Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1922-11-10
CONSULATE CASE
MAY CAUSE ROW
NEWCASTLE AFFAIR RAISES DEL
IcATE PROBLEMS.
CONSUL ISMISSAL CAUSE
Britain Has Cancelled E~xequaturs Of
of Slater and Brooks, for Fur
thering American Business,
Will Not Revive Action.

"dsnlhston. - Inc United State,
n Great Britain apparently are ap
preaching a diplomatic impasse owe
the incident caused by the latter gov
ernment's recent action cancelling rec
IGNITION of the two American consuls
at Newcastle, it was believed here.
The Newcastle situation also is in
terestlng because it Is believed in
some informed quarters that this oues.
ton may develop the necessity or ad.
Visibility of the United States seeking
some definite agreement with other
powers defining the rights of its con
sular representatives in connection
with business of the American ship.
ping board.
Inc situation of consular officers
of a certain government passing on ar
rangements of a business in which the
government which they represent is
actively en~gaged-as in the case of
the passenger service of the United
States shipping board-is a more or
less unique one, it is pointed out in
these diplomatic quarters, and the i'm.
pOrtant result Of the Newcastle Incl
dent may be that the United States
viii take the question up on a broader
basis to secure a working agreement.
The situation resulting from the
Newcastle incident may be summarize
ed as follows:
First-The investigations which the
American government has made are
not said to have substantiated the
British charges that Consul Slater and
Vice Consul Brooks used their wise
powers at Newcastle to coerce British
subjects to sail to- the United States
on American ships, and the British
government has been notified of this
in a communication to the state de-
partment, which takes the stand that
Great Britain should withdraw the
charges against the consuls.
Second-The British attitude seems
to be that the incident is a closed one.
that the ~exequaturs Of the consul have
been cancelled; that there is no cues
ton of the right OF any government
to take such a step; that 1t is not a
matter for argument, and that the
American government can open its
consulate at Newcastle or leave It
closed, as it sees fit.
The fine point of distinction Is that
the American government does not un-
to question the right Of the
British government, or any other gov-
eminent, to cancel and withdraw the
recognition of any foreign diplomatic
or consular officer that 1t wishes to.
There is certainly no question con-
corning international custom on that
point. There are cases that are known
of where a diplomatic representative
Of n country accredited to another
was withdrawn because he was not So
cially acceptable to the government to
which he was accredited.
Only recently a certain government
was given to understand that its dip
lomatic representative in a certain
was nc longer desired. The
diplomat in question found it conven.
lent to 90 away for a rest, and after
while the world was informed that
physicians had found his health was
that he could not return to his
post.
Also, it may he seer from the in
that all such delicate matters
are handled with the utmost secrecy
and quiet and that nothing ever be-
comes known outside of inner govern
ment and diplomatic circles, if the
man in question takes the hint and
leaves within a reasonable time So,
naturally, the names of governments.
persons and places cannot be given
here.