The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-06
FAREWELL TO CHOATE
DINNER TO RETIRING AMERICAN
 AMBASSADOR.
FeIicitiOus Speeches Characterize the Occasion Wherein He Says Good bye to the Court of St.
 Jamea.

London, May 5.-"Certainly the
 crowning hour of my life Is this fare
 well benefit to the English stage" So Joseph Choate characterized the | farewell dinner al the Mansion House tonight at which undoubtedly was the
 most remarkable gathering of notables l ever assembled at the historic residence
 of the Lord Mayor of London. In the
 words of Sir Henry Campbell Banner | mann: Tt would be impossible to | collect a more representative gather | ing All parties, classes, professions and opinions from the great Metropolis, represented by the Lord Mayor him self, to the government, represented by Arthur J. Balfour and the Marquis of | Lansdowne. together with few of the American community were there. The Archbishop of Canterbury pronounced the grace The Lord Mayor. a white | bearded, picturesque figure in his rich costume rose and toasted the King and Queen. Sir Henry Campbell Banner man proposed The President" teulogiz-
 ing him as "A genuine, typical char acter, characteristic of America, a firm friend of peace though perhaps not of a quiescent disposition.'
 Premier Balfour in toasting MT. Choate said:
 No greater honor could have been
 given me than to have proposed this
 toast" He congratulated the Lord Mayor on being the host of Great
 Britain on this memorable occasion. MT. Choate he said, had been with
 Britons in days of mourning and of rejoicing, of disaster and of victory, not only as the representative of great state, but ever ready to take his part in any phase of British public life not connected with politics and had ever played his part with distinction. He hoped MT. Choate would carry away with him much more than merely diplomatic ideas
 MT. Balfour dilated on the good re- lations between the two countries and the sentiment of amity which survived always despite the mistakes of official leaders. In conclusion MT. Balfour said that their farewell to MT. Choate was not formal and official, but came from their hearts.
 On rising, MT. Choate was greeted with rounds of applause. He spoke at considerable length and with much feeling. He said that he was home- sick and glad to be returning to his native land, where old friends were diminishing as fast as new ones were making here. If he remained much longer, he said, he would have a worse disease than homesickness, namely, anglomania. An American here had once wisely said that he would not trust an ambassador in England more than four years, because the British would spoil him. Altogether too much credit has been attributed to me-" Mir. Choate said, flor the happy and de- Iightful relations now existing between the two countries. If I have con- tributed to maintain what I found on taking up my post the last six years will be the proudest of my life But the real reason for the happy state of affairs between the countries does nor belong to any Ambassador, but the two men responsible for their relations arc Lord Lansdowne and MT. Hay, I have never been called in the presence ot the King or his illustrious consort with out finding also full friendship for the country I represent. The Kings in- stincts for peace are unerring and his genius for conciliation perfect as he has shown the world In recent weeks
 Before concluding, MT. Choate paid tribute to Whitelaw Reid, his sue cessor as Ambassador at the Court of St. James, and read from his recent speech in New York as a worthy in- troduction of the new Ambassador. He said the British people would find that his successor and old friend had been a lifelong advocate of friendly rela- tions between Great Britain and the United States.