The times., 1899-03-20
tongue shapes its own dialect. 1t looks
very much as If our mother tongue would
be the world-language OF the future.
where We Arc Liberal.

The English find reason to criticise this
country for the niggardly treatment of its
diplomatic officers, Ambassador Choate be-
ing unable to find official quarters that are
not conspicuously inferior to those of other
representatives at price that is warrant
. ed by the amount appropriated by the
Government. This is not the first time
attention has been directed to the illiberal
allowances for our officials abroad. 1t is
not a question whether the sum in the
abstract is fair in relation to the salaries
and payments for officers of the Govern
ment at home; we must take account OF
the provisions made by other countries
, for their diplomatic service. No American
likes to know that this great and wealthy
country denies to its representatives at
the European courts the means to make a
good average appearance. We lose in in
fuence by such a policy, unless we can
persuade the world that we do 1t as an
example of republican simplicity. The
trouble is that the world refuses to believe
| 1t is that, but asserts that it is the char
acteristic American respect for the dollar.
The English. however have little right
to sneer. Though they are very generous
toward their diplomats. whose expendi-
lures make an impression. there are 9TH
ers who have claims on their government
that are not recognized Archibald Forbes
the famous war correspondent, once drew
a contrast between English and American
treatment of heroes In the pawn shops
| of London the collector OF curios has been
able TO buy the medals of officers and SOL
diers-medals bestowed on them by a
! grateful government for acts of particular
gallantry in war. They were pledged and
never redeemed, because the heroes. dis
charged when made useless by wounds
and not provided for by pension, were un
able to support themselves. A few years
ago one of the gray-haired survivors of
the charge of the Light Brigade one of
the noble Six Hundred who obeyed a mis-
understood order and rode down the valley
of death, was the elevator boy of Chicago
building. He could just keep body and
soul together by the pittance he received
for doing a boys work His medal had
been "spouted" long before, but he re-
tanned his honorable discharge from the
British army. Not belonging to any COM
munity in England. he could not take ad-
| vantage of the poor rates to live in idle
ness in an almshouse, like many of his
former comrades.
America, Mr.. Forbes noted. is stingy
with medals and honorable mentions, so
the few that are given are valuable. When
one of her soldiers performs an act of un-
usual courage or Importance, or when he
is crippled by wounds and disqualified for
earning good living, he is voted sub
stantial pension that will prevent his go
ing to the poorhouse. II he desires he may
enter home for Reconsideration
established and maintained by the Gov
ernment. where there are fine buildings
provided with all the conyenences OF a
great hotel, grand parks, military bands,
miniature lakes, and the like. Besides
these. some of the States have soldiers
homes where the widows and in some cases
the wives of soldiers are admitted. 1t is
never necessary for an American veteran
to go to an almshouse.
While we may deplore the policy that
places our diplomats at disadvantage at
foreign courts, We do not lose by COM
parison of the expenditures of this Gov
ernment with those of other countries
when all accounts are included