U.S. CONSULS CASE.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17702, 2 March 1923, Page 7

U.S. CONSULS CASE.

AMERICAN REPLY TO BRITAIN. CHARGES NOT SUBSTANTIATED. (b* oaslb—phsbs association—coptbiqht.) (austbaliah and n.z. cash association.) (Received March Ist, 9.65 p.m.) WASHINGTON, February 28. The State Department has published! the text of the Note to Britain stating that the Newcastle Consulate confirms the informal intimations previously conveyed. The Note further points out the United States has never questioned jSritain's right to cancel the exequatur of any American Consul on the ground that he is persona non grata, but where specino charges are advanced these must be substantiated. The United State? oallfl anto question the parallel which Britain has drawn between this case and the United States' cancellation.of the exequaturs of the British Consuls at Philadelphia, New York, and Cincinnati in 18-58 on the ground of illegal recruiting. Judicial proceedings brought against these Consuls showed them to have been guilty of violations of the law. I Mr 0. E. Hughes, Secretary of State, | has' also issued an explanatory state- | merit that Britain in January, VirVrl, I <&ked the United States to voluntarily I withdraw Mr R. M. Brooks and Mi- F. C. Slater on the*, ground that they were attempting by unfair means to induce passengers to travel by American ships. The United Stages investigated the matter and found that the charges were not truej and refused to withdraw them. A notice was posted at the American. Consulate in iNewcasiie-on-'lyne, on August olst, 19144,. statins that instructions from the uonsui-General in London advised that the British, Government had suspended or revoked the exequaturs (tfle written recognition given to a consul by tlie Government to which he is accredited) of the Consul, Mr V. o'.' Slater, and Vice-Consul, Mr B. M. Brooks, at Newcastle-on-'iyne. Therefore the office was closed for the time being. The Press Association learned that the closing by the United States Government of the American Consulate a* Newcastle-on-Tyne was due to the fact that the American Consul there hiCSf been relieved of his duties. His exequatur with withdrawn by the British Government on the allegation that difficulties had been put in the way of the viseing of passports to passengers who failed to promise they would travel by American vessels. / The action of the British Government was taken after the American Government had been duly notified of its intention, patly under the' terms, of the Anglo-American Commercial Treaty of 1815, and partly under the recognised principle of international law tnat a Government can withdraw the exequaturs of foreign Consuls whenever m its judgment it has reasonable cause to do so. In 1856 the American Government similarly revoked the exequaturs of the British Consuls in New York, Philadelphia, and Cincinatti, because these Consuls were alleeed to have helped recruiting for the British Army in the United States. I