Arizona republican., 1905-05-31
A Costly Luxury.

A Costly Luxury.
 Whitelaw Reid will be presented to King Edward within few years, as the new American ambassador to the court of St. James, and the change in our most coveted embassy is directing attention once more to the heavy financial sacrifice which attaches 10 the job. Any ssadorship-except, possibly. the appointment to Mexico is a costly luxury for an American, but the London post is the most ex- pensive of all. Fortunatelv Mr. Reid is a very rich man. His salary is $l7.5OO a year, which seems generous enough until the facts are known.
 It is alread.' announced that Mir. Reid has rented an official residence at a cost of $45.0O0 a year. which he must pay himself. To live up to the standard of such house he must nec- essarily spend considerable money. His house rent alone amounts to S27,- 500 a year more than his total salary, and assuming that he will maintain his household on a proper scale of magnificence the Washington Star calculates that in four years MT. Reid will have expended not less than $500. 900 more than he receives from the government.
 And this is not all of it. Sidney Brooks in the London Mail asks: ''why are we so brutal to the Amerl- can ambassador" and proceeds to enumerate some of the things that are done to him.
 We never really give the poor man a moments rest. We might almost be accused of trying to kill him with kindness. Even before he lands on English soil he is bounced upon by the mayor and corporation of South ampton, an address of welcome fired at him on shiDboard, and a speech extorted in reply. And that is but a foretaste of what is to come. .. No sooner has he presented his ere dentials than the bombardment be- gins. I must admit it is most wig orously replied to. England and the American ambassador set to forthwith
  most Chambers of commerce swoop down upon him and bear him off in triumph as their guest of honor. The Omar Khayyam club points an invita- tion at his head. demanding uncondi- tional surrender. The Dante society insists on his escortins its members through the internal regions. The VIT1 ciety, the Boz club, the Sir Walter Scott club-all press their claims. The Birmingham and Midland insti- tute insidiously elects him as its an nual president, and exacts by way of tribute an address on Benjamin ical institution bestows the same hon. or for the price of a paper on Abra- ham Lincoln.
 And so it goes on. The big public | schools, knowing that he is an Ameri- can. and therefore wrapped up in ed ucation, play upon his weakness and lure him him into distributing their | prizes. Political leagues expect him to tell them all about the United | States supreme court. The historic | city companies never once let go of | him. He is a standing feature on the | toast-list of the Guildhall banquet ! Charitable and philanthropic societies | pursue him relentlessIy. Working l mems institutes, trading on his demo- | cratic sympathies, bid for an evenings | loan of his presence and voice. Libra ries refuse to be opened except by him. He IS the obvious man to un- veil a bust or a portrait. The or ganizers of a dinner in honor of a fa- nous English cartoonist turn to the American embassy for the orator of the occasion"
 No other ambassador is similarly treated says the writer, who concludes by charging the blame to America for : sending such charming, cultivated, broad d-gauged men,"
 But manifestly the ambassador must be something besides charming, cultivated" etc. He must have a fair ly fat bank account or a good credit, and man in moderate financial cir cumstances are thus eliminated from the list of eligibles when a vacancy exists at the court of St. James
 
 Return the Mexican Flags.