The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-06-06
GIFTS IN FORTUNES
ARE UNDELWERED
Government Employees Not AL
lowed to Take
Presents.
HOUSE TAB00S GIFTS
NOTABLE EXCEPTION WAS THE
NOBEL PRIZE OF $4,000.
HOUSE
TABOOS


resolutions authorizing acceptance Of
gifts by American military men and
diplomatic officers from foreign rulers
were turned down recently by the
House committee on foreign affairs.
Accompanying the rejection was re-
port tending to discourage any such
efforts in the future.
In strong language the committee
pointed out that the provision OF the
constitution prohibiting the acceptance
Of such gifts by Americans in official
life was drawn wisely by the fathers
OF the country in the interest of the
integrity and perpetuity OF the repub-
nc Underlying the prohibition is the
thought that those accepting such gifts
would be under more OF less obligation
TO the given. and to that degree at
least weaken his allegiance to this
country.
The most notable exception to this
rule by Congress was the authorize
tiOn Of acceptance by former President
Roosevelt of the Nobel peace prize.
amounting to about $4,000. Colonel
Roosevelt turned this money over TO
the department of commerce and labor
to form the basis of fund for expenses
attending arbitration and the peaceful
settlement of disputes between capital
and labor. Before granting the au-
thorizatiOn in this instance. Congress
had full knowledge what was TO be
done with the money. The prize was
awarded Colonel Roosevelt for his eff
forts in terminating the war between
Russia and Japan.
Notable Collection of Gifts.
The recent action of the House com
mittee arouses new interest in the no
table collection Of valuabl and curious
gifts presented by foreigners to official
Americans which the government has
not authorized acceptance Of and which
are now in safe keeping at the national
museum and in the state. war and navy
departments. These gifts include canes.
snuff boxes. rugs and Valuable gems.
Burglars have made raids on the col
lectionS twice, but each time the police
succeeded i'm running down the thieves
and recovering most OF the stolen arti-
cies. For many years the collection
was Kept in the patent office. attached
IN its early days to the state depart
ment There was no day watchman in
the building then. and on December p.
1881. in broad daylight. the door Of the
room in which the collection was kept
was opened by means Of a false KEY
and the thief carried off a gold snuff
box and a gold scabbard.
The value Of the stolen articles was
placed at $4,000. a reward of 81 600
was offered by the government for
their recovery. In some mysterious
manner. not recorded in the archives OF
the state department. they were recov-
cred in a few weeks in Baltimore The
thief was not apprehended. or. il he
was. ne was not prosecuted.
For years the collection was lost
HtNnA u. ItDldlnlnE IN sealed box in
the vault Of the treasury building. In
March. 1882, a committee examining
the vault found the box and recon =
mended that the collection be turned
over TO the secretary Of the interior.
Spencer T. Baird. secretary of the
smithsonian institution and director OF
the national museum. wrote the Secre-
tary OF the treasury January 3. 1885.
asking that the collection be turned
over TO the national museum In March
ioof, arrangements for the safe keen
,nE or the collection having been per
tected at the Smithsonian institution
the collection was given into its keen
ing. mere II Is now viewed by thol1-
'nds. From time TO time other gifts
nave been added to II. but many still
Departments
In the collection now exhibited are
Two musketS presented to President
Jefferson by the hey Of Tunis: a cane
MADE OF an elephants tusk and fvoIJ
mounted. presented to John Oufnc,-
ADAMS: gold snuff box with the initial
a IN diamonds. presented to General
nursW Jackson by Emperor A1exan-
Ger or Russia: sword with gold scab-
pHra ana mountinys. presented 10 Com
modore James Biddle by the vicero,, 90
feru; neckl9ces Of diamonds and pearls
cashmere shaw Persian rugs other
ornaments Of pearls and a e-ol5 none
en sword presented to Conrnodore 7 n
Elliott by the Tmaum OF NTuscat
nose Sifts from Muscat came after
imuam by Commissioner Edr,upd reoi
erts. he had been sent IN 1SR9 10 c.
cnln-'hina. Siam and Musca. in the
I..resr or American commerce in tho
e8St; me result OF this treaty was the
establishment Of an American cone,-
late on the island OF Zanzibar 70 ,,-bfc,,
native was Amounted shortly re-
c lle INA UNI Syecd Pen AIMED. presented
commissioner Roberts with two Ay,h
IAN horses and lion. These were for
Warded to the secretary Of state Tl,e,-
arrived in WASHINGTON early in 1e9r
S,nd were sold under a resolution 81
other presents were sent 1,tor h.. a. =.
lmuam 70 President Van Rurer o.,
lrlStinas day 1899. the shin SuItanee
arrived at New York with two Arebta,,
,e,IL.-'tso boIte or altar Of roses five
Ven'1ohnS OF rose water a number 80
cashmere Eh1wls. Persian rugs "a =
IoN OF pearls for tho President. a s,,,-o,.s
ror Commodore Elliott and shawl
=. Shields and a. " Foote tbe Zee,
becoming letter Admiral Foote
The Arabian horses were so1a -.
the state DEPARTMENT tool. go, -,
,'lner Times and added them 70 it's col
iection From time 10 time tho corf,-
tion has been Increased nv cold ,,,5e1u
SNNer medals match boxes svvo-7- -,
levels given American military no.,
..'l' Is and consuls IN very few
cases has Congress authorized tbo -
centance by the indivfdr1a1 Of a., 49,
Nc recent visits Of foreign prircos- -,
dtnlomats TO this country hos .,, ,,lg
.siT 70 the collection. Thev have
attefnnted 70 show annreriatio,, - -,
courtestes extended them nv tbfz I III
ny IN presents to the officials dotosIl..
oy me government to shov tbo.,,
:. - F"relsners can not understand
WV this government does NOT 80. ~ ~
OFFICIALS TO accent presents - ~, -
continue their custom Of rnalxiner tbo,,,