Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-01-28
Won H0LLEBEN'S CASE
German Ambassadors Recall
Explained by a Diplomat.
NO REFLECTION UPON HIS WORK.

When the Idea of Change Appears
to Have Occurred to the Kaiser-Old
Time Personal Friendship Between
the President and Baron Speck Won
Sternburg.
Most of the gossip started to account
for Ambassador Won Helleben's recall
has been idle ON Its face. The explana-
ton given to the Washington corre-
spondent of the New York Evening
Post by one of the highest authorities
In the diplomatic circle in Washington
is not a reflection upon Won Holleben
for anything he has done or left un-
done, but the fact that Baron Speck
Won Sternburg is more the man for an
emergency which the kaiser believes
he sees confronting Germany. In 9TH
er words, the new ambassador was Sc
lected before the decision was reached
as to when the old ambassador should
retire, and DR.. Won Holleben's illness
and request for an indefinite leave of
absence furnished simply an opportu-
nifty which would have been sought If
it had not presented itself.
The idea of making this substitution
appears to have occurred to the Ger
man emperor not long after the desig-
nation of Sir Michael Herbert to sue
ceed Lord Pauncefote and to have
been suggested by that During Mr..
Roosevelts life in Washington before
becoming president he formed very
streng personal attachment for two or
three of the younger men in the diplo-
matte corps, Chief Michael being the
chief member Of this group. Another
was Speck Won Sternburg. Both friends
drifted away for time, but the ap-
pointment of Sir Michael to the en-
bassy was so obviously dictated by his
own desire, the British governments
recognition of the personal phases Of
the case and the knowledge, of which
no secret was made here, that it would
be a pleasure to the president to well
come his old companion back, that the
kaiser in his impulsive way decided
that he must make a quick move to
checkmate England. Won Holleben
was agreeable to the president, but not
intimate with him; Sternburg, as the
kaiser discovered, was both. This set
tied the matter, and plans for the
change were laid without delay. The
Venezuelan affair had been carried
through to point where whoever rep
resented Germany on the commission
was liable to be caught here for a rath-
er long session. Won Holleben's health
was not of the best. His retirement
under these conditions, it was assumed,
would not excite much wonder, and his
successor would start fresh with the
Venezuelan arbitration at it's begin
ming.
Baron Speck Won Sternburg was not
only one of President Roosevelt's COM
panions in out of door tramps and
sports in the old days, but when the
Spanish war broke out Mr.. Roosevelt
found his counsel and assistance inval-
liable in starting his own military ca
reer. The baron had been soldier at
home and was able to assist most eff
fectively in the preliminary training Of
the rough rider who was later to be-
come both military and civil chief of
the nation.
OF course 1t stands to reason no such
relations can exist between president
of the United States and any foreign
ambassador as often do between an
old world sovereign and the personal
representative of one of his royal
cousins" A president can have no ia
vorites among either nations or diplo-
matists. He can do no good turns"
and no foreign representative fit for
the duties of diplomacy would think Of
asking him for one, but public men
have their human as well as their Off
cial sides, and conditions are liable to
arise in which the interests of all par
ties are better served by having the
ruler of a nation and diplomatic guest
on terms which will enable them to
speak plainly to each other as man to
man without the danger of being mis-
understood and on this basis reach
conclusions which can later be reflected
in the set phrases Of formal corre-
spondence.