Evening star., 1914-07-18
PRESENTS TO OFFICIALS
AT STATE Department

N the office of the chief clerk of the
Department Of State is huge safe,
filled almost to overhowing with jew
elry. watches and all kinds of articles Of
personal adornment and decoration, in
cluding many orders of the titled no
bility Of Europe. 1t reminds the curious
spectator. more than anything else. of
the big safe in a thriving pawnshop.
The intrinsic worth of these articles.
apart from any sentimental value at
tached to them. mounts up in the hum
dreds of thousands of dollars.
They are presents given to officials of
the United States in civil as well as mill
tary and naval service by foreign govern
ments and titled personages. and which
jealous Uncle Sam has incontinently
swooped down upon under our ancient
law
For our forefathers, fearing bribery Of
the officials of our infant government by
the wealthy and unscrupulous powers OF
Europe. Incorporated in the Constitution
provision prohibiting any one in its
service from receiving any kind of pres
ent from any foreign government or Off
cial This. however, has not prevented
many such presents being made to Amer
lean officials who have rendered some
valuable service to some foreign nation
or ruler In all such cases. however, the
State Department takes possession of the
gift and tucks 1t away in it's safe. The
officials to whom the presents were made
can go there and look at the:0 but that
Is ALL
The Constitution permits Congress to
waive this prohibition and consent to an
officials receiving such gifts, but 1t is a
favor very rarely and very charity ex-
tended. There are, however. a good
many instances where these gifts, on the
death of the donee, have been turned
over to the heirs as heirlooms.
Many ingenious schemes have been de-
vised to get around this prohibition. Per-
haps the simplest and most effective was
the plan of Dorsey Mohun, one-time con-
sui from the United States to a Belgian
city.
Mr.. Mohun. while there had rendered
some service to the king . the Belglans.
The king presented him with very cost
ly watch and chain. Mohun, however,
declined the gift-with an understanding.
He had lately learned that he would soon
be transferred to the consulate at Zanzi-
bar. Accordingly, the watch was sent to
Washington and on Mohun arriving there
and resigning his position as Belgian
consul he promptly. and legally. accepted
the gift. Five minutes later he received
his appointment as consul to Zanzibar.
Some of the gifts have come from the
greatest monarchs of the world. There
is handsome watch and chain given to
Admiral Miller of the United States Navy
by the present Emperor William of Ger
many. Also a pair of handsome marine
binoculars presented by 10. same mon
arch to Lieut.. A. d. Norton, also of the
navy, in recognition of his work in Sa-
moa. There is also sword presented to
Capt. Fremont by King Edward VII.
The prohibition extends as we'll to con-
gressmen and persons in the executive
departments. There Is slowed away in
that safe golden scimitar presented to
President Jefferson by the Sultan of Mo-
rocco and-truly oriental gift-a bottle of
diamonds presented to President Monroe
by an oriental sultan.
Efforts have been made from time to
time to get Congress to pass a law per-
mitting the recipients of these gifts the
use of them on special occasions, but
they have been unsuccessful. The last
effort in that line was made in 1909 when
a bill was introduced in Congress to per-
nit such recipients to borrow" them
1t was defeated