OCR Text |
Show ARCHIVES NEED OVERHAULING An almost amusing fcaturo of tho present war If In such a cataclysm anything can bo found amusing Is tho necosslty which has arisen for rummaging in tho national nrchlvos, and bringing forth to tho light of day unremombered and yet not lnocuous old treaties, agreements and stipulations. stipula-tions. Llko certain obsoleto laws which havo slumbered for generations genera-tions in tho Btatuto books of somo of tho earlier commonwealths, many of thoso dusty covered documents havo passed qutto out of public memory, mem-ory, and when brought to notice thoy aro found to ho full ot vexations and absurdedly unsultcd to enforcement uudor present day conditions. Yet thoy havo not been repealed or superceded sup-erceded and when Invoked thoy must bo respected. Ilecent Illustration of this fact Is found In tho case of tho stcamor Ap-pan, Ap-pan, brought Into a" United States port by a German prlio crow. Tho courso of this government In tho case has had to be In large degree lnflu- enced and determined by tho provisions provi-sions ot a treaty concluded by tho United States with Prussia nearly a century ago. Prussia was then an Independent stato, under Us own monarch, and only within loss than half a century has tho kingdom be-como be-como a part of tho German emplro with Its king as German Kalsor. But tho old treaty, -though almost forgotten, forgot-ten, remained In forco, and compliance compli-ance with its terms on our Part has resulted to Germany's material advantage. ad-vantage. Tho comforting foaturo of such an Incident is that It tcstlflos to tho harmony and tranquility that havo characterized the relations of tho two governments. At tho samo tlmo It suggests that onco In a whllo thcro should bo a thorough houso cleaning of tho stato department, and that from tho musty vaults there should bo extracted tho ever accumulating mass of diplomatic vorblago, with a vlow to Its rovlslon or repair- In case It is worth keeping or its Putting Put-ting away permanently In case It has outlived Its usefulness. Doscrot Nowa. |