Mr. Jackson to Mr. Hay.
Berlin, August 5, 1902.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the due receipt of your instruction No. 1368, of the 15th ultimo, relating to the defilement of the coat of arms of the United States at our commercial agency at Bamberg, Bavaria. The embassy made no report of this incident at the time it occurred, because it was aware that Consul-General Guenther had reported fully, and because there was no evidence to show that the outrage had been committed by responsible persons.
In accordance with your instructions, a formal request was made at the foreign office to-day that the new shield may be admitted duty free. [Page 437] Until this request was made no information with regard to the incident had been received at that office. In talking the matter over informally, His Excellency Dr. Von Mühlberg, the under secretary of state for foreign affairs, who is at present in charge, expressed sincere regret and added a statement to the effect that he would at once communicate with the Bavarian authorities, to the end that the perpetrators of the outrage might be severely punished if they were apprehended. In speaking of the recent Russo-German incident he called attention to the fact that the demonstration before the German consulate at Warsaw was due to national feeling on the part of the Poles; that it took place publicly, and that the people concerned were students and other persons of presumed respectability (in other words, that it was not the act of a mob or of other disorderly persons), and that consequently the two incidents could not be considered as of a similar character. With regard to a suggestion that the affixing of the new shield might have a ceremonial character of some kind, Dr. Von Mühlberg said that he would confer with the Bavarian authorities.
The commercial agent at Bamberg has been notified of the fact that a request has been made for the free admission of the new coat of arms, and he has been told to inform the embassy of its arrival. He has also been told to await instructions from the embassy, or from the Department direct, before taking any steps to put the same in place.
I have, etc.,
P. S.—August 6, 1902. A representative of the foreign office (Mr. Jank) called at the embassy this morning to say that the new coat of arms in question would gladly be admitted duty free, and to ask that that office be informed of the time and manner in which the same is to be sent, so that appropriate instructions can be given to the customs authorities. He also volunteered the remark that the new shield would be put in place in a “feierlich” manner, in order to produce an effect upon people of Bamberg.