Evening journal., 1912-04-23
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
When President lays Was
on German Soil for z hours
By Holland

It is the common belief that no Pres
ident OF the United States ever set his !
foot beyond the boundaries OF this
country while serving in the presiden-
tial office; although II has been said
that President Tart did do that when
on his visit to Panama.
This view, however is unfounded,
and I am able to narrate a piece of un-
written history which tells of the first
departure from the unwritten law
that a President must not set his foot
outside the boundaries OF the United
States
I'm June. 1877, President Hayes left
Washington for the purpose of ac-
cepting an invitation to visit New
Haven and take part in the Yale COM
mencement exercises. Accompanying
him upon this excursion was Mrs.
Hayes.
When the President and Mrs. Hayes
arrived at Jersey City, they found a
small body Of Federal officeholders at
the station. Il had been an impromptu
| gathering, the purpose of which was
TO show the President and his wife
some scourtesies as they entered New
York for the first ime after the in-
auguration Of Hayes.
The day was a beautiful one The
party was shown TO seats upon the up
per deck of n ferryboat The boat was
obliged 10 slow down, in fact to come
to a complete stop, when midway
across the Hudson. One of the great
steamers of the German line had
swung into midstream from its pier at
Hoboken and, on its way down the
river, arrived at the point directly op-
posite the oncoming ferryboat Mrs
Hayes was intensely interested in the
spectacle She spoke with pleasure Of
the fact that the ferryboat had been
obliged TO stop long enough to enable
the President and herself TO see a
great ocean steamer under way
You know, we have never been
aboard an ocean steamer" Mrs Hayes
said. Turning to the President. she
asked him whether he would not Hko
to be taken over a steamship Mr..
Hayes replied that it would give him
very great pleasure If he had an op-
portunity of that kind.
As soon as the President and Mrs
Hayes We're on their way to New
Haven, two or three members of the
escorting party, including the post
master Of New York, went to Hoboken
and, having boarded a German steam
ship. asked the captain if they might
on the following day bring the Presi-
dent OF the United States and his wife
10 the vessel for an inspection of it.
The callers explained that neither the
President nor Mrs. Hayes had ever
been on an ocean steamship.
or course the captain at once OK
pressed his great delight at the pros
pect Of receiving the chief executive
aboard ship. President Hayes was
communicated with at New Haven and
an appointment made for him and Mrs.
Hayes to visit the German steamer.
At the appointed hour they We're taken
to the steamship No other persons ex-
cept the members Of the party knew
Of the event II was generally pre-
sumed that the President and Mrs
Hayes, after leaving New Haven. had
gone TO visit friends in New York city
The captain escorted them all over the
vessel and the President took especial
interest in the great engine room. Az
ter the inspection was completed the
captain invited the President and Mrs
Hayes and those who accompanied
them to take luncheon with him. The
| luNlidNiOn Wrt d'N'HiNu anu ~ very
bountiful and elabroate luncheon was
served
Before the luncheon was ended the
captain said TO President Hayes: "You
may not realize it. Mr. President but
you are actually upon foreign soil. The
German flag floats over this vessel
and she is as much part of German
soil as though she we're moored TO hel
docks at Bremen"
President Hayes was somewhat dis.
concerted by this statement He knew
that, as a matter of law, the captain
had stated the fact correctly. He franl
" confessed that. had he realized be
fore he came to the ship that the decl
of a German steamship was German
soil, he would have been obliged tC
decline the courteous invitation of tho
captain to inspect the vessel.
Then it was suggested that, as ther,
had been no public knowledge of the
visit, the incident be kept a secret A,
speedily as possible the President anS
his wife withdrew, and arrangements
ufaro ,,odo "a folro fl,of,, hxr ctoap,cI, In