Bisbee daily review., 1911-08-10
CONSUL URGES
 NEEDED REFORM
When Americans Abroad Are Stranded No Fund Is Ready to Assist Them,
 He Says

ST, LOUIS, Aug. 9--~In one sens
 an American consul is like a foreigl
 missionary society--he wants money.
 said Arthur Garreis, American oonsu
 in Catania, Sicily, who is spending hi
 two months leave of absence with hi
 mother, Mrs. William Garrels. and he
 family at 1880 Lafayette avenue. 'Th,
 United States consular service is sec
 ond to none, except in one thing
 fl destitute American comes to h..
 countrys consul for help, in Sicily ol
 elsewhere, the consul has to so dowr
 into his own pocketbook or else refuse
 help to a fellow coantryman. In point
 of personal charity, we consuls cant
 be beat. We are forced into this par
 ticular virtue from lack of a fund on which we could draw. and which nearly all other countries provide"
 Mr Garrels was born and reared in
 St- Louis He has been in the consular service since 1908. when he successful ly passed the required competitive ex- aminations. He is the successor of Arthur s. Cheney, who was killed in the Sicilian earthquake three years ago He went there from Zanzibar.
 H.
 was his first post.
 Speaking further of the need of a fund for helping American citizens abroad Mr. Garrels said:
 l do not want to be understood as eriticising the methods of our govern ment at all. because this is a thing With which the government Is not par ticularly concerned The funds kept by various countries for helping their cit. len abroad are in the hands of private organizations, on whom the consul can draw at his discretion when a needy and deserving case comes his way. i Is no credit 10 this country that We, who contributed so magnifienetly to the aid of Sicily at the time of the earthquake and who are foremost on all such occasions, can make no pro vision for Americans who may find themselves in desperate need in @ for. eign land
 Urges Red Cross Control.
 What we need is a permanent fund of some kind 10 be placed, say in the hands of the Red Cross society In Washington. Then any consu! could. draw on the fund when there was need. and We in the consular service would find ourselves saved from many a perplexing problem. The government looks 10 the needs of it's sailors and men in the merchant marine. and that Is all An ordinary citizen has no more claim on his country abroad, in a financial sense, than an alien.
 And here are the hapless consuls placed in a position where it is sim ply out Of the question for them 10 refuse aid which they can't afford. submit that something ought 10 be done.
 When asked about the present condf uons in Sicily, and the work of rebuild ing Messina. Mr Garrels said a steady effort is being made in that direction.
 There is a great deal to be done in the line of grading, laying out streets, and othr preliminary labor. he said. which necessarily has de. iayed the rebuilding work itself. But in time Hessina will be restored.
 I find my post an interesting one. The Sicilians as compared to other Italians are practically a separate na- tionality, with a separate Language They are friendly 10 America. and never have forgotten the strong arm that was used for them when they were in trouble three years ago. This makes my position in many respects agreeable. The educated Ital- ian is worth trayeling far to meet Most Americans Of course do not come in contact with this class and have a hazy idea of the Italian characts. in consequence.
 Tourists Seldom in Trouble.
 American tourists seldom get into trouble with the police, and l seldom have had to settle any troubles of that kind. There are times, of course, when an American will get into trou. ble through ignorance Of the customs and laws of the country.
 Sicily itself is worthy of the song and story that have centered there almost since history was. There are few parts of the world with as much to offer in that direction. When you travel through that island and see the people with their ancient customs and their way of living you would almost persuade yourself that you were back in the days when Thocritus sang. A. most you can believe that Vulcan still makes the thunderboirs On love under Aetna, that the CyelOps still tends his sheep beside the sea, and that you presently may see him receive. Ulys- ses and his band. It Is wonderful to stand among the places of which men have sung and told immemOrial times. and where the ancient Romans did their mightiest deeds.
 Any American who likes that kind of thing and likes for moment to feel that the gods still reign upon Olympus. must by ail means come to Sicily and breathe the unique atmos- pkere Of the place lt will nearly make a poet to order. ] assure you.
 To come down Co hardpan, twenti- eth century facts once more, ' may say that I don't spend all my time with the ancient gOds I've got 8 ten-hour a das job, and two assistants. Wc nave to see. to it that there is no infection sent out with some S5.0Go,000 worth of shipments yearly. We attend 70 some 5u0e invoices in the course ef the year in this connection. The chief ship ments are citrate Of line. essential oils of lemon and orange. crude and refined sulphur. almonds and ilberis. r .a4sttr.- f. fhfa fhara fa ffsa rrsf-