The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-19
MEN AND WOMEN WE READ ABOUT I

which has to fill 1t strive to send the best available man to watch and see what Uncle Sam is going to do next, but there will be rush of the men who are really worth while. for the chance at a watchman's job in Wash ington.
 The Diplomatic Corps Today.
 The Diplomatic Corps at Washington today, though by no means the strong est to be found at any capital, is a vast improvement in the Diplomatic Corps as it was at Washington when the city was still termed Diplomacy's Botany Bay"
 'Tn a way one of the most signifi- cant signs of the increased interest in and respect for Uncle Sam felt by Eu- ropean Governments is shown by the fact that while a few years ago only one foreign Government owned It's le- gation quarters in Washington several European Powers now own handsome embassies and legations there. They include Great Britain. China, France, Japan and Germany; Sweden and Nor way jointly own a diplomatic residence now\held in trust by Minister Grip, the ultimate ownership, of which must be arranged later, owing to the recent sep aration of the two Scandinavian na- tions.
 The United States owns only one le- gatfon abroad. It is at Pekin. and was bought because none could be rented. It cost $200,000. Our Ministers and Ambassadors to other countries than China have to rent and pay the rent themselves.
 It must be confessed that, owing to the death of Lord Pauncefote and the transference of Count Cassini, the Ams bassadors of Great Britain and Russia seem in some eyes not SO distinguished today as a short time ago.
 But Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, the present British Ambassador, and Baron Rosen, appointed Russian Ambassador in July though yet comparative strangers here, are both undoubtedly men of ability, character and high standing at home.
 The four immediate predecessors of Ambassador Durand were men of very dissimilar character. Old timers re- member Sir Richard Thornton, who preceded Sackville- West. as a typical old school Englishman, stiff as a poker with smoothly shaven face, save for little snow-white sideboards just in front of the ears.
 He was never seen without his top hat, rain or shine, and he wore his Iong frock coat on every occasion, when visible in the daytime, except at those formal functions when he made himself splendid in court dress. He walked with a stoop and it was the general opinion of the washington of his day~that he had small use for most Americans, though he had his per- sonal friends among the Yankees for all that.
 Lord Pauncefote, who was sent to Washington after Sackville's recall. was the best liked British diplomat in Washington for many a long year. He got along the better, perhaps, be- cause of the awful mess into which Sackville had allowed himself to be | drawn. Pauncefote never got into bad odor with the Americans, though he did | once draw a lot of British criticism by allowing himself to talk about some | developments in the fisheries dispute, then an acute question between Great | Britain and America, in a way that the home press thought undignified. l Curiously enough, it was not what he said that kicked up the row; his | words were simply explanatory, con- veying no hint of opinion. But he | talked to a correspondent in a street | car. and this circumstance leaked out; | wherefore one of the stiffest of the London papers expressed it's opinion of a British diplomatic representative who would go about the Yankee capi- tai in any conveyance except private | carriage by saying:
 i If he must go about in tram cars. we suggest that he mind his business and the business of his country by | saying nothing"
 This cut up Lord Pauncefote pretty | badly and he was, of course, more care full how he talked in tram ears' after