The Washington herald., 1907-08-04

London. Aug. 3.-DiplOmatic privileges.
wien the law OF the land has been trans
gressed, have been claimed more fire.
quently by members Of the American
embassy than any other body in London.
The latest example occurred to-day, when
exemption from the laws Of England was
claimed in behalf Of the chauffeur Of
Capt Sidney A. Cloman. the American
military attache. Neither Capt ClOman
nor the chauffeur appeared in the Hunt
ington police court. but a letter was
read 10 the magistrate claiming exemp-
ton for the chauffeur on the ground that
be was a servant Of a member Of the
United States embassy.
Capt Cloman here made a mistake in
thinking that the privileges Of his ser
wants were the same as his own. and Of
the ambassadors servants. Under the
provisions of the statute Of Queen Anne,
such exemptions only apply to members
OF the embassy and their suite, and tie
ambassadors household servants In
other words. Nj Reid and his family. and
every one Of his secretaries and eighty
seven servants enjoy diplomatic immunity
from arrest and process, but the ser
wants Of the various attaches are not IN
cluded IN this immunity
The Huntington magistrate inflicted
fine Of SO on the ground that there was
no proof that Capt ClOman's chauffeur
was in the employ Of the embassy
State Department Not Informed.
A. A. Adee. Third Assistant Secretary Of
Z L IL
nothing Of the arrest and probably would
not hear Of it officially, bat that in his
| opinion the State Department would take
no action, leaving tile matter entirely in
/ the hands Of Whitelaw Reid, the AmerI'
/ can Ambassador at London.
/ Mr. Adee, when asked what the differ
/ ence was between the present case il
London and those in which Marshal Col
Inns participated on the Conduit road.
said:
There is but little difference, and this
/ Conduit road affairs created little COM
ment outside Of Washington. and were
not taken up by the State Department
! officially We ourselves established
/ precedent In the arrest Of diplomats when
an attache was arrested in Massachusetts
I the State took immediate action and Of
fered TO refund The money 10 the diplo-
mat. who refused 10 take it. but donated
/ il 10 a local charity.
1T is six Of one and half dozen Of the
other, and I am sure that it viii be set
tied in London. whether the case rests
as il is or the money is refunded
Diplomatic immunity applies not only
10 the diplomats themselves. but also 10
the members OF their household. under
which head the chsuffeurs are supposed
TO come It is said that while the arrest
Of an immune person IS distinctly breach
Of international courtesy. there has been
no case on record in the past fifty years
which has led 10 international complica-
tons
JOY at Glen Echo.
Mayor Garrett was happy last night
when he heard the news. A bland smile
wreathed his face and he communicated
the intelligence 10 Marshal Collins. who
inquired why he had not been allowed 10
enrich the Glen Echo treasury when he
had such a golden opportunity as was
affored him last winter. The pair had
been OF at the polls all day. and were
almost too tired TO enthuse much. but
both Of them hoped that the State De-
pertinent would be as solicitous for the
welfare Of IS own citizens as it was
! for citizens other countries.
1t seems v let them down easy" said
: the mayor len he learned that the
fine in England for diplomatic scorching
/ is $50.