On September 12 last, Dr. Cárlos Rodriguez Larreta, Argentine minister for foreign affairs, appeared in the Chamber of Deputies in support of his bill for the reorganization of the diplomatic and consular services, and in reply to several interrogations, said that the relations of cordial friendship between the Argentine Republic and all other nations were most satisfactorily maintained, and that In regard to the United States of America, they are for us an example of peace and progress. The Monroe doctrine I have understood in no other way than as a doctrine of friendship between the republics of this continent and our great model of the north, which has reached its place--I say it with American pride-at height of the most powerful nations of the earth. The minister's remarks were received with applause. I inclose herewith a clipping from the Diario de Sesiones, of the Chamber of Deputies, No. 63, of September 13, 1905, containing the above extract from the minister's remarks. I am, etc., No. 284.] A. M. BEAUPRÉ. LICENSE LAW IN THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. Minister Beaupré to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN LEGATION, Buenos Aires, December 27, 1905. SIR: I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy of license law No. 4934, which was passed by the National Congress on the 11th instant, approved by the Executive on the 20th instant, published in the Official Bulletin No. 3651 of the 26th instant, and which takes effect January 1, 1906. Under this law every individual branch of commerce, industry, and the professions in the Republic must pay an annual license fee of from $5 to $60,000 each. While internal regulations of this kind can not, in the main, be of particular interest abroad, yet there are some provisions of this law which affect foreigners doing business in this country. I therefore enumerate some of the items, giving the amount of license fees to be paid in certain cases: Dentists, $100; physicians, $100; engineers, $50; architects and surveyors, $100; brokers, $150; insurance experts, $150; representatives of foreign houses whose business is not open to the public, and commercial travelers, $500; importers of general merchandise, $300 to $5,000; importers and exporters, $500 to $6,000; general experts and commission merchants, $50 to $700; wholesale and retail business houses, $150 to $3,000; retail business houses, $20 to $2,000; maritime agents, $60 to $800; manufactories with mechanical motor power, $50 to $5,000; manufactories without mechanical motor power, $10 to $500; banks of deposit, $7,000 to $60,000; branches of banks, $1,000; gas companies, $10,000 to $20,000; telephone companies, $1,000; telegraph companies, $1,000; cooperative societies, $1,000 to $7,000; corporations not mentioned in this law, $500 to $5,000; insurance companies capitalized and managed in the country, operating upon a single risk, $2,000 to $3,000; insurance companies capitalized outside the country, operating on a single risk, $3,000 to $6,000; insurance com panies operating on more than one risk, 50 per cent additional on each risk insured against; branches of insurance companies, $250. Every foreign insurance company shall deposit in the conversion treasury or the national bank the following amounts in bonds: Fire insurance companies, $300,000 national money; insurance companies of other classes operating upon a single risk, $150,000; insurance companies operating upon more than one risk shall deposit $100,000 in bonds for each risk against which they insure; no insurance company can commence operations without having deposited the bonds mentioned, and infractions shall be punished by from six months to one year's imprisonment, and the closing of the house or agency. I am, sir, etc., A. M. BEAUPRÉ. AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. TRANSPORTATION OF EMIGRANTS FROM HUNGARY. (NOTE.-Continuation of correspondence in Foreign Relations, 1904, [Memorandum from Austro-Hungarian Embassy.] pp. 86-94.) WASHINGTON, January 1, 1905. My attention having been directed to some reports which have lately appeared in the newspapers with regard to the confiscation from Hungarian emigrants of so-called "prepaid tickets" by the royal Hungarian authorities, I have had the honor to make a verbal communication on this matter to the State Department. Referring to what I then stated, I beg now to repeat that such confiscation, so far as it has taken place in the past and is to take place in the future, is based on the Hungarian emigration law, and is limited to only such prepaid tickets which have been issued by unlicensed companies or agencies. I have caused a copy of the Hungarian emigration law to be transmitted to the United States commissioner of immigration in New York, and, if I am not mistaken, the United States Department of Commerce and Labor has also been put in possession of another copy. The object of the law is to control and, if possible, to restrict emigration from Hungary, and the object of the confiscation measure, based on Chapter VI, paragraph 46 [45], is to stop or counteract all illicit propaganda and incentive for emigration. It has never been the intention of the Hungarian Government to inflict unnecessary hardship on emigrants or to interfere with the freedom of travel of foreigners. Their officials have therefore been instructed to keep strictly within the letter of the law and to confiscate only such prepaid tickets which have been issued by unlicensed companies or agencies and not to confiscate tickets sent to emigrants by their relatives. Tickets belonging to American citizens or citizens of other foreign countries are not to be confiscated at all, by whatever company or agency they might have been issued. Foreigners are also absolutely free as to the choice of the route by which they travel and are not obliged to have a passport. I do not know whether confiscations such as referred to above have actually occurred through mistake or error in the administration of the law; but the Hungarian officials have been informed that they will be held accountable for the strict observation of their instructions, and any individual case or error will be remedied by the Hungarian Government on proper application and proof. The object of my present communication is to draw the attention of the Federal Government to a Printed in Foreign Relations, 1904, p. 47 et seq. the principles on which the Hungarian emigration law and its administration are based, and I venture to express the hope that they will be found to be in harmony with the letter and spirit of their own legislation on the subject of immigration. No. 130.] The Secretary of State to Ambassador Storer. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 3, 1905. SIR: Referring to previous instructions respecting the various complaints by American citizens concerning the seizure of prepaid steamship tickets and other acts of Hungarian officials, I inclose copies of correspondence relative to the complaint of Miss Ella Burger, a native-born citizen of the United States, and her cousin, Miss Esther Schenker.a The case appears to be one of peculiar and unwarrantable hardship. You will add it to the list of complaints already presented to the foreign office and in course of investigation by the embassy, reserving any further representation in the matter. I am, etc., JOHN HAY. The Secretary of State to the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 5, 1905. DEAR MR. AMBASSADOR: I have had the pleasure to receive your memorandum dated the 1st instant in reference to the newspaper statements regarding the action of the Royal Hungarian authorities in confiscating prepaid passage tickets to the United States. Various complaints have been presented to me where the Hungarian authorities have confiscated passage tickets issued and paid for in the United States, and where American citizens visiting Hungary have been detained and prevented from going to an Atlantic or North Sea port to take returning passage. These cases are being pressed by the American embassy. The Austro-Hungarian Government has admitted that unlawful acts have been done by the Hungarian_officers through zeal in the performance of their supposed duty. I am in hopes of hearing soon that an effective remedy and rebuke has been applied and proper reparation made in these cases, especially in the extreme instances where it is reported that American citizens holding return tickets by other lines have been arrested, their time-limit tickets taken up and rendered useless by expiration, and they themselves ordered to take passage by the subsidized Hungarian line from Fiume. Your memorandum gives me additional assurance that this will be done and the abuse checked. Thanking you for the information you convey, I am, etc., a Not printed. JOHN HAY. No. 142.] The Secretary of State to Ambassador Storer. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, March 11, 1905. SIR: With reference to previous correspondence on the subject of the seizure by the Hungarian authorities of prepaid steamship tickets purchased in this country by American citizens for the purpose of sending for their families, and with particular reference to the case of Mrs. Anna Tirpak, an American citizen, whose ticket was confiscated by the Hungarian authorities, I inclose copy of a letter from Messrs. C. B. Richard & Co., 31 Broadway, New York City," from which it. appears that the United Austrian Steamship Company now invites the turning over to it of the money paid in this country by Mrs. Tirpak and others. This phase of the question is communicated to you for the embassy's use in dealing with the whole subject. I am, sir, No. 165.] JOHN HAY. The Secretary of State to Ambassador Storer. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: Inclosed herewith is a copy of a letter dated the 15th instant from Mr. S. C. Neale in relation to the alleged discrimination practiced by the Hungarian Government against the American Line, a corporation organized in the State of New Jersey, in favor of other steamship lines in the matter of the granting of a license to transport passengers between Hungary and the United States. While it is not the ordinary usage of the Department to lend its assistance to American citizens in procuring licenses or concessions from foreign governments, this appears to be an exceptional case in which an undue and unfriendly discrimination is practiced against a most reputable American line of steamers. You will take the matter up with the Austro-Hungarian Government and make such representations as may be suitable to obtain for the American Line the same license and opportunity of service as is accorded by the government to other lines of steamers. I am, sir, etc., No. 170.] JOHN HAY. The Acting Secretary of State to Ambassador Storer. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, June 28, 1905. SIR: The International Mercantile Marine Company, an American corporation, represents that it is the owner of two steamers, the Finland and the Kroonland, which are engaged in the transportation of passengers from Europe to the United States. It is further represented that the Hungarian authorities prevent those holding tickets calling for passage on these steamers from reaching them and embarking upon them. Inclosed herewith are copies of letters dated June 15 and June 27, 1905, from Mr. S. C. Neale, counsel for the said company, a Not printed. |