[Untitled]
Swiss
Legation,
Washington, May 29,
1902.
Memorandum.
Mr. Robert Beck, a native of Switzerland, is established since 1892 as a
representative of English and German exporting firms at Bogotá,
[Page 980]
Colombia, and has, by
registration, placed himself under the protection of the United States
representative in that country.
In consequence of the depreciation of the paper money, he was forced to
invest a large amount of it in coffee. For the purpose of shipping it,
he bought a large number of mules.
These mules are now being taken away from-him illegally by agents of the
Government; they neither pay any consideration nor give any receipt for
them. The finest specimens of them remain in the hands of the Colombian
officers, who sell them for good prices.
Mr. Robert Beck has done all he could in order to obtain justice.
Everything is useless. He has lost so far over 100 animals, and even
some of the coffee (about $800 worth) has been destroyed by the
revolutionary forces.
He has addressed himself to the United States representative, Mr. Hart,
but without avail. He therefore requests the Swiss legation in the
United States to take the proper steps at the State Department in
Washington to have these illegal proceedings stopped and force the
wrongdoers to pay him a due compensation for his severe loss.
Memorandum.
Department of State,
Washington, June 10,
1902.
The Department of State received on the 29th ultimo the memorandum of
the Swiss legation in regard to the case of Mr. Robert Beck, a Swiss
citizen, who complains that he has lost 100 mules, which have been
seized by the Colombian authorities during the existing hostilities
in the Republic of Colombia; that he has also had some coffee (worth
about $800) seized by revolutionary forces, and that he has
addressed himself to the minister of the United States at Bogota
without obtaining redress.
The Department has communicated the memorandum to Mr. Hart, the
United States minister, who is on leave in this country. He reports
that he gave Mr. Beck all the assistance, in the way of good offices
(by making all proper representations to the Government of
Colombia), that he could possibly have given to any American
citizen, and that he has been unable to secure the payment of his
claim for the same reasons that have made it impossible to secure
the payment of claims of United States citizens whose animals have
been expropriated as were Mr. Beck’s mules.
The Department refers the Swiss legation to Mr. Bayard’s notea of July 1,
1887, to that legation, pointing out that this Government can only
use good offices in behalf of subjects or citizens of other
countries who have been placed under the protection of United States
diplomatic or consular officers.
