The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-04-26
Many Presents Are Offered to
American Officials.
CONGRESS- CONSENT NEEDED
Without That, Employees of Uncle Sam
May Not Accept the Proffered !
honors-Case Full of Deco ~
rations Waiting.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


bosom of his dress shirt some medal
} lion or cross or bauble of some kind
suspended from his neck by bright
ribbon. There are good many men
In the United States who have been
decorated" by foreign monarchs. II
the person chosen for the honor is not
working in any capacity for the Unit
ed States government he can take the
decorative present if he chooses to,
but if he is one of Uncle Sans serv-
ants he must get permission of con-
gress before he can accept from the
hands OF any foreign king or govern
ment present of any kind.
There is in the state department q
case full of presents of various kinds
intended for American citizens in the
government employ. They are wait
Ing there until their hopeful recipients
i get permission from congress to wear
them or carry them, whichever it may
be, for sometimes the present is q
medal which must be worn, or q
pocket knife or something else which
must be carried. 81
Recently congress allowed several
army and navy officers and few civil
Ian employees of the government to &C.
cept gifts from foreign potentates. 1t
will be some time before congress will
act again in this matter and meantime
the presents will pile up, for some
times they are sent direct to the state
department and if not, they are turned
over to the department by the men
who hope some day to get permission
to claim possession.
EIihu Roots Request.
When Elihu Root was secretary of
state he showed in one way that he
was something of a diplomat. In q
communication to congress asking
permission to turn over to waiting re-
cip1ents some of the gifts of foreign
governments intended for them he
asked that certain gentlemen be au-
thorized to accept orders from for
elgn governments" Ordinarily, tho
officials Of the state department are
content to speak collectively Of those
OF whom they are writing as per
sons" but Mr.. Root established a
precedent by substituting the word
gentlemen" for persons. Congress
made somewhat merry at the time
over the distinction which Mr. Root
drew without probably intending to
draw any at all. The trouble was that
Mr.. Root did not include in his re-
quest all those who had been offered
presents by foreign governments and
the entirely gratuitous assumption
was that the others were not gentle
men.
The fathers in their wisdom for
babe that any official of the republic
should receive decorations or gew-
gaws of whatever kind from the hands
Of alien rulers without permission of
congress. Sometimes congress is easy
in these matters and so it is possible
| that before the present session ends a
good many Of the governments serv-
| ants, major and minor, ranking in
| somewhere between a major general
! and an humble messenger, will have in
| their keeping varied assortment of
| things representing the largesse of
royalty.
| Many Gifts Are Offered.
| Since the United States became a
world power every nation on the face
Of the globe has sought to give it's Of
ficials presents of one kind or another.
The emperor of Ethiopia was one of
the monarchs to come bearing gifts.
1t was his desire once on time to
present ribbon, pin and star, the
symbol of an order which has existed
since the day of Solomon and Sheba,
to K. p. Skinner, an American citizen,
one time consul at Marseilles.
King Edward VII of England tried
successfully to get permission from
congress to give silver ink stand to
George H. Bridgeman, American con-
sui at Kingston, Jamaica, and a sill
Yer writing set to Arthur M Beaupre,
who was then our minister to the Ar
gentine Republic. Edward also at one
time had in stock good many souve-
mir coronation medals, sword or two
and several silver watches which he
wanted to hand over with an express
sion of his kingly regard to army and
navy officers and to lighthouse keep
ers who owed allegiance to the repub.
Hc. Edward finally had his way. +
It took the shah of Persia two years
to get permission to give diamond
snuff box to Richmond Pearson. who
was our minister at one time to Tehe-
ran. It took the khedive Of Egypt two
years also to secure permission ia
bestow on Ethelbert Watts the deco
ration of the Order Of the Osmaniek.
The government Of France, although
that country is a republic, was Obliged
to get the permission of the American
congress before it could give decora.
lions Of the Legion Of Honor to Lieut
Gen. Adna R. Chaffee and about thirty
other American army officers, most Of
whom witnessed the French army
maneuvers.
When last there was an emperor Of
China he picked out 20 Americans
whom he wished to honor with thu
N decoration Of ~. tha nOnh1o 3nro ro>