No. 133.
Mr. Kasson to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

No. 41.]

Sir: Referring to your No. 278, addressed to the chargé d’affaires at this post, I have to communicate the following proceedings as furnished to this legation by the United States vice-consul at Nuremberg:

I.
Johann Georg Hafen, of Santa Clara (Utah), expelled as a Mormon emissary from the Kingdom of Bavaria in July, 1883. (Inclosures 1 and 2.)
II.
James E. Jennings and William A. Smoot, jr., both of Salt Lake (Utah), expelled as Morman emissaries from the Kingdom of Bavaria in May, 1884. (Inclosures 3 and 4.)
III.
Lyman, of Provo (Utah), recommended for expulsion from Bavaria as a Mormon emissary September, 1884. (Inclosure 5.)

Recognition of this action will be made according to the terms of your said instruction.

I have, &c.,

JOHN A. KASSON.
[Page 203]
[Inclosure 1 to dispatch No. 41.]

Translation of a report from the royal government of Middle Franconia of the royal Bavarian department of the interior for church and school affairs, dated April 14, 1883.

The royal bezirks-court at Nuremberg, in its inclosed report of the 15th of last month, together with its “judicial act” and four accompaniments, recommends to the royal ministry of the interior to cause the expulsion of the American citizen and Mormon missionary Johann Georg Hafen, of Santa Clara (Utah, North America), from the Kingdom of Bavaria, under article 50, subdivision 2, of the law of 16 April, 1868/23, Feb., 1872 concerning residence, marriage, and domicile, and furnishes the fullest and most satisfactory grounds for its recommendation.

We take the liberty of also reporting in this connection that the Mormon sect has already spread itself within the city limits and bezirks-court domains of Fürth and Erlangen, in consequence of which we have caused the district police authorities to proceed against this sect with uniform action.

We further report that the foreman Anton Ilg, heretofore mentioned as the head of the Mormon community, has withdrawn from the same—whether of his own free will or otherwise is not known.

We have, as appears from the inclosed judicial document of the bezirks-court, officially questioned Anton Ilg as to whether he still insists on an answer to the request heretofore mentioned, made on February 15–19, 1882, by him, in the name of his former associates in faith, for permission to hold common indoor divine services in Bavaria; he declared that for himself he withdrew that request.

freiherr von HERMANN.
[Inclosure 2 to dispatch No. 41.]

Translation of a decree of the royal Bavarian department of the interior for church and school affairs of July 11, 1883 (in answer to inclosure 1).

Royal Bavaria ministry of the interior, concerning the formation of a Mormon community at Nuremberg and vicinity.

With respect to the report of April 14 last made to the royal ministry of state of the interior for church and school affairs, and transmitted by them to the royal ministry of state of the interior for their consideration, we express ourselves as follows:

Johann Georg Hafen, born in 1838, and of Santa Clara, Utah, North America, made and, according to his own confession, makes it his business to labor for the development and extension of the views held by the Mormon sect. These views do not appear to harmonize with the existing state and social order, wherefore the activity in promoting the same of the said Hafen must, from consideration for the public welfare, be opposed and made impossible.

He is therefore, in accordance with article 50, subdivision 2, of the law of 16 April, 1868/23 Feb., 1872 concerning residence, marriage, and domicile, expelled from the Kingdom of Bavaria.

The following is also decreed:

The inclosures of the first report herein named, as well as of the report made under date of July 7 of last year to the royal state ministry of the interior for church and school affairs, are to be herewith returned.

It is remarked in this connection that the royal state ministry of the interior for church and school matters does not propose to further occupy itself with the consideration of a request made by Anton Ilg, in the name of the “Community and Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints,” for recognition as a private church association, Ilg having, under date of the 11th of March of last year, formally declared that he withdrew this request. The request being subscribed by him alone, and no documentary evidence of his authorization by individual members of the community, therefore at present no formal representative of the request is in existence.

  • Baron von FREILETSCH,
    The Secretary-General.
  • von SCHLERETH,
    Ministerial councilor to the Royal Government of Middle Franconia.
[Page 204]
[Inclosure 3 to dispatch No. 41.—Translation.]

The royal police at Munich to the royal state ministry of the interior, concerning the expulsion from the Kingdom of Bavaria, of the Mormon emissaries William Smoot and James Jennings, of Salt Lake, Utah.

The sect of the Mormons, of Salt Lake, in the North American Territory of Utah, called “Church of Jesus Christ, the Latter Day Saints,” has maintained for about a year past a so-called community in Munich and its vicinity.

This community, according to the statistical report of the Swiss, Italian, and German mission for the year 1883, in No. 3 of the Mormon organ the Star, appearing at Berne, and according to a list submitted to the elder of the community here, George Shambeck, painter’s assistant, numbers thirty-four members, under the government of a community elder, an elder, and two teachers.

This association is submitted to the South German conference, under conference-president, Bishop Freidrich W. Schönfeld, and the two traveling elders, William C. A. Smoot, jr., and James E. Jennings, while this South German conference is under control of the Swiss, Italian, and German mission, having its seat at Berne.

The said Bishop Schönfeld, according to a notice in 22 of the “Stern” (Star) of November 15, 1883, has taken the place of the Mormon emissary Johann Georg Hafen, of Santa Clara, Utah, expelled from Bavaria by ministerial decree of July 11, 1883, No. 7743, under article 50, subdivision 2, of the residence law of law of April 16, 1868/Feb. 23, 1872; cording to a publication on page 37 of No. 3 of the Star of February 1 of last year, James E. Jennings and William C. A. Smoot jr., have been assigned to the said bishop as traveling elders.

James E. Jennings, born June 16, 1864, a student, and William C. A. Smoot, jr., born March 8, 1853, are both from Salt Lake, Utah.

With the assumption of the leadership of the mission by Bishop Schönfeld the Mormon community at Munich has received new life and received ten new members. The before-mentioned traveling elders Smoot and Jennings are at present engaged in a mission voyage in Bavaria; both, according to a communication of the 30th instant from the bezirks-court at Nuremberg, have lately spent several months at Nuremberg, but are now at Munich. According to a notice of January 15 of last year in No. 2 of the Mormon organ,’ the “Star,” it was the purpose of the said Jennings to organize at Nuremberg a Sunday School for thirty Mormon children for over eight years, the known age at which the acceptance of Mormonism is permissible.

Jennings and Smoot now purpose, according to their own confession, to promote the views of the Mormon sect in Munich also; that is to say, to work for the further development and extension of the ends aimed at by the Mormons, and for this object to even solicit public subscription.

As appears from the notices often contained in the “Star,” the Mormon agitation referred to also aims at winning emigrants to Utah, since, according to the above-mentioned notices, numerous subjects of the Empire and of Bavaria have, under the management and doubtless with the pecuniary assistance of the Mormon emissaries, “emigrated to Salt Lake, sailing for the purpose from non-German ports.

The archiepiscopal office of this city has already repeatedly called attention to the serious nature of the extension of the Mormon sect here.

Owing to the presence of the Mormon emissaries and to their agitation, generally carried on very secretly, attempts will, it is supposed, be made to win more proselytes, especially among school children, for their sect.

The periodic return of the two officially appointed emissaries to Bavaria is to be feared, and the continuance of their proselyte-making, in spite of the surveillance established, and of the issue of the decree prohibiting the holding by them of common religious exercises.

The endeavors of the Mormon sect not being compatible with the existing state and social order, and the activity of the two before-named emissaries in promoting the same appearing to be also objectionable in view of the provisions of section 144 of the imperial penal code, I consider that the removal of those persons is urgently demanded. I permit myself to submit, in the highest quarter, the respectful motion that William C. A. Smoot, jr., and James C. Jennings be expelled from Bavarian territory, under article 50, subdivision 2 of the law of 16 April, 1868/23 Feb., 1872, concerning residence, marriage and domicile, in the interests of the public welfare.

I transmit herewith the police protocol concerning the Mormon sect in Munich, together with the several numbers of the “Star” for 1883 and 1884.

Yours, &c.,

Baron von PECHMANN.
[Page 205]
[Inclosure 4 to dispatch No. 41.–Translation.]

(K. B. St. M. of the interior concerning the expulsion of the Mormon emissaries William C. A. Smoot and James C. Jennings, of Salt Lake, Utah, from the Kingdom of Bavaria, under cover of the royal state ministry of the interior for churches and school affairs, and to all royal governmental chambers of the interior.)

The royal Bavarian department, ministry of the interior, to the royal police direction, Munich.

The following persons, (a) William C. A. Smoot, jr., born March 8, 1853, (b) James C. Jennings, born June 16, 1864, both of Salt Lake, in the American Territory of Utah, are upon the immediate report made to the royal state ministry of the interior under date of the 14th instant, and in accordance with article 50, subdivision 2, of the law of 16 April, 1868/23 Feb., 1872, concerning residence, marriage, and domicile, are hereby expelled from the Kingdom of Bavaria, they having, according to their own confession, been sojourning in the Kingdom for the purpose of agitating for the extension of the Mormon sect therein, the views of which sect are in conflict with the existing state and social order, and seem to call for the expulsion of these persons in the interest of the publics welfare.

The inclosures of the report are hereby returned.

Baron von FREILITZSCH.
[Inclosure 5 to dispatch No. 41.—Translation.]

The magistrate of Nuremberg to Mr. Dunkelsbühler.

Referring to your esteemed letter of the 6th, and to our reply thereto of the 9th instant (being a letter announcing the expulsion of Smoot and Jennings), in reply thereto we have the honor to further communicate that there is at present sojourning in this city another Mormon emissary, named Lyman, of the city of Provo, Utah, and that in his possession there has been found and seized much material concerning the Mormons of this place, and, in particular, a baptismal register kept down to the month of August last. We have raised the question of Lyman’s expulsion, and shall not fail to make further communication as to the result of the matter.

  • v. HALBER.
  • SCHRINDEL.