The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-19
LoMATlc sNoBeERY.

WASHINGTON, Feb. lS-As is well known
there is not very much regard among
western men in Washington for the dlplo-
matte service. They look upon IT as
kind of an antiquaJed fummery OF little
real service to the people. They think
that, with direct telegraphic service be
tween Washington and the cities
of the different European govern
ments, international business could be
carried on directly by the state department
without the antiquated humougSery OF
su-called diplomates at the different c1pI-
tails. For some time an effort has been
made to change the title of our represent
atives at the chief European cities OF gov.
ernment from envoy extraordinary ana
minister plenpOtentiary TO ambassador,
and yesterday proposition was made by
Senator Hoar to designate our representa-
tives at London, Paris, st. Petersburg
and Berlin as such.
Mr.. Hoar read letter published in the
New York Tribune. written 10y its London
correspondent, George w. Smalley, des
cribing how the American minister Is kept
waiting while little mbaSsadors from petty
states walk into the presence OF the prime
minister This angered Plumb, and he
paid his respects TO the diplomatic service
and to Mr.. Smalley. Plumb declared that
Smalley had un-AmericaniZed himself and
that he was a professional snob. The
characterization of Smalley was so much
in sympathy with general belief here that
it tickled not only the senate, but the
auditors in the gallery.
Smalley is not popular in Washington,
and is not popular with any American
who has had occasion to meet him in Lon
don. Report is that he is willing TO Sian
der his country at any time to get an lnvl
tation to "A lords dinner or supper. When
Whitelaw Reid was appointed minister 10
France the directors OF the New York
II Iii nfr,eS llGx-
editor pro tenn of the paper during Reid's
absence Mr. Blaine, however, who knows
Smalley well knew that at the head of
the Tribune he would be of no benefit TO
the party, and he protested so vigorously
that the scheme ofputting Smalley at the
head of the Tribune was abandoned.
Last summer Smalley spent some time
in Washington. and the story goes that he
left here in great disgust because he was
not invited to dine at the White House
During the Cleveland administration Mr..
Harold Frederick, the London cores
pondent OF the New York Times, and
thorough American in everything, visited
Washington and was dined ut the White
House. Smalley thought that with Re
publican occupying the White House the
same courtesy should be extended to him
as was extended to Frederick when there
was Democrat in the White House. and
he left here very much disgusted and with
a fine sense of Indignation at the lack OF
courtesy shown him, as he thought. These
things have been known in Washington
for some time, apd consequently when
Plumb, in his free and easy western way,
"lambasted" the snob there was general
rejoicing
The scheme to elevate" our representa-
tives to the grade of ambassador failed,
and largely through the determined efforts
of Plumb 1t does not seem to the or
dinary observer that it makes much differ
ence whether a man is called an ambassa-
dor or an envoy, as long as the salary Is
kept the same. Hence it is strange that
there is so much opposition to the word
ambassador at all times in congress.