Mr. Storer to Mr. Sherman.

No. 59.]

Sir: In obedience to your instruction No. 60, dated November 19, I at once addressed a communication to Mr. de Favereau, the minister of foreign affairs, of which, bearing in mind the probable lapse of time before an answer is to be expected, I beg to inclose a copy.

The matters complained of, I am told, are not of recent origin nor has this abuse of the American flag been confined to Antwerp alone. The so-called American Circus Companies and the Wild West Indian Shows several years ago gave great notoriety and excited much comment in their efforts to give a national character to their enterprises by using the flag for advertising purposes, and, I regret to say, many tradesmen claiming to be Americans, or who deal in goods of American origin, have adopted the custom of thus using the national emblem to exploit their private business.

As soon as the reply of the Belgian Government is received it will be reported to you.

I have, etc.,

Bellamy Storer.
[Inclosure to dispatch No. 59.]

Mr. Storer to Mr. de Favereau.

Your Excellency: The attention of the Government of the United States has been turned to the fact that certain persons in Belgium have been employing pictorial representations of the flag of the United States as a means of advertisement of individual trade for the purpose of private gain.

In addition to what my Government is bound to consider this lack of respect for its national emblem, the persons seeking this method of obtaining notoriety for their private business have defaced the representation of the flag by printing upon and over it the sordid details of trade advertisements.

For a clear understanding of the subject-matter, I beg to inclose for the inspection of your excellency and for that of any officer of the Belgian Government to whom your excellency may see fit to transmit the same two advertisements of the kind I speak of, which were recently used with wide publicity in Antwerp.

I am informed the same means of advertisements are now being used in Brussels.

Recognizing fully the friendly feeling always shown by the Government of His Majesty the King of the Belgians toward all expression of the wishes of the United States, which is fully reciprocated, I feel sure of a continuance of this disposition when I say to your excellency that, should a way be open under the constitution and laws of Belgium to prevent in the future such or similar employments of representations of the American flag which are so distasteful to the Government and people of my country, the taking of such course by the Government of His Majesty would be a gratification to the Government of the United States.

I profit, etc.,

Bellamy Storer.