Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1895-01-25
WANT MORE SALARY.
UNCLE SAM THREATENED WITH
A DIPLOMATIC STRIKE.
Ambassadors to Foreign Lands Must
Have Better Pay Or Give Up Their
Jobs-say They Are Annually Out of
Pocket.
Money Upholds Dignity.
Washington correspondence:

mag general way it has
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ILRlt diplomatic service is
#x@S~ not in n tlourishing
@W.nl@ condition. Things
SMY;glAA have gone from bad
S.j2tHnHssnM.A to worse until now a
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~&, the five ambassadors
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s1z1111mT- ernment. Secretary
~ MdNIMIi - Gresham has init
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doris is such us to warrant immediate
notion by Congress. Should no action be
taken by that body it is almost certain
that Clifton II. Breckenridge, our ambas-
sador to Russia, and Theodore Runyon,
who holds the same post in Germany.
will resign. There has been circulated n
statement to the effect that Mr.. Breckin-
ridge has already announced his intcn-
ton of abandoning his post. That state
ment, however, is premature.
The whole trouble is the result of the
long-standing salary grievance. AS every
body knows, our ambassadors receive a
very inadequate stipend. Their salary
is S11,5U n year each, but $4,000 is
pronounced barely sufficient to maintain
the dignity of the position. Mr.. Runyon
in Germany and Mr.. Eustis in France
have, even with the exercise Of the closest
economy, spent twice their respective
salaries and more in expenses connected
with the posts they fill. These details
will surprise no one. But it will be news
To announce that the ambassadors have
held two conferences abroad, one in Lon
don and another in Paris, for the pur-
pose of making unanimous representa-
ton to the State Department that their
usefulness is almost nominal. On his
way to st. Petersburg MIR. Breckenridge
saw both MIR. Runyon md Mr.. Eustis.
MIR. Breckenridge had heard that his en-
penses in Europe would be very heavy
far moro than his salary. AS he is II man
of very moderate means he felt the ne
cessity of getting their advice. He en-
pressed his feelings with candor when he
was Informed of the humiliating straits
to which his Acknowledgements were re-
duccd. Then it was that a premature
rumor of the resignation of the amlas-
sador to Russia was circulated.
A Plea for the Strikers,
Meanwhile, however, Thomas +. Bay
ard, ambassador to the court of st. James.
had been in the United States, and one of
the express objects of his visits here was
to impress upon the State Department
the manner in which our national dig
nifty Is being compromised abroad. Mr..
Bayard had three conferences with the
Secretary of State on the subject of am
%bassadorial salaries. Mr.. Gresham. dur
ing these interviews. had opportunity to
read letters from Wayne MacVeagh, MI.
Eustis and MIR. Runyon. all setting forth
the fact that their positions were little
short of ridiculous. Their own wish had
been to resign. but as the demission, to
use IL diplomatic term, of all our ambassa-
doris at once might create an unpleasant
Impression, it was deemed best that the
retirement should take place at intervals
of IL few months.
AS an illustration of the position in
which our ambassadors are placed, the
following itcmiZed statement of MIR. Eus-
it's expenses is interesting:
AAOuSS iSiil III dtLISs USl NSlEs . . .Cl-.VVO
Ambassadors coach and livery. 5000
Diplomatic dinners md entertain
ments 5000
One ball per annum. 1000
Entertaining American naval Off
GERS -. 1000
Attending state department func-
lions 1000
Official presentations. 1000
lotal ..... 900
In reality. however, Mr.. Eustis has
spent Il good deal more than $4,000 a
year since lie went to Paris. He is out
of pocket about $4,000 MS n result of be-
Ing American ambassador to France. It
might be observed that Mr.. Eustis has
chosen n rather expensive house. But
We're he to go out of the expensive quar-
ter of Paris his usefulness as a diplomat
would be gone. And house rent in fash
ionble Paris is high. The ambassadorial
coach is also n necessity. and the enter
tanning must be kept up or the diplomat
will lose caste. Were Mr.. Eustis, for ex-
ample. to decline an invitation to n state
function or n minister's entertainment it
would be deemed a grave breach of ETH
quette. Were the ofrense repeated the
minister would find himself without influ.
cncc. and might even be reported to
Washington Us persona non grata. Hav-
ing once accepted the courtesies, he is
bound to reciprocate them.
Must Go the Royal Pace.
In the holiday and vacation season his
post is even more trying. He must go
where the powers go. He is obliged to
lease a chateau, or, at the humblest, a
villa. There are always American in
tercsts needing the support of I'm ambas-
sador Mt a foreign power. Were the So
cial side of diplomatic life neglected.
American interests would be deprived Of
all protection. A conspicuous instance of
this is the manner in which American
beef and hams were allowed entry into
Germany for years in spite of domestic
agitation, solely owing to the personal
influence of our minister to Berlin.
The other ambassadors are in an equal
ly sorry plight. Mr.. Bnyard is out, so far.
about $4,000 on his mission. Mr.. Mac
Veagh spent $4,000 in Rome during the
first three months of his stay. The money
question has reached a crisis owing to the
recent elevation Of our ministers to the
capitals of Great Britain, France, Ger
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