Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1894, With the Annual Message of the President, Transmitted to Congress, December 3, 1894

Mr. Risley to Mr. Gresham.

Legation of the United States,
Copenhagen, November 6, 1894. (Received November 21.)

No. 66.]

Sir: Referring to my No. 52, of June 23, 1894, relating to an application for an order from the Danish Government to its officials in Greenland to receive hospitably an Arctic expedition under command of Dr. Cook, of Brooklyn, you will perceive that the application was not successful for the reason that, as was stated, the last Danish ship for the season had departed before it was received.

It appears now that the expedition, not waiting for an answer to the application, or disregarding the fact that no orders had been issued for their reception in Greenland, took their departure on the steamer Miranda, and that the steamer met with disaster just off the Greenland coast.

I received a letter on the subject from the ministry of foreign affairs, dated October 22, of which I inclose a translation.

You will perceive that the minister substantially characterizes the expedition as a pleasure excursion consisting of about fifty members, that serious consequences were narrowly escaped by them, and politely calls attention to the existence of a royal ordinance of March 18, 1776, which prohibits all persons, whether Danes or foreigners, from landing at any of the ports of Greenland or the adjacent islands, without first obtaining permission of the Danish Government, except in case of disaster.

On receipt of this letter I wrote to his excellency the minister, asking, him to kindly send me a copy of the ordinance to which he referred, to the end that care might be taken to prevent future violations of its provisions. I inclose a copy of my note.

I have now received a copy of the royal ordinance, printed in both Danish and English, which I inclose. I have also had a conversation with Mr. Vedel, director-general of the ministry of foreign affairs, in which he stated in substance that the inhabitants of Greenland (Eskimos) were not sufficiently advanced in civilization to make it safe for them to be brought into contact with people or excursions from other lands; that they had no commerce and no knowledge of commerce; that the ordinance was issued and maintained for the purpose of protecting them generally, and particularly to prevent the introduction of intoxicating liquors.

The colonies of Greenland are not a source of commercial advantage or gain to Denmark. On the contrary, it costs the Danish Government a considerable sum of money each year to support them. A certain number of young Eskimos—boys and girls—are brought here each year and placed in schools specially provided for them, where they are educated as teachers and missionaries, and when qualified are sent back to their own country to do what they can in civilizing their kindred and countrymen. I am convinced that the policy of Denmark toward those remote northern provinces is dictated wholly by motives of humanity.

I also beg to respectfully call attention to the treaty of 1826, Article VI of which expressly excepts Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland from the operation of the convention. This exception was in furtherance of the policy established by the ordinance of 1776.

The Danish Government is exceedingly liberal and zealous in aiding scientific inquiry, and I have no doubt will willingly grant the privilege of landing on the shores of any of its possessions, and aiding in all proper ways any expedition of moderate numbers really intended for scientific research, but I am equally confident it earnestly hopes that no applications will be made to it without due regard to its above mentioned policy, and to the purely scientific character of the expedition.

I have, etc.,

John E. Risely.

[Inclosure 1 in No. 66.—Translation.]

Mr. Vedel to Mr. Risley.

Copenhagen, October 22, 1894.

Mr. Minister: Doubtless you remember having, in a letter of June 2, last, asked my intervention to obtain the necessary assistance, by the local authorities, to Dr. Frederick A. Cook, of Brooklyn, who proposed to undertake a series of scientific investigations along the coasts of Greenland. By my note of the 23d of the same month I informed you that the last vessel destined this year for the Greenland colonies having already departed it was impossible to conform to the request in your letter.

Now, my colleague, the minister of the interior, is informed by a report received from the colony of “Sukkertoppen” that the steamer Miranda, of Liverpool, leaving from New York, and having on board an Arctic expedition, composed of about fifty persons, under the direction of Dr. Cook, arrived at the said colony on the 6th of August, last, and left there on the 9th of the same month. On departing the vessel touched a rock and sprang a leak, and the captain was obliged to return to the colony. Dr. Cook then went 10 versts north to procure an American fishing schooner to accompany the Miranda during the return to St. Johns, the damage sustained by the latter vessel being so severe that the captain, Mr. Farrell, was unwilling to risk the lives of the passengers in making the return trip to St. Johns in that same ship unaccompanied.

On the 20th of August Mr. Cook returned to the colony with a schooner, and the two vessels were ready to start the day following. All the passengers had gone on board the schooner, and the captain of the Miranda with his equipment alone remained on board of that vessel.

Thus it appears that a pleasure excursion has been made with the design of visiting Greenland, and that it is by a mere chance that the numerous travelers escaped being obliged to pass the winter in Greenland, from which, without doubt, troublesome consequences would have followed both to themselves and to the colony.

In having the honor of bringing to your notice the preceding, I venture, Mr. Minister, to beg you to observe that by the royal ordinance of the 18th of March, 1776, it is forbidden to all, whether Danish subjects or strangers, to touch except in case of necessity at any of these ports or places of Greenland or of the adjacent islands without having been authorized beforehand by the Government of the King. I avail, etc.,

For the minister,

Vedel.

[Inclosure 2 in No. 66.]

Mr. Risley to Baron Thott.

Legation of the United States,
Copenhagen, October 24, 1894.

No. 33.]

Excellency: I have the honor to receive your highly esteemed note of the 22d instant relating to the recent disastrous expedition of Dr. Frederick A. Cook, of Brooklyn, and party to Greenland, and will without delay communicate a copy of it to my Government.

I would thank you very much if you would kindly cause to be sent to me a copy of the royal ordinance of 18th of March, 1776, to which you refer. I will have it translated and will bring it to the attention of my Government, to the end that in the future proper steps may be taken as far as may be to prevent unauthorized expeditions similar to that above referred to.

With the highest consideration, etc.,

John E. Risely