The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-03-07

Mr.. Choate's remark just before he sail !
ed for England the other day to the effect |
that he had not the slightest idea where !
he would live in London, and that he did !
not anticipate much difficulty in hnding
suitable quarters, serves 20 recall TO mind
the fact that although tEe United States
has ambassadors. il has neglected as yet
TO provide the latter with embassies. l.
has raised the rank Of its ENJOYS in the
principal countries OF Europe with a view
to increasing their prestige, and conse-
quently the influence which they exercise
for the benefit OF their country, but it
has failed to furnish them with the sur
rouadinss and the trappings that are in
dispensable TO achieve this end. Not only
a.'e the salaries which il pays TO ITS am
bassadors smaller than those received by
the latters foreign colleagues of the same
official grade. but it negiects to provide
them either with a suitable abode or with
the necessary appointments of the latter.
The result is that the American Ambas-
sailors abroad are forced to content
themselves with hired residences, hired
furniture, in fact hired everything, the
smartness and grandeur Of which depend
entirely upon the amount of money which
the Ambassador is willing to devote to
the purpose, not from his official pay,
which Is inadequate, but from his pri-
yate fortune.
In a word, the American Ambassador
abroad is at the mercy of the house agent,
whose terms are the heavier in view of
the risk TO which ne claims ne is exposed,
since he has no legal means of redress
against the envoy for unpaid rent. And
any of the readers of The Post who have
| lived abroad will be Grady TO bear witness
he IA ba oil Of ha har NH 4
VINO hunger for the American dollar
there is none more grasping or greedy
| than the old world house agent.
Ambassador Choate's first task on ar
irving in England a week ago has been
| TO hunt for a suitable house in London,
and he will have found himself confronted
! by conditions in this particular that differ
! greatly from those in the United States
| In this country short leases in the case
| of furnished residences are the exception
| rather than the rule. In England the
contrary is the case. In fact, the ordinary
! terms Of lease for furnished house in
London is not for the year, but for the
| season; and taxing it for granted that
| Ambassador Choate mas the intention of
maintaining the dignity of his Office on
/ the same footing as his two predecessors,
he will be called upon to pay in the neign-
|
nisbed mansion for the season; that is 10
| say, considerable more than a third of
his salary, and the season, it must be
borne in mind, only lasts three or at the
| most four months. OF course as a for
] eign diplomat, Mr.. Chcate is obliged to
pay more than would be asked from any
! wealthy EnSlishnan. But, nevertheless,
/ the average rent of furnished house for
| the season in London in a fashionable
quarter ranges from 5000 TO 5000 the
| former figure Icing, of course, for style
of house that would be inadequate in
every respect for use as the abode OF an
American Ambassador.
system of short Leases.
| Owing to the existence of this system
o. short leases, merely for the London
season, far greater readiness is displayed
by people of " ealth and position TO rent
| their mansions to strangers than in this
| country. Thus Lord Wimborne, brother
in-law of the late Duke of Marlborough,
| is one of the wealthiest members of the
British peerSge, and Wimborne House
! in Arlington street is one of the statelest
! town residences of the English aristO-
cracy. Yet Lord and Lady Wimborne,
| foreseeing that the season will be dull,
and having the intention of spending but
| little time in town this summer, have
rented the house as ii stands, with furni-
! tuTe, silver, and everything complete, TO
| Mrs. Goelet, of New York, for $1,000 for
| the season. The same was paid for a sea-
/ sons rent for Spencer House TO the Earl
! of Spencer by Mrs. Marshall Roberts of
| New York, before she married Col. Ralph
| Vivian, and among other great English
/ mobiles of wealth who have leased their
| town mansians for the season to perfect
! strangers have been the Marquis o. Lans-
downe, now Secretary OF State for War,
! the Earl of Onslow, Lord Lonsdale, who
/ has an income to-day. probably of some
half a million dollars year, the Duke of
Abercorn, the Duke of Montrose, and
Lord Jersey.
The question will naturally suggest it.
| self as to what possible inducement
| sum of $1,000 for instance can offer 10 no.
blemen such as Lords Wimborne,
| Lonsdale, and Lansdowne, who pos
sess large incomes from their land
| ed property. In reply it must be
| pointed out that while the majority CT
| English nobiemen derive their revenues
/ from ancestral estates. the ownership OF
! land in the old world carries with il
! heavy financial responsibilities Of a moral
! rather than of legal character, and that
whereas an American citizen whose in
come amounts TO half a million dollars
will nave that entire sum AT his disposal
TO spend in the way that he sees fit, the
| English territorial magnate drawing the
| same revenues from his estates will not
be able to have the free and untrameled
use Of more than 5000 OF the entire
amount. the balance being swallowed up
/ b,- ol,a na of nd
! and another, the obligation to keep ances-
| trail charities and hereditary institutions,
&c. The result of this Is that when an
English peer is able to rent his town
house for the season for q few thousand
! dollars he is glad TO avail himself OF the
opportunity, since it enables him 70 add
| thereby u his pin money. II / may be
| permitted TO use the expression, that is 10
. say 10 that portion % his resources upon
| which there 4 no call, and which he IS
| free 10 spend as he lists. IL is almost in
| credible 70 what Inconvenience nomi-
nalIy very rich people in England will 90 In
| order to procure pocket money In this man
ner. Great lords and ladies think nothing
| OF letting their own town mansions for
| the season, and then leasing very much
| smaller furnished house for the same
| period. close by, delighted to pocket the
difference, even when the latter Is re-
stricted 20 a few hundred guiheas. and
! people have got so much in the habit OF
this that one finds prominent persOnages
In the English great world changing their
abode in town. not once, but several times
between New Year and CoUes week.
This being the case. il i difficult 10 IN
derstand why so much criticism should
be IeveIed by the English against the al
legged American fondHess FOR hotei l.fs.
vi ieh DESTROYS, 50 IL IL said. domegticily
and the family system. II appears to me
that the COMMUNICATIONS for
the-season Institution IL very much OF the
sane thing, ana every Dit a. bad.
Ambassador Choaie'. Ss~ home.
| Ambassador Choate will, therefore. be
compelled 10 take a furnished house in
town for the coming season. probably
. . or 9th nd al