The herald., 1893-01-20

OF its legal advisers.
Better care with regard to social status
and breeding appears to be exercised by
the United States government in selecting
men to represent it in London, Paris,
Vienna and Berlin, and neither the Messrs.
Phelps, at London and Berlin; Colonel Fred
Grant, at Vienna, nor Mr.. Whitclaw Reid,
at Paris. have ever given cause for tho
slightest criticism on the score Of manners
and usage. Indeed from social point CT
view no more accomplished and charming
representatives of this great and glorious
country could be desired, and the personal
popularity and universal esteem which
they acquired in the capitals where they
were appointed to reside undoubtedly en-
abled them to obtain exceptional advan-
tages and consideration both for their own
government and for their fellow country
men.
The success which they achieved both
from on official and social point of view is
all tho more to their credit by reason of the
fact that none of them possessed either
previous diplomatic training or even pre-
vious personal acquaintance with the gov
ernment and with the society among which
they were called upon to represent their
country There have been other American
ENJOYS of equal social eminence at h0Sne
who have been far less fortunate. Had,
for instance, Mr.. Coolidge, who succeeded
Mr.. Whitelaw Reid at Paris, possessed Che
slightest diplomatic training or experience
you would certainly never have heard any
thing Of the unfortunate Borup scandal.
which has contributed SO much to injure
the prestige both of American diplomacy
and Of the American army in France.
No German, English or Russian embas-
sador would have permitted his military
attache to be subjected to such indignity
as was suffered by Captain Borup, who
was innocent of doing anything else than
that which falls within the recognized du-
ties of military attaches, and even if the
military attache had really rendered him
self guilty of the offeuses falsely imputed
to Captain Borup by the Partisan press
his ambassador would never have allowed
the matter to develop into public scandal
AT Rome ono of your most amiable and
personally irreproechable of ministers, Mr..
w. w. Astor, gave rise to no end of un-
friendly gossip in official and diplomatic
circles when he first took up his resi-
dence in the Eternal City by address
ing invitations for dinners and recep-
tions to official pcrsonages ard dignita-
ries upon whom he had not previously
taken the trouble to call and to leave
cards. The consequence was that part of
the people asked took no notice CT the in
vitations Of the United States envoy, while
those who availed themselves thereof did
so with an indulgent shrug of the shou:.
ders and comment to the effect that it was
necessary to make certain allowances for
the ignorance of diplomatic and official
usage of the American minister.
Tbo hast f,f foc !, ~
training is indispensable ia to be found in
the practice which you seem to adopt of
leaving your secretaries of legation at St.
Petersburg, London, Vienna, and to a GER
tain extent in Paris, not merely for four
years, but almost for generation, at their
posts. Mr. Henry White appears to be
fixture in London, just in the same way as
Mr.. George Wurtz at ST. Petersburg and
tho late Mr.. Delaplaine at Vienna.
Long residence in the respective capitals
in which they are stationed and their
thorough acquaintance not only with the
court and society Of the place, but also
with the inner workings, usages and I'M
written laws thereof, render item SO in
valuable to the United States government
that their chiefs, the ministers, become
altogether superfluous. 1t is these sccre-
taries and not the ENJOYS who receive
from their diplomatic colleagues and from
the members Of the government to which
they are accredited condolences of nature
TO prove nf interest and of use to the state
department ct Washington.
Beaurocratic to the very core, it is only
natural that the European government of
fcial or statesman should prefer to trust
in person whom he regards as being in
the permanent service of the United States
government, such as the secretaries of le-
cation, rather than in the minister, who
was a lawyer yesterday and will probably
blossom forth as a journalist-thato official
bette noir of bhe European of1icial-tomor.
row. ....I..,;,f.t
Among other of your trained and ex.
perienced diplomats with whom l have
been brought into contact, and who en-
joyed the greatest regard in both tho
official and social circles Of the capital
where they were stationed, should men
tion the names of Mr.. Nicholas Fish, tho
late Mr.. Moran and the late Eugene
Schuyler.
Let me add two brief recommendations
in conclusion. In the first place, bearing
in mind the fact that the United States is
regarded as one Of the SO called great pow
ers, you should follow the example of the
Inter and accredit your ENJOYS to the great
powers of Europe as ambassadors instead
of ministers. The latter necessarily take a
secondary rank and enjoy precedence only
by order of seniority. Hence the envoy of
the negro republic of Hayti or of Salvador
often has the pas over the representative of
the United States.
Were your ENJOYS in London, Paris, Ber-
lin, St. Petersburg and Vienna to have the
rank of ambassadors, like those of the
French republic, this state of things would
be avoided. There is no end to the mum.
Der of privileges and rights, both official
and social accorded in Europe to embassa-
dors that are withheld from mere minis
ters plenipotentiary, and | may mention
that when Mr.. and Mrs. Phelps were in
vited by Queen Victoria to dino and sleep
at Windsor just before leaving England at
the close of the last Cleveland administra-
tion government circles and society wers
aghast at such an honor being conferred
upon mere minister plenipotentiary.
In the second place, pay your ENJOYS
moro literally. You have the richest gov.
ernment in the world. and yet your mis-
sions abroad are, with few exceptions
such as, for instance, those of Mr. Whitelaw
Reid at Paris and of Mr., Phelps at Berlin
renowned for their penuriousness. The
work of'dfplom&cy Is very largely work
of social opportunities. This being the
case, you should not tie the hands of your
agents by withholding from them those
material means which are accorded by the
governments OF the other great powers to
their ClinlOmatio represent1tivps