SECTION XXIII. 89. _a Daring Robbery._

89. A Daring Robbery.

On July 15th, 1907, the papers published the following:

"Last night the steamer Sophia was seized by armed robbers 16 miles from Odessa, while on a voyage from this port to Korthion. At 11 o'clock three young men appeared on the deck, where the captain and the passengers were at supper, and held them in check while two others seized the man at the wheel and ordered him, under threat of death, to set the ship's course for Odessa. Some of the robbers, who appear to have numbered 18 in all, then went into the first-class saloon, where they took possession of an iron cash-box containing 50,000 roubles (£5,000), which was in charge of a cashier of the Russian Bank for Foreign Trade. They also took 1,000 roubles (£100) belonging to the passengers. The robbers then proceeded to disable the engines, and let off all the steam, and finally made their escape in two of the Sophia's boats after destroying the third. The police are seeking to trace the band, but hitherto without success."

90. The Fall of Abdul Hamid.

On April 29th, 1909, after the fall of Abdul Hamid and the enthronement of Mohammed V, the President of the United States of America sent the following telegram to the new ruler of Turkey:

"I offer your Majesty my congratulations on your accession to the Throne with such universal acclaim voiced by the people's representatives and at a time so propitious to the highest aspirations of the great nation over which you rule as the august head of a constitutional Government. I assure you of the friendship of the Government and people of the United States, who earnestly wish for your Majesty's happiness and for that of the people within your dominions, and I add my own wishes for your Majesty's health and welfare."

91. A President Abroad.

The Times of Dec. 4th, 1908, contained the following telegram, dated Paris, Dec. 3rd:

"The French Government will come to a decision at the Cabinet Council to be held on Saturday as to the conditions upon which President Castro, the despot of Venezuela, will be allowed to land in France. At the moment of his departure for Europe it was reported that the object of the President's journey was to see a distinguished specialist with a view to a surgical operation. Since then, however, trustworthy information has reached the Quai d'Orsay to the effect that his state of health is not so precarious as it had been reported to be, and that he looks forward to receiving in Paris the hospitality to which South Americans are accustomed. If that be the case, there are serious reasons for believing that he will meet with disappointment. The relations between France and Venezuela have been suspended now for several years, and the French representative at Caracas, it will be remembered, was expelled from Venezuela. The French Foreign Office is at present engaged in preparing a statement of its grievances against President Castro, to serve as a basis for the discussion in the next Cabinet Council of the delicate questions raised by the Dictator's decision to visit this country."

Again, the Times of Dec. 11th contained the following, dated Paris, Dec. 10th:

"President Castro landed in France this morning from the steamer Guadeloupe at Pauillac, where he was met by the Venezuelan Consul at Genoa and a dozen or more friends. He took a special train from Bordeaux, and on arriving with his wife, brother, three doctors, and six servants, he allowed himself to be photographed, subsequently driving to the Hôtel de France. On reaching the hotel he received a visit from M. Gout, a high official at the Quai d'Orsay, who had been specially despatched by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to inform President Castro of the conditions on which the Government has allowed him to land in France, and on which he will be permitted to stay here. The Government has refused to reveal the details of the decision at which it arrived in the Cabinet Council of last Saturday as to its treatment of the Venezuelan President. He declared to the representative of the French Foreign Office that he had come to Europe as a mere private individual to see a doctor, but a semi-official note communicated this evening states that 'it is believed that he will take advantage of his stay to try to settle his affairs with the various Powers which no longer have agents accredited to his Government.'

"There is reason to believe that this very guarded and somewhat enigmatical statement marks the definite decision of the French Government to demand from President Castro a complete settlement of all the questions outstanding between him and this country. It is felt that while France cannot repudiate her traditions of hospitality, she has nevertheless seized this opportunity to make it quite clear to the President that any prolongation of his sojourn here must depend on his meeting the views of the French Government."

92. A Rejected Ambassador.

In 1885 Italy refused to receive Mr. Keilly as ambassador of the United States of America, because he had, in 1871, protested against the annexation of the Papal States. And when the United States sent the same gentleman as ambassador to Austria, the latter refused him reception, on the ground that his wife was said to be a Jewess.