New-York tribune. [volume], August 22, 1897, Page 6, Image 28

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

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LEOPOLD THE WRONG MAX.
WHY THIS N* \TT<~.\' ?-"???'?.? OBJECT TO
THE BELGIAN KING AS ARBITRATOR
THE ?? MM1 . '. r: ?,\ , ; >> - ptm?, p;.?; BEL?
QIl'M Avn .' ?.: ?.' \ spa.vism MEMO
r.ANl ? ??? ?t s?? ? ? D PITT ".?\'.:
' ' - ? : ? ?. ITP r,?:ARD.
'' much as Japan la reported to hav?? sug
? ? ted ihe m minatlon < t Ring Leoni M t.. acl aa
? lor In hi ? con ?rovi . -y with th.? United
" ' ? on ?.! .? :-iii.j.. t .,f Hawaii, i? may be timely
'" : ' nt ' ?.:; the reaa ns why this country should
under no circumstance consent to tl.?? selection
of tl?? B? !? ni m', r for the purpose, ami at the
Bam? lime ? ? all attention ?? th Incongrui!) ??;
submitting disputi ? in which republics are con?
cerned to tin? judgment of monarci?. it i.;
? r ly necessary t.? ghinee over the list of the
I'ght) odd international difficulties I leave oui
I how of minor Imp al ance whi? h have Ik ? I? s t
tled by arbitration since is'?*?. In order to per
??/.? I,? ,. far m? ? fr? quently the names <.f em?
perors and of kings are t<> be found figurine, aa
Judges in th? case than thosi of personages of
? pxalted rank, socially Bpeaklng. The late
?7??, dull? Bl and most prejudii ? ?! of his lin.?; the
tranken and dissolute King of Holland, the late
King Victor Emmanuel, whose financial Irregu
tarlt ? in al tin- bottom of the present admin?
istra live ? -? ? ? ? .ti? m ami sadly impair? d credit of
Italy; tan; ;? r Napoleon ill. most unsi rupuloua
?f m? -.. ? r u and aa Inveterate a conspirator af
I. r 1. Ion to th- Ihr..?.? as in Ih- .la;, s
when lc was still a men? political l-.nr.e; the
' .? Emperor William, wh... though a chivalrous
gent! mai andan ex.ce.lcnl soldier, understood
? thing ai> at international law; Dom Pedro <>f
", tazil and King Oscar "f s.v. d. n, have time and
again l :. ?ailed upon t?. a? t as umpires in In
? ?. : ai complications.
Ii,? nn-?? as tlie I'nit???! Stales Is a party to
r .".?? ????? .,nt ..f the cases above mentioned
?. submitted t.? arbitration, ami as. moreover,
? : country ami the South American rep?blica
????? Jointly responsible foi at least two-thirds "f
II ? . ntire number, cynical pi rsons might And
II ? ,u ground for arguing lhal the people on
this Bide of tl,? Atlantic entertain a far meat, r
t ;? ird for thi justice <>f th?? so-called "anointed
<: tli- T.<t?1" than is consonant with the doc?
trines of democracy that constitute th?? founda?
tion of tl??? great American commonwealth,
Till: LESSON nl' EXPERIENCE
Incidentally it may t"? pointed out that mon?
archical governments man If? st a decided prefer
enci ior selecting non-royal personages, and
oftentimes republican sta! m? ?. ?.:: '. dlgnil irle!
as arbitrators. Thus England has in several
distances Invoked tl?? sen ces of the chief mag?
istrates ? :' France and of Switzerland in such
matters, while the President of the United States
|?as likewise been called upon by crowned rulers
t ,;, ? ? min? thi ? ghl and th?? ?? rong of dli put? s
In whi? h tiny had ? ecome Involved. And in this
t.. y slew their good sens??. For writing, not
;.-? an American, but as a foreigner, it is Im
, ?:. foi n- te ?liny that th- re is far great? r
chance ?'fa Just verdict beine renden l by non
r >ai personages than by kin^-s or emperors.
Tins?? latter, when a ?as.? is referred to tinn?.
t ?thi r turn it ovi r t- some ? I il?? ir legal a.?vis. rs
und take no further trouble about the matter.
except to affix their signature t?. the legal opinion
drawn up ior their approval hy the lawyers or
politicians win.m they have employed for Ihe
I :i? ,.-.?. ?t ?I.-??, if they take th?? matter in hand
cms? Ives, under th- imi ri ssion th.it G?. Ir
crown has invested th. m ?.?.?? an abstruse
knowk du- ?? ih- i ? 11 ? a. ?? ? of ?nt mattonai law
without ?\?i having studied the latter, they are
ni ? t?? make the mosi ridiculous mistakes,
Tl i:;. Km-' William ??; Holl md. -?:?
asked by th l'nl ed States many years bro t ?
d termine th? northeast boundary line, oi ih?
eubjeel ??;' which then wai a difference of opin?
ion with Great Lirita ?. <?. ? ned t?. accept either
V. ? A miTiean r the English vie .?. -. and rendi ?. d
) ! . j n in favor of a preport?*rous frontier ? in
? hl?? own devising, -.I.i? h ?as md onl) unac?
, ?.?;;!???? t?. both ? ounti I? . ? ??? ? in? d. hut abso?
lute!) .?:.;? : '?? :?? ographi? ally as w< II ;? - po?
litically Ind ed, ,? Is ?:.i'it ult to say ?vhlch Is the
? t unsatl factory of the t ? ?, ; he monarch \. ho
takes his umpireship au s?rieux, and insist on
rdlng him? If as a ver) Daniel com? to
. it, or els? Ihe king nr emj ror ? ho turn
. . r th? papers com ? ? ted ? Ith the mattei to
. un and Irrespom? bl nnd? riti f
? h? . Id ntit) and qu ilifi? at ? the pai ties ; ?
: he disputi an ni Ir? ly ign .? ant.
Tl qu< r ? ? Is all tl.?? more w orthy ?
?'I rati? ? as the !'?.:?? d S'a? , hi,]?, fair ? h?
?. m? Involved ere long In n conlrovrs) ...?:,
'": ain ?.f the ?.?..". charactei ai the '?:.. ,
-..?:. ? ulty, and ? hl : :??? tl? ? latti r, h ili ha? e
io Ih submit Ud t? arbitr?t . Throu h privat
advice received from Madrid, 1 ham that
."ald'-r ? Carlisle, the legal adviser of tl?.? Span?
ish Legation at Washington, while spending hia
i.olidays with his cousin at Zaranz, waa sum?
moned lo Sar, Sebastian by the now murdered
Premier Cam .a-, f? ? the purpose of submitting
? , the latter, and discussing with him, a very
elaborate m murandum drawn up b) Mr. Ca
In accordance with th? Ii ructions of Minister
Dupuy d? Lome, and which Is d??stlned t.. con?
stitute the basis of Just the same sort of d< mand
by Spain upon the United Statea as that which
the latter made upon Great Britain In connection
with the ?lama:;- done by tin? Alabama and
other Confederate privateers an.l filibustera dur?
ing the Uouble v.r.b the South. Tbe point tuiuie
by Spain Is Identically the sam<? ns that mad??
by this country in connection with the Alabama
claims, namely, that if the laws against filibus?
tering had been rigorously enforc? ?1 Incalculable
injury to the State u w,.|. as ;,, private prop, uy,
would hav.? b? en avoid? d.
THE SPANISH CASE.
Th,? memorandum contains a long list of fili?
bustering expeditlona of v< isela laden with arms
and ammunition for the Insurgents, first arrested
by th?? United Btat? ? authorities and then re?
leased; of verdict? of local tribunale In tl"
United states favoring the rebela .ind of in?
stan?.s where the g?."<i intentions "f tb?? United
stai.s Government Itself have been entirely
paralysed and s? t at naught by the sympathy of
Its officiala with the Cuban ?aus.?. Then, too, the
memorandum gives an exposition of the opinions
? xpr. seed by every Presiden! of the United
States, from George Washington to Major Mc?
Kinley, concerning the duty of th<? United Btatea
Government in dealing with filibusters, and In
fulfilling the stipulations of International law,
ami likewise cites numerous cases bearing upon
the subji ? t decided by Ihe Supreme ?'.?urt <.f this
country in order t.. show that the United states
officiala hav?? ?.? ?n remiss In their dutlea, and
have !??? guilty of Intentional neglect In tbe
? ? irUon oi the lawa of the land, as Interpret? d
;?> the highest tribunal? and by the m?usl eml
n< nt j'.n Ists and ?.??? utb e officer? "f this Nation.
n cannot be denied that the memorandum in
question presenta a plausible and cleverly put
case, and that inasmuch as the Spaniards pro
pos, t.. hase thereon their argument thai this
country ?? ?? eponsible for the undue prolongation
of tbe Insurrection, as well as for tbe Immense
amount of injury done to Spanish life and prop?
er!) In < 'ul a, thi y ? 111 have a claim for datnagi a
u ainsi ih- Unit? ?? Stati s at least as large as the
latter'? d mand upon England in connection with
ih? Alai ama ? ontroversy, and calculated t?. more
than offset an) claim which the Slat.? Depart?
ment at Washington may have to present at
Ma Iri l f? r .lama-?? done to American life and
pmp.i iv in the Aioli'? ".
li in possible, nay even probable, that the ca?
lati ;.!' thl : ?? m? randum of M Dunu) de
, Lome, and of Calder?n Carlisle, may I"? denied
at the Spanish legation at Washington. But,
for all that, it Is in the ban.Is of the l?uk,? ??t
Tetuan, ih?? Minister of Foreign Affa its at Mad
rid, who Is only awaiting \?- hut Is considered to
t .? the m? si convenient and propitious moment
for presenting it t>? the United States, And it
will be difficult for ihe latter to decline 8| aln'
request for the submission of the matter to In?
ternational arbitration. The only thing thai
Ihe Ann rlcan Govi mm? nl should guard againsl
m that event I: the selection ?? any crowned
!" ?! a? umpire, since public sympathy ?m this
d? of th? water has been avowedl] and notori
with the ''ni.ans, and ?nip. r, rs and kings
? be expected In any way to countenance
who sympathize with people In a state of
in urn lion againsl Unir monarch.
I.i:?i|'?il.I'?.?'. RELATIONS WITH JAPAN.
In additi? p I" these general objectl >na to the
tnploymenl of reigning sovereigns as arbitra?
ti ? . particularly In disputes to which rep?blica
are pani... there are other reasons why King
'?? pold I? the very last person who should ?ver
he chosen to act as umpire in any controv? rsy
in which Japan Is concerned. Among the nu?
lli? r?.us commercial, Industrial ami financial en
terprises in which L-opold is interested as prin
clpal st?> kliold? r and moving spirit is th?? BCW
Japanese-Belgian Trading Company, which is of
sufficient importan?- to have inaugurated within
tiie last few months ? fortnightly Una of ?team
<rs of larga tonnage between Antwerp and
Yokohama. Mol only the company Itself but
likewise the it ramshtp line arc heavily aubvon
tloned hy the Mikado's Government, which has
also accorded to the concern .special facilities
and favore In connection with tariff rat?ea and
Slat?? contracta With that keen ??><? for the main
chance which dlatlngulshea Leopold, it natu?
rally follows that he Is prejudiced in favor of
his Japanese friends ami anxious t?. show him?
self appreciative in every possible way <?f their
lib? ratify toward th?? company in which he is
s.? largely interested. Indeed when th?? Mlkado'a
mother died last spring he was tin? only mon?
arch in Christendom who wenl ??ut <?f bis way
t?. order a fortnight of court mourning for the
dead Empresa
Moreover, Leopoid'a personal reputation and
private character an? such that no business
housea would ever dream of Invoking hia sen Icea
as ,m ni eil ? at ?G, just as little as the Nobles'
Club, at Brussels, would think of submitting t..
him for a ?I??? Islon an,?, question of honor or
chivalry. The aristocracy of Belgium canno!
forgive or forgi ? the manner in which he treated
the two i'?,unts of Conchy in the transaction,
macklng of Kaboth'i vineyard, by means of
which ii?? obtained ih? ir acrea In order t<> round
? ff JLhe park of his beautiful country eeal of
Ciergnon. Sharp nractlce la the mildest expres?
sion that ? an I..? us-?i in describing th?? affair,
and th- lawsuit which tl??? two Counts Insti?
tuted againsl His Majesty had the effeci of eub
.? . riti-,' him to so mm h popular odium and alms ?
that he must sometimes have asked himself
wh. th? r or noi th- 2,(N10,uOO or .'?.ihhi.ii mi franca
to the extent of which he got the liest <?t the
plaintiffs were, after all, worth all tin ob'.oquy
which Ii Incurred. In hia Industrial, commer?
cial arid stock exchange dealings I.pold mani?
festa a desire t.. be considered aa astute and
smart, rather than aa kingly, and. although it
. annoi be denied that h is one ? f the moat
shrewd and long-headed n.onarchs In Chrlsten
dom, yet, curiously enough, he lias t. en singu?
lar!) unlucky In the majority of his ventures,
differing in this respect from King George of
Greeci and King Oscar of Sweden, both <>f
whom aac nded their Ihr ones as poor men, and
are now en? ? mous!) w ? althy,
Leopoid'a ...n-tant Ill-luck rind consequent
financial nee? is I lies have frequent!) driven him
int.. the aims of rinati? i> is by no means of good
standing, si?:.- the Rothschilds closed Ihelr
doors against him, and some of his associations
hav?? in consequence been ?>f an exceedingly
extraordinary character, notably his intimacy
with the late "Colonel" North, the so-called
"Nitrati? King," a man of the most appalling
vulgarity, who was, nevertheless permitted by
Leopold to pal him on the back, and t?. Invite
a very mixed party of his own city friends In
London to et ay for a week as the King's guests
al Ciergnon during the shooting season, the
| Colon? I pi a. ti? all) doing the honors and offici?t
ing as master of the entire establishment, with
all Its army of royal servants and retainers. If
the Belgian newspapers are to be believed,
I^opold is Interested In several of the gambling
establishments at Ostessa, spa and elsewhere,
and it is. certain that he has Ron?? out "f his way
t?> visit his displeasure upon those Judli lai and
magisterial officials win? have distinguished
themselves by their too strict enforcenu nt of
the laws against gambling at Ostend; and, al?
though married to an Austrian Ar? hducheas,
with two of his daughters settled at Vienna, yet
he is in the worst of "dor in the metropolis of tho
dual empire ?n consequ? nee <>f the firm b?-lief
wMch prevalla in court ?in lea there to the effect
that be has squandered in speculation, notably
in his Congo company, the whole of the im?
mense fortune of his only Bist? r, the ? x-K'npr? ss
Charlotte of Mexico, of whose estate be is the
trustee, and who, ir popular rumor ?s t?> be be?
lieved, is completely cur? ?l <>f her dementia?
and merely k.pt under restraint because her
brother is unable to give a proper account of
her prop? rty.
STORIES TOLD OP THE BELGIAN KIN?:.
in conclusion, two littl?? Incidents, trivial in
themselves and yet characteristic, may l??? given
bere as Indicating th nature of the man whom
Japan wishes to nsme as arbitrator In her con?
trovers) with the United Statea It Is customary
at the vaii. us courts >.u yonder side "f th?? At?
lantic for ea< h foreign dip! ?mat to receive from
the sovereign a na?t ing gift on presenting bis
letters of recall, which mostly takes the form
of a j??? riled ?mar ? as? 11 snuffbox. Pour yean
ago a foreign diplomat, whlh attending a fare?
well ?banquet at the palace, received from King
Leopold p Kuperb gold cigar case studded with
costly Jewe'e as a memoir of his sojourn at the
Court . i' Belgium. On th? day following a note
arrived from the aide-d? camp-ln-waitlng beg?
ging thai the cese might ?? returned for boom
Inscription t?. !?<? added to tl?" Interior. Of
course, the ?li; : mat consented. After waiting
tot men !) f? ? several ?lays?, but actually several
weeks, in ? rder t?? gel it back, and writing re?
peated!) !" ?(? pala???, be waa finally forced to
leave Br?ssel without it. and has never seen
it to this day, Recently, however, he met his
success? r, who, In his turn, had just i? ft Brus?
sels. Th? lati r was full of enthusiasm about
th?? King l.? pold," he exclaimed, "is a rapi?
ta! ?hap. presented me v. ?h a splendid gold
cigar .as., heavily incrusted with magnificent
gems, when l took my leave of him. I would
lik?? to have showed it to you, only the) asked
to have ii back for a tit. to make an altera?
tion of ? ?me s. p." Th?? smile that developed on
tbe features of the other diplomat 1.ame i???th
broad and ? ventually loud, and further investi?
gation brought to light tl?.?? fact that yet other
diplom?is ha?l been treated In th-? sau?.? man?
n? r; that is t?. say, pr? sumably the Identical
gold cigar case had don? duty for th?'in all.
On another occasion Leopold was about to
presenl an English gentleman with a gold
cigarette cast aa recognition for some services
rendered. The man, how. ver, waa bo profuse in
the expression ?if hut gratitud.? at the honor
conferred by the King In receiving him that
Leopold cam?? t" the com luslon that the ? Igar
ette case would be superfluoua He accordingly
did not present it, but actually p taint ??! it in?
closed In the third and fourth digits of his right
hand, while he extended the iirst and second
of his fingers in an effusive farewell to the
worthy lititon. The Kin? mad?? no secret af?
terward of what he had done, declaring that
it would have been too stupid to waste so pretty
a piece of Jewelry on a man already so well
satisfied. EX-ATTACHE.
SEWING MACHINES ttS MEN-OF-WAR.
Fr un Th?? Chicago Tribune.
Visitors on board war vessels in tl?.?? Xavy
Tard will very likely see among th?? Bailors
scattered about the decks smoking, talking, ami
so ?m, a .-ail.r at work with a sewing ma, h i ne.
It is a hand ??achine, and bas a pn tty h avy
has,?, so that it can be set down on <!? , U and
worked easily without shifting its position.
Tl??? machine Is owned by the man working it.
On ;t big ship Ok.?, for example, the battle ship
Indiana, carrying a .tew of four hundred men
or more, there would probably b?? found as many
as a dozen sewing machin?e; on a thu.i ratte
cruiser, a smaller vessel, such, for illustration,
as the Detroit, there would be apt (.? i? ? f or or
Uve Bewlng machines. Th.? machine? are fi n
est owned by eallmakers and saslmakera* mates,
but they may !.? owned by sailors; an) man on
the ship mlghl have a ?ewing machine If l?. ?
want? d t..
Space la valuable on a v? seel, and so onl) hand
machines are aiiow.-.l, ami t.. bring a ma? nine
aboard permission musi be got from tl.n
mandlng officer, it Is noi to be supposed that
every loan In the ship would want a s wing
machin??; as a matter of fact, comparative!) few
men do; ami those who want t,> take one .-?> lard
ar?? n?.?: lik iv p. find any difficulty in th.? way.
A s.f'-.v who has a sewing machine maki - and
repairs garments for himself, ami !??? d??es work
for others for pay. There are not so man) sow?
ing m. ii.i.? s on il??? vessels uf th?? new Navy
as th? re \* ? ?'.<? on tl???-.? of tl??? old; th < sailor
nowadays makes up less ??f his own outfit than
he formerl) did; he draws more completed .nu
oies from the l?overnn nt; but there is sum
plent) of work to be don? ah tard ship with eew
ln ?. m irtiln? :. .md some money to be made with
them yet.
? ? ?
THE UGIITEST KNOWS SOLID.
Prom The American Machinist.
The lightest known soli?l Is said t?> lie thi pith
?if the sunti..w.r, with a specific gravit) ot <>2S.
or about on?? ?ighth that of cork. The sunflower
is extensively cultivated In ..titrai Russia and
vari?.us uses a?.? served by its different pans.
the recent discovery of tl?,? lightness of th?? pith
essentially Increasing the commercial value "t
the plant For life-saving appliances al se . cork
has a buoyancy of on? t?. five, while with the
sunflower pub one t?? thirty-five is attained.
About eight hundred cubic Inches of ll would
weigh as much as one cubic Inch of iridium, ihe
heaviest mctaL
??? M \ ? ?-' ? M11 ' -' WELL 'd DONT PRnKKHH TU ?K * PARTirt'LARLT ???.?? Y 1??' HAN MKSCLF;
BUT AT LASTE Mi: MU.?.:.Minia U 1:1:1; ALL g&UUATKD IN TUB IIUIGIIBR UBJUICIIES.?(Tunca,