The Washington herald., 1912-04-17
A BARON FULL OF POWER.
Also Extraordinary Enough to Beat
Claimants Fare.


From the New York Evening Post.
Plenipotentiary and extraordinary
mean something at last. II you don't
believe II, ask the taxicab chauffeur
who drove Baron Won HengelmulIer,
the Austrian Ambassador, z. and P,
from a Hoboken pier TO a hotel in Man
haitian, charged $3.50 for the job, and
got only 1925 and a diplomatic smile
It was the most extraordinary thing
that ever happened to that driver or
any other driver. So much for the f.
part of the baron's title. Now, as any
chauffeur knows. plenipotentiary means
full Of power. But It was never dream
ed before that just one foreigner. who
has not even taken out his first papers
and doesn't intend TO. had more power
than an entire board of thoroughly
Americanized aldermen, some OF whom
have been in this country half a gem
GRAFTON, and all Of whom have tried
again and again to reduce taxicab
fares, which have kept right on going
up.
But the baron, by refusing to pay
what he considered an exorbitant
charge, has called attention to the real
cause OF the trouble. The aldermen
are aldermen extraordinary but not
aldermen plenipotentIary. Only the
chauffeurs themselves and the walters
and the hat check boys and theater
ticket agents are plenipotentiary in
this country. But the baron has sug-
gested a remedy. Everybody should
be an ambassador or at least a minis
ter from a foreign part, and therefore
immune against arrest for not paying
the cabman
As 1t is now. there are only ten am
bassadors and Twenty-Five ministers
accredited to this nation, but the world
is full of islands and utoplas which
might be set up as governments, tenn
porarily, Just for the purpose OF flood
ing this country with ENJOYS extraor-
binary and plenipotentiary long enough
to teach the cabmen a lesson that they
would never forget and to help the
people and the aldermen solve the prob
lem OF the high cost of riding. Inas-
much as the President has called for
an International conference on the
high-cost matter. II would be no cause
OF war II every Ambassador and minis
ter should jump into a taxi every day
and pay what he thought was reason
able at the end OF the ride.
AS an object lesson on a larger scale
all ten ambassadors and twenty-nine
ministers might have a taxicab parade
on Fifth Avenue. or they might go to
East Orange, which, according to the
census OF 1890, has exactly thirty-nIne
public hacks, take a hack apiece, and
drive about from one Orange to an
other, with side trips to Montclair and
Watsessing, until the hackmen were
thoroughly cowed.
But no matter what precedence may
call for at functions in Washington,
Baron Hengelmuler should ride in the
first carriage IN the anti-high-price
taxi parade.
From the New York Sun.
Baron Won HengelmulIer. the Aus
TRAN Ambassador, who cut a $3.50
automobile fare bill in two when he
reached the Hotel st. Regis on Satur-
day from Hoboken, went to Washing
ton yesterday morning still refusing
to pay the balance. The Hexamer
garage people. of Hoboken, whose ma
chine carried the Ambassador and his
wife from the Hamburg American pier,
were still out the other 1926. and they
do not know whether to apply to the
State Department for II or go direct to
The Hague tribunal. They have been
Informed that the diplomat cannot be
sued or arrested In this country while
he Is a diplomat.
Although stIll firm in his resolution
not to pay what he considered an ex-
tortionate charge, the baron was in
more genial mood yesterday morn
ing. He appeared in the hotel lobby
after his breakfast. and a friend
showed him few newspaper clippings
on the subject. which made him laugh
heartily. Were there any extras out?"
he inquired. There were one or two
calls on the telephone for him In the
morning and the general belief Is they
came from Hoboken, but the calls
were in vain. The baron departed and
nobody tried to stop him.
The most relieved person over the
AFFAIR is the policeman whom Freder-
lex Folckner, the chauffeur, called on
Saturday when the baron refused TO
pay. Volckner wanted to apply the
usual pressure exerted on the ordinary
person, and the policeman was Just
about 10 apply Il for him when some
body told him what happens to police
men and eonstables who try to tamper
with the sacred persons of foreign
Representatives In this country. He had
not finished shiyering yesterday.