Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-01-04
OFF FOR THE WAR.
Gen. Foster Gone to Calm Down Japan
and China.
Gossip Of Dinners and Art Matters at Wash.
ington.

professional diplomatist. Originally a
lawyer, he was many years ago appointed
minister to Mexico by General Grant. He
afterward served as minister to Spain and
after that as minister to Russia. Ii mis-
take not, he is the only man in the United
States who has served as plenipotentiary
to three foreign governments. After the
came secretary of state and made very
creditable showing in that high office. Hs
has not only won great fame as a profes-
sional diplomatist, but has made the bust
ness pay. For q number of years he was
attorney in this city for the Mexican gov
eminent, receiving high salary therefor.
At one time he represented the Spanish
government in similar capacity and has
had commissions from Brazil, Chile, Rus
STA and other governments at different
times, all accompanied by fat fees. He has
collected some big claims against the
United States government, and one Of
these, which was settled up about two
years ago, melted him $50, 900 in commits
sions.
A Comfortable Place.
During the last two years. or since his
retirement from the state department, Mr.
Foster has been counselor to the Chinese
minister here, enjoying the very comforta
BILE salary of $4,000 year. The duties are
almost nominal. After conclusion of his
very important work as agent for the Unit
ed States government before the Boring
sea tribunal Mr.. Foster, accompanied BIZ
his wife and some friends, made tour OF
the world. They spent several weeks in
China, where they were entertained by
high officials of the empire. Chang Yen
Hoon, formerly minister to Washington
and now one of the Chinese peace plenipo-
tcntiaries, is Mr.. Fosters personal friend
and the two men have for many months
carried on private correspondence. 1t is
supposed Mr. Chang Yen Hoon desired the
services of keen, experienced American
diplomatist in the important negotiations
with Japan and suggested to his govern
ment the desirability of sending for Mr.
Foster. 1t is rather remarkable that Sec
rotary Gresham, who has promoted the ne
gotiations for peace between China and
Japan; Mr. DENLY our minister to China,
who has had hand in the affair, and Mr.
Foster, who is going out as adviser to the
Chinese peace commissioners, should all
hail from the same town in Indiana, or, ii
not literally from the same town, from the
same section of the state The three men
arc and for many years have been personal
friends.
A Great Place For Dinners.
ONO of the nuisances of Washington life,
from tho viewpoint of newspaper CORE
spondents is the formal dinner. At this
season of the year it is almost impossible
to find public man of much Importance
after O'Clock in the evening. have my
self had the unenjoyablo experience OF
calling at five houses of cabinet ministers,
members of the diplomatic corps or others
whom l wished to see concerning an i'm
portant piece of news, and at each door re-
ceiving the word, Not in-out at dinner"
Except in life or death case, a newspaper
man will not interrupt an officials dinner
by calling and sending in his card 1t has
been done, and there are occasions Oh
which it 10 wholly justifiable., Inasmucb
as these fashionable dinners usually con-
tinue from 1870 or in the evening till
near midnight they sadly interfere with
the news gathering business.
Probably there are more dinners given
Ill u WcCh III NaSbliSOoli tlihh any
other city of it's population in the world.
The city is split up into large number of
lotteries, or sets. There is the cabinet cir
Gle, which includes few favored sena-
tors, the ambassadors and most important
of the foreign ministers; the senatorial set,
which occasionally includes a member Of
the house and a foreign minister; the jul
dical coterie, made up largely of justices
of the supreme court, the court of claims
and a few diplomatists or older senators,
and, finally, and less distinguished, innu-
merablo dinners by members of the house,
by rich citizens who are not in official life,
by visiting men Of wealth or persons inter
ested in legislation. Scores and scores Of
dinners are going on every night, and every
other man one wants to see is out dining.
Art Matters.
Not many people are satisfied with the
new statue of Daniel Webster in tho ma
tional statuary hall, or the old hall of the
house of representatives The fact is, very
few of the statues erected here are fine OK
amples of American art There are now
nearly 80 OF these marble figures in the
hall, and probably not more than six or
eight of them would pass approved through
the hands of competent art committee.
The trouble is that the work of selecting
these figures is left to the states. By law
congress invited every state to send hithcr,
to be placed in the hall, statues of two of
her eminent sons. The work of selecting
the men who are to be thus honored and
the artists who are to carve the figures is
left to state officials or committee of the
state legislature. Art culture is not yet
sufficiently universal in this country to Sc
cure good results from such system as
this. Sometimes the appropriation is in
adequate for securing really creditable
work of art. In other instances some To-
cal artist is favored out of personal friend.
ship or state pride. At any rate, quite a
number of the figures here displayed are
anything but creditable to the art instinct
and culture of our country. 1t is believed
much better way to regulate this matter
would be to place the selection of artists
and regulation of designs in the hands Of
a board of competent art experts One
great trouble with the collection of great
men now represented in marble is that
some are Of heroic size while others are life
size. The contrast is rather ridiculous.
ROBERT GRAVES