No. 149.
Mr. Pendleton to Mr. Bayard.
Legation of
the United States,
Berlin, November 16, 1885.
(Received November 30.)
No. 110.]Sir: I send herewith report and translation of a
speech made by Count Kalnoky, the Austrian premier, in the Austrian Chamber,
as the report appears in the Nord Preussische Zeitung of this city, and
another report on the same speech taken from the London Times.
Count Kalnoky admits as beyond controversy the right of Germany under the
laws of nations to refuse sojourn to foreigners with or without cause
according to its own will, and this under a very stringent exercise of that
right against Austrian subjects.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
110.—Translation.[
Translation of the extract from the Nord Preussische
Zeitung.
Vienna, Tuesday,
November 10.
In the budget committee of the Austrian delegation, Count Kalnoky stated,
on the interpolation of Czerkawski in reference to the expulsion from
Prussia, that according to the authentic information the measure had not
been executed throughout the whole extent of the Prussian state.
Thirty-one reclamations only had reached the Austrian embassy, the most
numerous expulsions, one hundred and fifty to two hundred, in reference
to which important modifications had been secured, had taken place in
Breslau. The minister gave them the data concerning the Russian subjects
arriving in Crakow, who numbered two hundred and thirty-eight families,
with eight hundred and seventy-three persons, whilst in all twenty-nine
single Austrians and thirty Austrian families have arrived in Galicia;
the majority of those expelled were Galician Israelites. In reference to
the right of expulsion, the minister declared there existed an
incontrovertible principle, that it was conceded to each state,
according to its own will to permit or refuse sojourn to foreigners. No
right of sojourn could be inferred from commercial treaties. The
Prussian Government declared that it was constrained on strong grounds
of domestic policy to secure itself against immigration out of Russian
Poland and Galicia, in order to avoid a derangement of existing
conditions as to language and religion. He (the minister) had on this
account limited himself to attempt to secure ameliorations and
considerate action, and in this he had found a very responsive reception
on the part of the Prussian Government. He would in the future use his
influence in Prussia to the utmost in the interest of the Austrian
subjects.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 110.]
Extract from the London Times of November
11.
The London Times of November 11 contains the following report of the same
speech by Count Kalnoky.
In the Austrian delegation to-day Count Kalnoky answered an interpolation
about the expulsion of Poles from Prussia. He said that only a small
minority of the persons expelled were Austrian subjects; up to the
middle of October seven hundred exiles had arrived at Cracow, and of
these only seven were Austrians. At Lemberg over one thousand refugees
had been received, but there were only thirty Austrian families and
twenty-nil unmarried Austrians. The minister said most of the exiles
were Jews, and added that the Prussian Government had assured the
Cabinet of
[Page 310]
Vienna that the
utmost indulgence would be exercised towards Austrian subjects liable to
expulsion.
“For the rest,” said Count Kalnoky, “we have endeavored to find a legal
ground for protest against these expulsions, but have found none. Every
state is free to deal with foreigners according to its own municipal
laws, and treaties of commerce do not in any way curtail this liberty.
We are sorry for these expulsions, but cannot see that the Prussian
Government has in any way violated international obligations.”
These explanations excited the indignation of the Polish delegates, two
of whom declared that the minister had produced misleading statistics.
They maintained that a great number of Austrian subjects had been
expelled since the middle of October, and they announced their intention
of recurring to the subject. The German Liberal delegates, on the
contrary, declared Count Kalnoky’s explanations to be entirely
satisfactory.
