relief. Then there are no known
American vessels running between Rio de
Janeiro and the United States, and the
only way to send needy men home to the
United States is by paying their way,
which in Rays case could not be done
except as a matter of private bounty.
Upon his own statement of facts Ray
could have received no relief of pub
lie nature from the American consular Of
ficer and 1t was the duty of the British
consular officer to send the boy home,
which he did probably at the solicitation
of the American office. to whom Ray
gives no credit for his services.
"The American consulates all over the
world are at great personal expense,
often amounting to material portion
of their salaries, for the relief of INDECENT
Americans who cannot be relieved at
public expense under the law. but as a
matter of fact where hundreds apply It
is impossible that all should be taken
care of in such manner