Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
Diplomatic Immunity and Affront

Umbrage is taken at the remarks of
member of the Senate rejecting
upon certain diplomatic representa-
tiVes at this Capital. Intimation is
given that protest will be filed with
the State Department on the score of
these statements. But to what end is
questionable. For the State Depart.
ment cannot chide Senator, nor can
the President Of the United States.
The sixth section of Article / of the
Constitution provides: THE Senators
and Representatives shall In
all cases. except treason. felony and
breach of the peace. be privileged
from arrest during their attendance
at the session OF their respective
houses. and In going to and returning
from the same; and for any speech or
debate In either house. they shall not
be questioned in any other place"
Another clause Of the same article
OF the Constitution provides that
each house may determine the rules
OF Its proceedings. punish Its members
for disorderly behavior. and. with the
concurrence Of two-thirds, expel q
member"
Thus only the Senate can discipline.
reproVe or punish member of that
body for any utterance in debate
which gives offense In any quarter.
1t Ia perhaps within the powers of
the Executive directly or the Secre.
tary Of State with the Presidents as.
sent. TO call the attention of the Sen.
ate to language used before that body
by one Of Its members which Is OBJ
noxious to foreign representatives.
But no executive officer, whatever the
nature Of the offense, can direct or
dictate reproval or retraction. That
power lies with the Congress alone.
On numerous occasions in the past
offensive language uttered in debate
has been "expunged from the Rec
ord" which means that the words are
stricken from the so-called "Perma-
men. Record" which Is the final form
Of the record Of proceedings. How
| ever. this Permanent Record" has
| no public circulation. 1t is really only
an historical file. Publicity is, of
course. given to the action of expunge-
ment through the press. and the Rec
ord itself bears testimony to the pun.
ishment thus administered.
A few years ago q member Of the
House Of Representatives added GER
tain offensive language to the copy
Of q speech for which he had been
given leave to print" For this abuse
of the privilege Of extending his re.
marks" In tho Record the member
was called to account, was formally
reprimanded. and the words were lex
plunged" They stand, however. in
such copies of the current edition as
may have been preserved.
In this case the expressions en-
ployed respecting certain representa-
tives of foreign governments at this
capital were Of a nature to evoke in
dignation on the part of not only
those representatives and all other
members of the diplomatic corps in
Washington. but of all citizens. re-
CARELESS OF views upon the question
Immediately at issue. that Of the I'M
munity Of diplomats and diplomatic
attaches from the operation Of the
prohibition law In this country. The
fact that the diplomatic privilege re.
speeding intoxicants has been grossly
abused, that indeed in some quarters
commercial transactions are conducted
under the cloak of this immunity, has
nothing to do with the matter of this
objectionable insult to those who are
stationed here in an official capacity
by the governments Of other nations.