New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-12
ENGLISH DIPLOMATISTS.
SIR PHILIP CURRIE-vACANCIES AND
CANDIDATES AT ROME, PETERS
BURG AND CONsTANTINOPLE.

Sir Philip Currie is ready to go there as Ambas-
sador. A great post 1t undoubtedly is; perhaps
the greatest in European diplomacy: and at
intervals, II not always, Of profound Importance
to the interests of this country 1t offers almost
every temptation to the diplomatst by profess
sion; to the man whose trade 1t Is to be Envoy
and-generally very late in life-Ambassador.
He is rolling stone here to-day and there
tomorrow, in Brazil year, at Teheran the
next, at Petersburg the year after. From
the days when he was first attached to o
mission he has trieI every form OF locomotion,
endured every climate tested in their vary.
ing capabilities Of dulness every minor capital In
the two hemisphere. He is forbidden to form
attachments for places or people. The aim OF his
life is promotion in the service, the rule Of which
is seniority tempered by selection. He may
spend years secretary in the whir Of Paris or
London gayetes and Is none the less expected to
rejoice in the step which exiles him to the UNI
speakable apathy of Lisbon of Coburg. To all
that and much more he makes up his mind when
he chooses diplomacy as career.
Very different from all this has been and Is Sir
Philip Currles position. He has spent his life In
the Foreign Office which he entered as clerk q
1854, then twenty years Of age. Promotion Is slow.
and it was twenty years later before he became
senior clerk and not till 1889 that he appointed
Permanent Under Secretary. In the interval no
doubt, he had seen much service abroad, but al
ways in discharge OF some special mission; as
when he went with Lord Wodehouse in 1863 to
Copenhagen; with Lord Salisbury to Constanti-
nople in 1s1G-again as joint secretary. Lord Row.
ton being the other,-to the special embassy to
Berlin, where Lord Beaconsneld and Lord Sails
bury represented England in the Congress OF
Berlin; again on an ornamental Garter mission
to the Court of Spain IN 1851. IL Is pretty OBJ
vious that man is not chosen for such work az
had to be done at Constantinople in 1876 or at
Berlin two years later unless he Is known TO
have very exceptional ability lie must be
something more than a trained and capable For
e.gn Office clerk; he must have tact and wide
knowledge OF men and things and of the world A
man OF the world Sir Philip Curr.e has always
been. and Of the London world. His birth. his
ample fortune, his attractive house, his quiet
charm Of character, of manner, Of conversation
all combined to give him that social eminence
which is indispensable TO the dplomatist and
useful to everybody else. All this was Invaluable
to him in the Permanent Under Sccretaryship at
the Foreign Office. No mere man OF routine can
I'll such post. 1t Is one Of the half-dozen places
the occupants Of which. in no narrow sense Of the
words, govern this Empire. Ministers come and
20. The Permanent chief Is permanent. The
mere fact OF his permanency gives him an ac-
uuaintance with affairs and with the methods OF
doing business such few Parliamentary CHIEFS.
in their ftful and interrupted tenure OF Office.
ever acquire.
Ii was Lord Salisbury who appointed Sir Phllip
Currie this great permanent office. Lord sails
bury had every means Of ascerta!ning his 1T
ness There was also political sympathy be-
tween them. Sir Philip Is a Conservative. There
have been peri IDS in the diplomatic history OK
this country when domestic politics made great
difference in the conduct Of foreign affairs. They
did when Lord Granville was Foreign Minister.
for Lord Granville was hardly more tnan the
factotum Of Mr.. Gladstone in such matters. With
Lord Rosebery the case is known to be very
unlike what it with Lord Granville. Lord
Rosebery is an avowed believer in the value Of
continuity in foreign policy II England Is to be
England abroad. it ought not TO signify whether
Il Conservative or LIBERAL be Prime
Minister or Foreign Minister. The voice
Of England should be the same and have
the same authority Her aims should be
continuous; her imperial policy imperial. The
power of making them so is great power II
tn ere be a weak or indoent vacating Foreign
Secretary, then 1t is that the value OF such per-
manent official Sir Philip becomes greatest
Truth to say, he has always had a strong chief,
and the fact that he has. and is likely to have
whatever the turn Of the political wheel. may be
to him one reason for accepting the Embassy at
COnstantinope.
The appointment of Sir Philip Currie to Con-
stantinople resembles in one important respect
that OF Sir Julian Pauncefote to Washington
In both cases. diplomatic routine was broken up
Neither OF these two able men was in the regular
line Of promotion. The truth is the regular dip
lomatlc service Of Great Britain is not rich in
able men, I said the other day in writing OF Sir
Robert Morier that not more than two or three
Ambassadors had a great domestic reputation.
whatever might be their reputation in foreign
countries. / might have put 1t more strongly
There are few who stand very high either with
the courts to which they are accredited. or with
the Foreign Office itself. and the Foreign Office
chiefs, permanent or temporary.
Three great posts have lately fallen vacant
Rome, Constantinople, Petersburg. Rome indeed
has within a brief period been twice vacant.
The first time when Lord Duffern was promoted
to Paris, Lord Vivian received the appointment;
an amiable man for whose capacities Brussels had
been thought to afford full scope. Lord Vivian
died, and Rome is now filled by transferring
thther Sir Clare Ford, whose success at Con-
stantinople was not such as to make 1t seem pru-
dent to keep him there. His place Is taken by
man who. with all his Foreign Office training is
looked upon by the diplomatic body properly so
called as an outsider Petersburg Is still vacant.
and again outsider is talked OF as likely to be
sent to the capital Of the Cars Lord Lans-
downe the present Viceroy OF India, shortly to
be replaced by Lord Elgn. What are Lord
Lansdowne's claims? None. to the mind OF the
pure diplomatst. None to the mind OF the pure
politician. for he is not even supporter OF Mr.
Gladstone. But he has shown capacity of a kind
which may fit him for such place as Petersburg
He must have acquired in India great deal OF
knowledge about Russian proceedings in Central
ASIA and her stealthy march toward the Indian
frontier He may make very good Ambassa-
dor.
If rot Lord Lansdowne. then who? There IL
but a short list to choose from,-a short list. that
Is, of men who can be thought at present OF
Ambassadora rank. Hardly one frst-cass man