Page:The New York Times, 1925-12-14.djvu/4

4 Attorneys for Countess Catherine Karolyi, who has been denied a passport to enter this country by the State Department, denied yesterday for being guilty of a breach of etiquette in making public their correspondence with the White House on the subject. Curtis, Fosdick & Belknap, her representatives, made public a letter to President Coolidge dated Dec. 5, in which they expressed their position, and also released an acknowledgment from the State Department, in which it reported that its "decision in this matter remains unchanged.

The letter to the President read:

The President, the White House, Washington, D. C.:

Sir—We respectfully invite your attention to the fact that on Nov. 18 we forwarded to you an appeal in behalf of Countess Catherin Karolyi, requesting you to review and reverse the decision of Secretary Kellogg, under which she was barred from visiting the United States. On Nov. 20 your secretary, Mr. Sanders, wrote us that our letter had been received and immediately referred to the Secretary of State. Since that time we have received no further communication on the matter.

In view of the fact that Countess Karolyi is the most anxious to obtain permission to visit this country in the near future we take the liberty of asking for your decision on our appeal or to be advised if its reference by you to Secretary Kellogg is to be taken as indicative of a final decision on your part not to take any action in the matter.

We cannot refrain from urging upon you once more the merits of our contentions; and especially our application for permission to know the charges, if any, that have been filed with the department against Countess Karolyi, and to have an opportunity of presenting evidence to disprove them. The injury to her includes not merely the disappointment of not being able to visit her friends here, but also a very substantially pecuniary loss caused by the cancellation of numerous engagements she had arranged to deliver lectures throughout the country.

In addition to the foregoing there is another aspect to the case to which we feel that your attention should be drawn:

The daily newspapers of Nov. 28 carried a statement from your unofficial spokesman to the effect that you were annoyed by the appearance in the newspapers of the Karolyi letter addressed to you before you had an opportunity of reading it.

But the facts in this regard are that our letter to you was mailed in New York on Nov. 18, its receipt was acknowledged by your secretary on Nov. 20, and it was neither released for publication nor published in any newspaper until Nov. 28.

Our endeavor was and is to observe the most scrupulous courtesy in our relations with your office and that of the Secretary of State, and we would welcome an expression from you as to whether you feel we have been derelict in that regard. Frankly stated, our own opinion is that this case is one where the widest form of publicity is both appropriate and desirable. We are convinced that the people of this country, if once thoroughly informed of the facts of this matter, would express themselves as whole heartedly on the side of Countess Karolyi and opposed to the arbitrary position adopted by Mr. Kellogg.

Respectfully, CURTIS, FOSDICK & BELKNAP.

The State Department's reply read:

Receipt is acknowledged by your reference from the White House of your letter of Dec. 5, 1925, on the subject of the admission of the Countess Karolyi to this country. You are advised that the decision in this matter remains unchanged. W. R. CASTLE JR., Chief Division of Western European Affairs.

PARIS, Dec. 13.—Princess Zizianoff expressed surprise this evening at reports published in an English language newspaper here this morning that she had failed to obtain a visa for a passport enabling her to return to the United States.

The Princess said she went to one United States consulate on Saturday morning to see what procedure was necessary to allow her return to America and make her permanent residence there. On her former trip she traveled with a six-months' tourist visa granted by the State Department.

The Princess now wishes to become an American citizen and learned at the consulate that certain papers were necessary for a permanent visa which she expects to obtain. She expects to sail for New York before the end of the year while the French quota is still unfilled.

"References to political activities of mine which make me undesirable in America are extremely amusing and of an astonishing ingenuity," the Princess said tonight. "on the contrary, I am a lover of American things and am eager to become one of you myself.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.—Remodeling of the subtreasury building at the corner of Wall and Nassau Street is contemplated, under a bill drawn by Representative Anning S. Prall of West New Brighton. The bill would direct the Secretary of the Treasury to spend $5,000,000 on the work.

Mr. Prall had no idea of changing the present classic outlines of the historic structure. On the contrary, he would do all he could to preserve the architectural features, including the bronze statue of George Washington, the stone steps, the columns and the marble walls. But he would have extensive repairs made and the building remodeled to house new activities.

The United States courts, internal revenue and other branches of the Federal Government, now occupying extremely congested quarters, would be housed in the building, according to Representative Prall.

ment, to the end that duplication in expense be avoided, uniformity of equipment promoted and a continuous and definite policy established looking to stronger sources of supply, the maintenance of the industry, promotion of aircraft production to the capacity of the nation and the establishment of a sound policy of Government procurement.

As to the last recommendation, the committee said:

"A single Department of National Defense, through its unity of command, would harmonize our national defense system, reduce expenditures for supplies and prevent needless duplications, promote understanding, lessen friction between our different military arms and provide a uniform and equalized system of pay, promotion and retirement. It should decrease the overhead maintenance and decrease the overhead maintenance and decrease the number of organizations and bureaus within the departments. It should promote the interchange of effort in peace and war; it should work for the economy, efficiency, and strengthen our national defense.

"It would train and habituate our military organizations in peace time for that cooperation that is essential in war."

Reviewing its activities the committee states that more than one hundred and fifty witnesses were examined under oath. With regard to air service policies it found:

That there is no uniformity of army and navy policy.

That the navy system of promotion and pay deprives flying personnel of opportunity for high command and does

ORANGE SCREEN CO., Dept. BB10 of Glass Enclosures, Maplewood, N. J.