The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-10-17
TROUBLES OF A CONSUL
In Singapore He May Spend $3.50
Year Of His Own Aiding countrymel

In Singapore He May Spend $3.50 q
Year Of His Own Aiding countrymen
There are between 5000 and
5000 American toutJ,a coming to
Singapore every year" said James I,
Dubois the other day, "and they have
all sorts of troubles The represen-
tatiye of the United States at that
port feels the weight of some of
them" Mr.. Dubois has just retired
as Consul-General Of the United
States at Singapore and IL on his
way to Colombia as American Minis
ter
THE American who would see that
part of the Far East usually has to
spend at least ten days Of his time
in Singapore. l recall one young
man who came over to be q promoter.
He gave out several hundred dollars
worth OF bad checks, and then the
authorities got after him. All they
did was to make him leave the city.
On his way back to San Francisco
that young man met a young Ameri-
can woman and paid her attention,
with the result that when he landed
In San Francisco they we're engaged
to be married. He was interviewed
| at great length In the San Francisco
papers as a millionaire rubber plant
err
while | was in Singapore 1t cost
me about $3.50 year out OF my own
pocket to take care OF Americans who
stranded there. Many had signed at
San Francisco articles on foreign
ship, and had either deserted when
| the vessel arrived at Singapore or
else the ships officers had tired OF
them and deserted them. 1t was no
uncommon thing for them to 90
ashore, after having been paid only
| in part and to be told by the officers
TO return at p. m. and then find the
ship sailing away without them q
couple of hours before that time. AS
a rule these victims or deserters, as
the case might be, were young boys.
As they had shipped under a for
eign flag there was no money pro-
yided to take care of them. Had
marine could have sent them home
at the Governments expense.
II once came across a case of ex.
tradition by moral suasion. A man
named Frank Faulkner, who was
clerk OF the legation in Pekin and
had charge Of the funds OF the lega.
ton. embezzled about $1,000 or Sc.
900 OF the money. He made his way
down to Singapore and got orders
to extradite him.
I'VE have no treaty that makes ex
tradition in such a case possible, but
could detain the man, and went
ahead and did so. Then five days
later got word from headquarters
that no extradition treaty existed
which had already known, and not
to extradite Faulkner Well, | went
to Faulkner and told him would
have to let him go.
But | added, IF you go into other
countries you are sure to get into
trouble with our Government | ad
vised him to go back to Shanghai
and give himself up. He did SO. and
made him pay his own expenses
and ! collected some OF the unspeni
money from him and sent 1t back
Faulkner stopped at Hongkong as
had advised him and reported to the
Consul and then went on to Shanghai
and gave himself up. AS II was the
first case of embezzlement in China
the courts had had to deal with the
Judge felt that he had TO make an
example OF Faulkner. and he sent
him to Jail for five years
The severity of this sentence
have laways regretted as II seemed
to me that Faulkner in giving him
self up where he could have remain
ed outside the jurisdiction OF the
court without danger OF extraditioT
should have merited some consider
alton. lie has now served two years
His case is up before the board o.
parole for pardon. and am in hopei
he will get on. for going back wal
entirely voluntary on his part, anC
he kept absolute faith. New Yorl
Sun.