Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1900
Mr. Hay to Mr. Townsend.
Washington, April 24, 1900.
Sir: The Department will be pleased to have you report to it in full the facts in the matter of the inclosed complaint of Paul Edwards that he was arbitrarily and summarily expelled from Belgium.
You will notice that Mr. Edwards states that he reported the fact of his expulsion “to the American embassy of Brussels, but received no assistance in any form.”
I am, etc.,
Mr. Edwards to Mr. Hay.
I, Paul Edwards, an American citizen, beg to lay before your Department the following facts:
That on or about the 20th day of March, 1900, I was in the city of Brussels, Belgium, for the purpose of placing my 15-year-old son into a college of that city. That I did so place my son in a college there, and about that time the united press of that city published laudable notices of my arrival in that city; that the press had on former occasions published much about my life and work as a healer in other countries; that this great notoriety given me by the press caused several persons to call at my hotel and seek my presence and aid; that I did aid them as a healer to the best of my ability, but asking no fee or pay for the same.
I was in possession of a passport issued by the Hon. Joseph Choate, of London, during the present month (March, 1900); that soon after my arrival in Brussels I submitted the said passport to the proper authorities, which was duly noted on their books, and was told that there were no other formalities to observe under the Belgian law. Next day I was waited on three times by the police and given various annoyances by different Government officials, all of whom seemed to be hostile and offensive toward me.
I was then sent for by the commissary of police, who told me he was instructed by the minister of justice to make a special report on my presence in Belgium. I again offered all the information possible concerning myself and my business in Brussels.
The next day I received a note at my hotel from the minister of justice commanding me to appear before him at 2 o’clock that day. I then took an interpreter and proceeded to the office of the said minister, and to my surprise found that he had already made out the papers for my expulsion from Belgium within twenty-four hours. The minister then and there accused me of having been in Belgium in the year 1869, and accused me of having two aliases, and gave me the two names he charged me then (in 1869) bearing.
I saw that the minister was so convinced that I was some one else (or at least he pretended to so believe) that I asked him to listen to facts and told him that the present was my first visit to his country (which was true), but he was beyond all possibility of reason and began to show anger, ordering me to sign papers I knew nothing of, or their contents. I exhibited my passport to quiet the passion of the minister, but he at first refused to see it and later, on pretense of wishing it for another purpose, he asked for it and seized it as an act of spite. I begged him to return me my passport as I wished to go immediately to the United States embassy, but he positively declined to return it, saying he did not care what steps I might take, and that he had a right to withhold the document even though it were issued by an American ambassador. During this time the minister for justice was steadily becoming impassioned and was extremely rude, at times shouting nothing but the word “Go!” “Go!” “Go!”
He loudly commanded me to instantly name the route I should take out of Belgium, and when I told him that was impossible he actually threatened to arrest me in his office. I then for the first time defied him to arrest me or name an offense against me. I demanded to know if I were considered a criminal or if I had broken any law of Belgium. I told him that if I were a law-breaker my place was before the courts and not before him.
The minister said I was not a criminal, but that he would not or need not give me any reason for my expulsion from Belgium. The said minister then loudly and harshly forbade that any person should see me at my private rooms in the hotel and commanded that I should even send away all who may call. In his anger he even told my interpreter to consider herself expelled, but later on, seeing his mistake, recalled the expulsion of that person, who is in fact a British subject.
On arriving at a great state of excitement the minister suddenly arose as if to assault me, and loudly commanded me to leave his office at once. “Now you get out” were his exact words. And this ended the scene in the office of the minister for justice of Belgium. On my leaving his presence the minister thrust my passport over the desk to me and I took it.
The minister spoke in English, and there was but one other person present beside my interpreter and myself. This other or fourth person was a servant or errand man, and declared that he could neither speak or understand English. This fourth person was the man who brought the minister’s summons to me the day before and required an interpreter to make his business known to me, as he could neither speak or understand English.
[Page 47]I went from there to my rooms and saw some friends, but within the next few hours the minister caused no fewer than four policemen to wait upon me, endeavoring to thoroughly overawe me by force.
I could not impress the minister with any reason, for he was not in a state to reason. I know the importance and gravity of this statement. I will add, however, that the person above referred to as the minister for justice was according to his own statement the first assistant minister for justice, but declared that he was acting under orders of the minister in chief or minister of justice in fact.
All of the above facts were witnessed by M. C. Gaine, who was there for the purpose of interpreting if that were necessary.
I reported the bare fact of my expulsion to the American embassy at Brussels, but received no assistance of any form.
As to my conduct while in Brussels I am pleased to refer to the following persons who were wholly aware of all I did: Mr. George Phillpotts, 28 Rue du Grand Hospice (English); Hon. Charles De Roos, judge of the tribunal of commerce, Liege, Belgium; Mr. A. Ceuleneer, distiller, Brussels; Mr. Edouard Deby, barrister and doctor of philosophy, Brussels; Mr. Gustave Lemaire, editor-in-chief of Etoile Beige, Brussels; Mr. Gustave Basquin, chief inspector of railways, Brussels; Madame Martha Chateau de Josaphat, Brussels; Mr. Auguste Vierset, secrétaire de rédaction de Petit Bleu, Brussels; the Hon. John D. Ruys, consul of the Dutch Government, Brussels; Mr. Erskine Heucken, editor Messager de Brussels (who saw the ambassador of the United States on my behalf); Baron Chazal, 12 Place Royale, Brussels; Lieutenant Colonel retraite Paul Cuvelier and Madame Cuvelier, Brussels; Mr. Frank Fouson, an editor on Messager de Brussels; Mr. Q. Herbos, Brussels.
All of these people are of the most respectable standing, and, furthermore, while in Brussels I treated many deputies, judges, and members of the nobility, all of whom were most astonishingly benefited thereby. All the persons above mentioned were treated by me by the process of mental healing, using no medicine whatever, thereby not coming in conflict with the medical laws of Belgium.
Since my arrival in London I see it stated in the public press that the minister for justice expelled me at the instance of the medical profession of Belgium, but this seems too narrow for serious consideration. I do not here prejudice my right to lay a monetary claim against the Government of Belgium at some time in the near future.
The various officials told me that they did not care for or respect a passport issued by the United States, among whom were the minister of justice and the chief of police at Brussels.
The honorable Secretary of State is hereby referred to the accompanying press clippings1 bearing further upon this affair. I believe the entire press of Belgium supports me and denounces the authorities.
I have traveled much in my profession, that of a healer of diseases, in which work I use no medicines, and have never been considered amenable to any law, medical or otherwise; nor did the Belgian authorities claim that I had broken their laws. I have visited France, Mexico, England, Italy, the United States, and other countries, and nowhere has my conduct or work been offensive. I am 47 years of age, sober and law-abiding. I have received almost unlimited attention from the public press all over the world, and can not account for the action of the Belgian Governernment, except prejudice against English and Americans, toward which persons the officials of Belgium seem very rude at the present time.
I was told by the chief of police of Brussels that he was aware that his Government was making a mistake in my case, yet the order of expulsion would be carried out. I am certain I have the sympathy of the whole Belgian people outside of the officials. No fewer than three barristers tendered me their services gratis, and Mr. Edouard Deby actually presented a petition to His Majesty the King for the annulment of the order of expulsion.
All of which is most respectfully submitted for the consideration of the honorable the Secretary of State for the United States of America.
American Citizen.
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