Milford chronicle., 1909-09-17
MINISTER KNOWLES IS
VERY HIGHLY H0N0RED


Delaware, formerly United States
minister at the courts OF Servia,
Roumania and Bulgaria, has receiv-
ed from King Peter, of Servia, the
cross and star of the Order of St.
Sava, the highest compliments roy
atty in that country can pay to a
foreigner.
The presentation of the emblems
was made a few days ago in the
Bellevue -Stratford Hotel, in Phila-
delphia, by his excellency Borivoie
! V, Bekovitch, who was sent as a
special envoy by the king to bear
them to Minister Knowles.
Because of a provision of the con-
stitution, the presentation was de-
layed several months, and even
now, while the emblems are the
property of Mr.. Knowles, he cannot
wear them. Mr.. Knowles is now
minister to Nicaragua, and the pro-
vision is to the effect that no repre-
sentative of the United States gov
ernment may receive gifts from for
eign rulers so long as he is in the
federal service, except by actual
permission of Congress.
After King Peter was so informed
it was discovered that ministers are
permitted to receive gifts, provided
they deposit them with the State
Department until they are no longer
in the government service. Mr..
Knowles has gone to Washington
to comply with this requirement.
In an interview, Special Envoy
BekOvitch spoke of the services
Minister Knowles had rendered to
the Servian government for which
the honor was bestowed.
"There is no greater honor my
sovereign could have paid Minis
ter Knowles, he said, "and the
country he so creditably represent
ed, than by bestowing on him the
decorations of the first class of the
Order Of St. Sava. It is the highest
order in Servia, and it is very in
frequent that even the second class
is given.
"His majesty, King Peter, was
moved to honor Minister Knowles /
by a desire to manifest his appre-
citation of the services rendered by /
him to the Servian people. He
great interest in matters
pertaining to the country. He made /
friends of all with whom he came
in contact. He spoke we'll Of our
country and its products, and then
tried to give us those good things
Of his country which he saw we did
not have.
"What he said and did was a
great encouragement to us, and won
the admiration of our king and his
family and court. When he saw
that certain European governments,
through their agents and newspa-
pers, were, for political reasons,
our crown prince, your
minister was the only one who had
the courage ami honesty to enter a
protest and tell the truth about him.
IF there were more diplomats
like Minister Knowles in the capi-
tails Of Europe, there would be less
friction between the nations and
ess danger of war. The United
States government could do nothing
hat would please our king and
people so much as to send Minister
Knowles to us again.
The emblems presented to Mr.
Knowles are remarkable specimens
If the goldsmith's art. The cross, {
With its chased ornamentation and
,nameled work, is made of solid
gold, and is worn from a wide silk
ash that goes over the shoulders
lnder the coat and ACROSS the breast.
The star is made of solid silver and
-old, and also has on its face in the '
enter the enameled figure of St. ]
,ava.
When he entered this country
special Envoy Bekovitch had trou !
lie with the customs officials at !
Jew York, who insisted that he t
ay duty on the emblems, and J
to take them from him '
he refused, The envoy was un I
bic to speak English, and the Gus
Oms officials could not talk Servian. :
'inally the envoy drew his hand ..
cross his throat to indicate that /
le officials could cut off his head v
efore he would relinquish the gifts t
which his ruler had made him fl
le bearer. An interpreter explain b
matters, and the difficulty was Il
vercome.
A short time ago Minister Knowles \
-oused public interest by his sug-
sstion that the Black Sea sturgeon,