Arizona republican., 1899-07-22
FOREIGN NOTES
AND COMMENT


, in the Russian capital without being
able to find suitable residence, would
< furnish another interesting chapter Il
4 the volume that could be written en-
4 titled Ambassadors Without Embas-
Z sizes" 1t is but 4 short time ago that
Ambassador Cho8te in London was
hunting high and low from one end OF
. the metropolis to the other for an
, abode appropriate, not only to his
rank. but above all to the prestige and
, dignity of the great country which he
represents, and was sent about from
. pillar to post before finally securing a
furnished house adorned with English.
instead of American emblems, at every
; point, and for which he was obliged to
pay a rent amounting to more than
two-thirds OF his salary as ambassador.
Even SO, he was more fortunate than
Am baSsador Tower at St Petersburg.
For the only mansion suitable in any
way for a United States embassy, and
Offering the necessary accommoda-
lions to the representative of this
country at the court of the car, could
I not be secured for a rental of less than
$4,000 q year, which is $4,000 more
than the full amount of the amEassa-
doris salary. Naturally. under the
circumstances, Mr.. Tower did not see
his way TO make so heavy a pecuni-
airy sacrifice, and consequently still
remains at an hotel. where he occupies
a few rooms, while his family have
taken up their abode at Dresden until
he is able to prepare a home for them
on the banks of the Neva
1t is hardly necessary 10 point out
/ that owing to this condition of affairs
the American ambassador and wife
have not yet had the opportunity or
| 2 hat
ersburg society, the customary recep-
tions which should have been held al
most Immediately after the presenta-
ton OF the credentials to the car. be-
I ing delayed until the United States
| ambassador can receive his guests be-
meath his own roof
If the United States government is
reluctant 10 follow the example of
most other great powers, and pur-
chase mansions or palaces for the use
of their embassies, and above which
the American flag would fly perma-
nently, indicating that the territory
over which it waved was indeed Unit
ed States soil, it might al any rate
lease suitable mansions for its ambas-
sailors, instead of asking the later to
defray the rent out of their totally in
adequate salaries. At Vienna. for in
stance, the French government has as
far back as l can remember leased the
magnificent Schwartzenburg palace for
the use of its embassy. The furniture
and even the very plate are provided
by the French government, and the
ambassadors salary is in no way az
fected or locked by the government in
connection with these expenses.
The untraveled people of the old
world judge by external appearances
How is it possible to make them be- !
lieve that the United States, which |
houses its repreSe ntatives in a few |
d1ngy rooms of the upper floor of q ho- |
tel, is as important a great power as |
Great Britain, France. Germany, or |
Austria, whose ambassadors occupy |
magnificent palaces. and are surround |
ed by pomp and grandeur equal to |
that of the proUdest mobiles of the |
land? It would shock people in this |
country were the president of the |
United STATES to make his home in a |
small suite of rooms at the Arlington !
or in some boarding house. 1t shocks
people abroad quite as much to see the
ambassadors of the United States thus
housed. Ambassadors are even worse
than useless without a suitable en-
bassy, for they are naturally debarred |
from fulfilling in an adequate manner
all that social part of their diplomatic
mission, which is one of its most i'm
portant features.
The stories now circulated in the
European press concerning the alleged
project of a marriage between Princess
Clementine of Belgium and Prince
Ferdinand of Bulgaria, who lost his
Vile about year ago, should be re-
ceived with the utmost reserve This
match is in the last degree improbable,
and those responsible for the story
evidently lose sight of the fact that,
whereas Princess Clementine is a sis
ter of the unfortunate Princess Philip
of Coburg who has been driven by her
husbands drunken. dissolute. and
brutal bits into elopement.public dis
grace and an insane asylum, Prince
Ferdinand, on the other hand, is
brother of Prince Philip of Coburg.
Moreover Prince Ferdinand has
throughout the domestic troubles of
Prince Philip sided so strongly with
his brother against King Leopold, that
there is not the slightest prospect of
the latter cOnsenting to give his favor
lite child in marriage to a brother of
the man responsible for the ruin and
disgrace of his eldest daughter.
Although the French government
provides palatial abodes, all fully fur
nished and equipped with servants, for
the use of its cabinet ministers, yet
the pay which they receive is in no
way proportionate to this appearance
of sp1endor, and the financial attrac-
tions of cabinet Office in France are
very small The salary of a cabinet
minister is exactly S12 900 a year, pay
able monthly. They get no extra al
lowances, and, contrary to general
supposition, receive no pension. So
chary is the treasury about the pay
ment of the salaries that if the cabinet
falls in the middle of a month the
ministers receive their pay only for
that fraction of the month, and not for
the entire thirty days.
For some strange reason senators
when appointed cabinet ministers are
In nj