International Incidents for Discussion in Conversation Classes Part 7

In 1653 Don Pantaleon Sa, the brother of the Portuguese amba.s.sador in London and a member of his suite, killed an Englishman named Greenway.

He was arrested by the English authorities, tried, found guilty, and executed.

86. _A Detained Steamer._

In 1904, during the Russo-j.a.panese war, the _Captain W. Menzel_, a German steamer, took in Welsh coal at Cardiff, with the intention of carrying it to the Russian fleet en route for the Far East. The English government detained the steamer. Could Germany have complained and asked for damages?

87. _Prussia and the Poles._

The following appeared in the _Times_ of Dec. 2nd, 1907, dated Vienna, Dec. 1st and 2nd respectively:

"A ma.s.s meeting took place to-day at Lemberg, the capital of Galicia, to protest against the Polish policy of Prussia and Prince Bulow's Expropriation Bill. Some 10,000 persons were present. In a much applauded address, the vice-burgomaster condemned Prince Bulow's action and called upon the Polish representatives in the forthcoming Austro-Hungarian Delegations to vote against the Foreign Office estimates. After the meeting, the police prevented an attempt to make a demonstration against the German Imperial Consulate. The demonstrators carried large caricatures of the Emperor William, Prince Bulow, and Baron von Aehrenthal."

"To-day's reports show yesterday's anti-Prussian demonstration at Lemberg to have been accompanied by some excesses. After the meeting a number of demonstrators succeeded in breaking through the cordon of police and in reaching the hotel where the German Consul has. .h.i.therto lived. Several windows were smashed, and, in order to avoid an attack upon the hotel, the hotel-keeper declared that he had already given the Consul notice to quit and that the Consul had departed. The proposal of a student that no inhabitant of Lemberg should give the German Consul shelter on pain of being considered a traitor to the Polish cause was enthusiastically acclaimed. A caricature of the Emperor William was attached to the end of a rod and burned."

88. _A Charmed Life._

The following appeared in a London evening paper:

"In the list dealt with by Mr Plowden yesterday at Marylebone was a charge against an Italian footman named Pito Conziani, aged twenty-four, giving an address in Grosvenor-square, who was accused of being found drunk and disorderly and using bad language the previous night in Old Quebec-street.

"When the case was reached the accused came forward from a seat at the back of the Court and was placed in front of the dock.

"A consultation immediately took place between the clerk and the magistrate, and as a result Mr Plowden inquired who the accused was.

"Inspector Grace replied that he was, as he represented, in the service of the Italian Amba.s.sador, and he claimed privilege.

"Mr Plowden told the accused he bore a charmed life in this country in certain respects, and ordered him to be discharged."

SECTION XXIII

89. _A Daring Robbery._

On July 15th, 1907, the papers published the following:

"Last night the steamer _Sophia_ was seized by armed robbers 16 miles from Odessa, while on a voyage from this port to Korthion. At 11 o'clock three young men appeared on the deck, where the captain and the pa.s.sengers were at supper, and held them in check while two others seized the man at the wheel and ordered him, under threat of death, to set the s.h.i.+p's course for Odessa. Some of the robbers, who appear to have numbered 18 in all, then went into the first-cla.s.s saloon, where they took possession of an iron cash-box containing 50,000 roubles (5,000), which was in charge of a cas.h.i.+er of the Russian Bank for Foreign Trade. They also took 1,000 roubles (100) belonging to the pa.s.sengers. The robbers then proceeded to disable the engines, and let off all the steam, and finally made their escape in two of the _Sophia_'s boats after destroying the third. The police are seeking to trace the band, but hitherto without success."

90. _The Fall of Abdul Hamid._

On April 29th, 1909, after the fall of Abdul Hamid and the enthronement of Mohammed V, the President of the United States of America sent the following telegram to the new ruler of Turkey:

"I offer your Majesty my congratulations on your accession to the Throne with such universal acclaim voiced by the people's representatives and at a time so propitious to the highest aspirations of the great nation over which you rule as the august head of a const.i.tutional Government. I a.s.sure you of the friends.h.i.+p of the Government and people of the United States, who earnestly wish for your Majesty's happiness and for that of the people within your dominions, and I add my own wishes for your Majesty's health and welfare."

91. _A President Abroad._

The _Times_ of Dec. 4th, 1908, contained the following telegram, dated Paris, Dec. 3rd:

"The French Government will come to a decision at the Cabinet Council to be held on Sat.u.r.day as to the conditions upon which President Castro, the despot of Venezuela, will be allowed to land in France. At the moment of his departure for Europe it was reported that the object of the President's journey was to see a distinguished specialist with a view to a surgical operation. Since then, however, trustworthy information has reached the Quai d'Orsay to the effect that his state of health is not so precarious as it had been reported to be, and that he looks forward to receiving in Paris the hospitality to which South Americans are accustomed. If that be the case, there are serious reasons for believing that he will meet with disappointment. The relations between France and Venezuela have been suspended now for several years, and the French representative at Caracas, it will be remembered, was expelled from Venezuela. The French Foreign Office is at present engaged in preparing a statement of its grievances against President Castro, to serve as a basis for the discussion in the next Cabinet Council of the delicate questions raised by the Dictator's decision to visit this country."

Again, the _Times_ of Dec. 11th contained the following, dated Paris, Dec. 10th:

"President Castro landed in France this morning from the steamer _Guadeloupe_ at Pauillac, where he was met by the Venezuelan Consul at Genoa and a dozen or more friends. He took a special train from Bordeaux, and on arriving with his wife, brother, three doctors, and six servants, he allowed himself to be photographed, subsequently driving to the Hotel de France. On reaching the hotel he received a visit from M. Gout, a high official at the Quai d'Orsay, who had been specially despatched by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to inform President Castro of the conditions on which the Government has allowed him to land in France, and on which he will be permitted to stay here.

The Government has refused to reveal the details of the decision at which it arrived in the Cabinet Council of last Sat.u.r.day as to its treatment of the Venezuelan President. He declared to the representative of the French Foreign Office that he had come to Europe as a mere private individual to see a doctor, but a semi-official note communicated this evening states that 'it is believed that he will take advantage of his stay to try to settle his affairs with the various Powers which no longer have agents accredited to his Government.'

"There is reason to believe that this very guarded and somewhat enigmatical statement marks the definite decision of the French Government to demand from President Castro a complete settlement of all the questions outstanding between him and this country. It is felt that while France cannot repudiate her traditions of hospitality, she has nevertheless seized this opportunity to make it quite clear to the President that any prolongation of his sojourn here must depend on his meeting the views of the French Government."

92. _A Rejected Amba.s.sador._

In 1885 Italy refused to receive Mr. Keilly as amba.s.sador of the United States of America, because he had, in 1871, protested against the annexation of the Papal States. And when the United States sent the same gentleman as amba.s.sador to Austria, the latter refused him reception, on the ground that his wife was said to be a Jewess.

SECTION XXIV

93. _Revictualling of a Fortress._

During a war between states A and B, a general armistice is concluded for thirty days, without any detailed stipulations. The commander of a besieged fortress claims the right of re-victualling, but the commander of the besieging forces refuses this. The besieged commander considers this refusal a violation of the armistice and threatens to denounce it unless the besieging commander complies with his request.

94. _Dutch Reprisals._

In consequence of the dispute which had arisen between Holland and Venezuela in 1908--see the case of the Expulsion of M. de Reus, above p. 85--the Dutch government sent some cruisers into Venezuelan waters with the intention of resorting to reprisals. Accordingly the Dutch cruiser _Gelderland_ captured on Sat.u.r.day, Dec. 12th, 1908, the Venezuelan coastguard s.h.i.+p _Alexis_ outside Puerto Cabello. The captain of the _Alexis_ was put ash.o.r.e at Puerto Cabello, and he forwarded to his government at Caracas the following communication handed to him by the officer of the _Gelderland_ who boarded his vessel:

"_December 12._

"Her Majesty the Queen of Holland has given orders to her wars.h.i.+ps temporarily to sequestrate and place an embargo upon all vessels of the Venezuelan Government. This is a retaliatory measure. We demand that you lower your flag and surrender your s.h.i.+p and your persons to the commander of the _Gelderland_. All resistance will be useless. If you resist the result will be the loss of your vessel and the death of many of you.

"SECOND LIEUTENANT BOINAR."

95. _Birth on the High Seas._

An Englishwoman gives birth to an illegitimate child on board a German liner while on the high seas on a voyage to New York. The child's father is German. What is the nationality of the child?

96. _A High-handed Action._

On the 15th of March, 1804, Napoleon, though at peace with Baden, sent a body of troops into the territory of this state for the purpose of surprising the castle of Ettenheim and of carrying off the Duke of Enghien. The Duke was brought to the castle of Vincennes, near Paris, and the same night was tried by court martial on the charge of high treason for having borne arms against France. He was convicted, and was shot on the following morning.