The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1912-06-13

asylum may De called the
breath in the nostrils of Inter
national Law in the matter of
asylum. Kossuth's tour in the
United States, early last century,
agitating in the interest of the then
Hungarian revolution against Au-
stria, a country with which the
United States was at peace, was
no new departure; nor did the hos
pitality that the then Administra-
ton at Washington extended to Kos
suth break with precedent, or estab-
lish new rulel The neutrality laws
forbid a friendly country from al
lowing it's territory to be made a
basis for military operations against
another. Neither in neutrality laws
nor in the principle of asylum can
anything be found to forbid an exile
from writing and speaking in keep
ing with his views. Of course he
will; he is not held, as stated above,
to "hoeing potatoes" expulsion, or
extradition, does not become opera
tive except for specific reasons, and
among these reasons that of the
exile's Intellectually adhering to his
political views, and promoting them
by pen and speech is not one.
The Root amendment to the Dill
bingham immigration bill-by pro-
viding for the expulsion of any immi-
grant who "conspires" against a
friendly country, the conspiracy
consisting, Of course, in not 'hoeing
potatoes provides for the virtual
eXtradition of people whom the gen.
eral principle of International Law
expressly excludes from extradition,
and whom the laws of the land pro-
tect. The Root amendment is, &C
cordingly, an attempt to circumvent
the principle Of asylum and the laws
that guard the principle. 1t is an at
tempt to perpetrate, under cover, the
mischief that International Law and
the law of the land expressly guard
against.
4he Government of the United
States has never recognized the
Papacy as a temporal power Wheth-
er failure to do SO is wise or unwise,
is bigotry or brightness, is beside the
question. Fact is, the Papacy is not
temporarily in the eyes of our Fed
eral laws. Being no temporarily in
the eyes of our Federal laws, there
is no exchange Of diplomatic repre-
sentatiVes between Washington and
Rome. That the Roman Catholic po-
litical machine has, as is it's unques-
tionable right, pressed to alter this
state of things is no secret; neither
is it secret that, as likewise is it's
unQuestioned right, the Government
has resisted the pressure. Congress,
the only department with authority
to allow the recognition of foreign
powers, has withheld recognition
from the Vatican.
In March of this year Major Butt,
President Taft's Aide de Camp, left
for Rome. 1t was stated that the
Majors trip was vacation intended
to restore his digestion, completely
ruined by the rounds Of political
banquets which he had been called
upon to attend with the President"
Rumors, however, had it that the
Major was entrusted with deli
cate diplomatic mission to the
Pope. The talk speedily passed be-
yond the stage of "rumor." In it's
issue of Sunday, April IA, the New
York Times, an eminently reliable
authority on advance Cabinet Sc
crets" at home and abroad, con-
tanned an extensively illustrated ar
ticle by "a Veteran Diplomat" ad-
hitting, unofficially, of course, the
truth concerning the rumOrs anent
Major Butts mission to Rome. The
article did more than confirm. 1t
was an argument HEARING all tho