The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-05-03
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. If
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 a present of any kind.
There is in the state department a
case full Of presents Of various kinds
intended for American citizens In the
government employ. They are wait.
ing there until their hopeful recipients
get permission from congress to wear
them or carry them, whichever 1t may
be, for sometimes the present is a
medal which must be worn, or
pocket knife or something else which
must be carried.
Recently congress allowed several
army and navy officers and a few civil.
ian employees Of the government to ac-
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.
Many Gifts Are Offered.
Since the United States became a
world power every nation on the face
of the globe has sought to give its Of
ficials presents of one kind or another.
The emperor Of Ethiopia was one Of
the monarchs to come bearing gifts.
It was his desire once on time to
present a ribbon, pin and star, the
symbol of an order which has existed
since the day Of Solomon and Sheba,
to R. P. Skinner, an American citizen,
one time consul at Marseilles.
King Edward VII. of England tried
successfully to get permission from
congress to give a silver ink stand to
George H. Bridgeman, American con-
sui at Kingston, Jamaica, and a sill
yer writing set to Arthur N. Beaupre,
who was then our minister to the Ar.
gentine Republic. Edward also at one
time had in stock a good many souve.
mir coronation medals, a 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-
lie. Edward finally had his way.
1t took the shah Of Persia two years
to get permission to give a 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 to
bestow on Ethelbert Watts the deco.
ration Of the Order Of the Osmaniek
The government Of France, although
that country is republic, was obliged
to get the permission of the American
congress before 1t 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 the
decoration Of the Double Dragon.
These Chinese baubles are now being
worn by their recipients.
Hard Lot Of Sailor.
President Taft has assigned to him
for occasional service at the White
House several young army and ma
val officers whose duty it is to act as
personal aids. 1t must not be under
stood that these soldiers and sailors
are sent to Washington for the ex-
press purpose Of attending on the
president at official and social func-
tions. They are sent here to do
the ordinary military and naval work
in the departments, and to attend the
president only as "side issues" Once
in a while some of these younger Off.
GERS, In case the presidents regularly
appointed constant personal aid" is
absent, accompany him on his rides.
Lieut.. Semmes Read four years
ago was sent to the capital for navy
duty and to act as one Of the White
House aids. He had been here about
q year when he started on horse
back ride with the president through
Rock Creek park. Sailors are not the
fine horsemen ordinarily that army Of
ficers are, and Lieutenant Read was
thrown when his horse SHE'D at an
automobile and his back was injured.
For the last three years young Read
has been an inmate either Of the naval
hospital here or of the Johns Hopkins
hosnital in Baltimore. He has been
confined to his bed all the time. and