Evening star., 1951-07-01

ncent hon ana l1oneSS.
I told him that it was per-
fectly impossible to receive the
animals-the laws of my coun-
try forbade it. He replied they
were not for me: that they were
for my Government. told him
the President, the head of my
Government, was in the same
predicament as myself-that he
had not the power to receive
them. He said that the Sultan
knew that; but that they were
not for the President but for
my Congress. ! replied that
Congress had resolved never to
receive any more presents; and
that the law prohibiting public
officers to receive presents was
part of the Constitution, and
superior to the power of Con-
gress itself. He wanted to know
who made the Constitution. I
replied, the people. Then, said
he. if Congress will not receive
them, the Emperor desires them
to be presented to the people.
as a mark of his respect and es-
TEEN for the "sultans" of Amer
lea.
At last, I told him that I
would not receive them-that
my mind was fully made up.
Then. said he, my determination
is as strong as 'yours-I am
ordered to deliver them to you
it will cost me my head If I
disobey. 7 shall leave them in
the street. The street upon
which is the American Consul
late is a narrow, short cul-de-
sac >. Preparations were made
for placing the guard at the
open end and turning the lions
loose in the street. Seeing furth-
er resistance hopeless and that
to persist in the refusal would
be to destroy the good feeling
with which the Consulate is at
present regarded, I was COM
PEELED to surrender to this novel
form of attack. and to open one
side of my rooms for the recep-
ton of the animals where they
now are. I have not dared to
take the responsibility to send
them to the United States, or
otherwise dispose of them.
They are to me a great expense
and inconvenience. They are
by far the finest animals Of
the kind I have ever seen.
I hope 7 shall have the honor
and pleasure of hearing upon
this subject from the depart
ment as soon as possible.
Two Cobinet Sessions
President Van Buren, regarde
the letter as the choicest piece Q
humor that had ever come to tn
presidential desk-yet he foun
himself unable to make q decision
regarding its contents. He calle
a special meeting Of the cabine
to discuss the matter. and he con
vulsed the members OF his officis
family by reading the letter t
them.
1t was only after two confer
ences with the cabinet that tn
President made up his mind. III
orders were carried out by Actin
Secretary Vail in q letter to tn
Consul. reading in part as follows
1t is to the President a matter
of regret that your exertions to
prevent the presentation to you,
in the name Of the Emperor, of
the animals to which you refer,
have proved unavailing. The
peculiar character Of the gov
ernment, and of the circum-
stances under which the animals
were forced into your possession,
can alone justify such a depar-
ture from your instructions and
the embarrassment which it in
wolves. These reasons, however,
as stated by you. are properly
appreciated by the President,
who desires that you be in
structed to send the animals to
the United States. either by a
public ship, If any of those on
the Mediterranean shall touch
at Tangier on their way home,
or by some merchant vessel.
The expense of their transpor-
tation, and Of their keeping
while in your. hands, will be al
lowed in the settlement of your
accounts.
With the subject Of the lion an
lioness temporarily disposed O
business at the White House an
the State Department resumed il
calm and even way and the mat
ter of wild animals was put ou
OF mind, at least for the tim
being.
Gay conversation about tn
strange gifts of the Emperor c
Morocco was brought up, how
ever, during the following Christ
mas Day dinner at the Whit
House. at which Mr.. Vail and tn
Secretary of State. John For
syth, were present. At the clos
of this dinner, Mr.. Van Bure
(who was our first President {
Dutch ancestry entertained h.
guests by telling them the stor
OF Christmas as it was celebrate
in his childhood days at the oil
Dutch home in Kipderhook, N. Y
where he was born.
Nuts From Muscot
Tears came to the President
eyes as he related the heart
warming celebration of Christina
eve in his family circle. He stoo
up and sang for the assembly tn
old Christmas song that he ha
c11nO oc q a6;Il a~L @to- 4.