The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-11-16
Heirlooms and Treasures OF
Americans Who Die Abroad
Held in Government Vaults.

Washington.-Supp to his
multitudinous other activities, our
resplendent Uncle Samuel maintains
an extraordinary undertaking establish
ment down in the neighborhood OF
Eighteenth and Il streets-a curious
morgue of dead mems shoes where the
personal effects of American citizens
and soldiers who die abroad are stored
In safety vaults pending the appear
ance of the heirs and claimants OF
these trinkets, keepsakes, jewelry,
treasures and-whatnot.
Thousands and thousands Of care
fully sealed parcels, ranging In size
from a little package inclosed In
stout manila envelope-legal size pa
per-to containers larger than the big
gest shoe box are being held in this
novel port of unclaimed legacies.
If these mute, inconsplcuous parcels
could but talk, what tales they could
narrate-stories of battlefield bravery
and conquest, accounts Of American
adventurers and explorers who dared
unknown perils to add to our scientific
or practical knowledge, intimate sto-
ries of the human triangle and Its va
riegated issues, experience stories such
as never were written in novel, maga-
zine or newspaper.
Belong to Next Of Kin.
The origin Of these articles, whicn
belong to missing next Of kin" Is any
where on the world map. From the
scorching sands of the Sahara, from the
forest businesses Of the Congo, from
the mines of Siberia, from the skylands
of the Alps, from trading posts on little
islands Of the Seven seas where ven
turesome Americans journey and die,
their personal effects are returned TO
Washington to be held by the Treasury
department until the relatives can be
found who are the rightful heirs of
the property.
When an American citizen passes
away on foreign soil, the American
consul In the nearest district Is notified.
Immediately he takes charge Of the
personal effects Of the deceased. III
there are relatives at hand, the official
transfers the articles to their keeping.
II the man has no close relatives In
that latitude, the consul communicates
with the secretary of state In Washing
ton, advising of the death and either
giving the address of American rela-
tiyes to be notified or else requesting
that the State department locate the
lawful heirs of the dead man.
Ordinarily the American consul Sc
lects two local merchants who aid him
in inventorying the estate All the out.
standing debts are paid and moneys
due him are collected and credited to
his estate.
Thousands Die Abroad. /.
The American consul Is allowed a
modest fee Of ! or per cent Of the
value of the estate for his services.
The duties which the consular service
have to cover annually In these fields
are extensive and widespread, as the
last reports Of the State department
show that between 5000 and 1000
American citizens die each year while
visiting, travelling through or living In
foreign countries.
After the consul has converted the
estate Of tlG deDd man into cash-un-
less legal claimants appear as legiti-
mate heirs--he forwards the funds and
personal trInkets TO the treasurer of
the United States The consul has su-
pervision over only the personal prop
erty of the deceased citizen--all the
real property is governed by the local
laws of the foreign lana.
In the case Of an American citizen
who dies on the high seas. aboard a
United States or foreign ship. the Unit
Cd States consul at the port where the