The sun., 1906-12-31
WHY DURAND WAS RECALLHD.
England Theught Germany was Gctting
Ahead % Her. -

England Thought Germany was 6csum9
Ahead ef Her.
wAsHrNoroN. Dec. O.-Now that Sir
Mortimer Durand, the retiring British
Ambassador, is well on his way home, his
friends hero show q little less reluctance
In discussing the recall OF this influential
diplomat, whose departure has left larger
xap In the Official and social life OF wash
ington than perhaps any other foreigner
ever sent here as the representative OF q
nation. Most people here who are ac-
uuainted with the Ambassador and with his
standing and accomplishments In the line
of duty believe that the Government &C
London has treated him most unfairly In
taking him out Of the diplomatic service
entirely. =.
The greatest harm the Government did!
in the opinion Of many, and especially
of his diplomatio friends, who are perhaps
better able than any one elee to realize
the true painfulness Of his position, was
to create such a situation that the Am
bassador was forced TO remain in Washing
ton for two months after the fact OF his
recall had become known. This gave his
enemies and rivals an admirable oppor-
tunity to make things uncomfortable
Generally when a diplomat is relieved OF
his mission he does not tarTy long at MS
post but is taken away very soon aiter
bis Government arrives at the point OF
informing the Government to whicn ne
Ia accredited that there will be change.
The most recent case Of the sort In Wash
ington was that Of Mr.. Grip, the Swedish
Minister. There was an announcemens
from Stockholm one day that Mr.. Grip
had been called home. A day or so later
the Minister informed the State Departments
and left Washington very soon thereafter.
Despite the statement made by the British
FOREIGN Once in November, when the fact
of the retirement Of Sir Mortimer became
public. TO the effect that his departure
from Washington was due to his own
urgent request his friends do not
think that this was the case at all. They
believe that the British Government felt
that Sir Mortimer was not making progress
here. This feeling can scarcely find sub
stantiation in Washington, although 1t u
freely said that the President does not
like Sir Mortimer and the officials who
know have never ventured to discourage
such statements.
The relations between the President and
| Baron Won Sternburg, the German Am
| bassador and M. Jusserand, the French
| Ambassador, became well known In England
and caused perturbation in the London
| Foreign Once. Perhaps the fact that tho
French Ambassador played tennis at the
White House did not cause so much worry
| as the oircumstantial story which went
| ali through Europe last spring that tho
| President addressed the German Am-
bsssador as "SpeclS.' This important fact
| produced an effect In Germany as well as
elsewhere, and the German papers ex-
pressed their disapproval that President
| Roosevelt should address the kaiser's
| personal representative in such familiar
terms. But the German Foreign Once
was doubtless well pleased, and anything
that would cause qualification to Berlin
| would cause dissatisfaction to Just as great
| an extent in London.
| Another thing which undoubtedly caused
agitation to Great Britain and Nh Tnion con. on
recall of the Ambassador was misquoted
| speech made by President Roosevelt TO a
| gathering Of German war veterans at the
White House last April. The President
on that occasion eulogized the Germans
| and paid fatterng tribute to the Kaiser
! Toward the end Of his remarks he was
quoted in the British press as saying:
The ties which unite Germany and the
United States are many and close, and
| il must be the prime object Of our states
manship to knit the two nations closer TO-
| gether.'
AS a matter Of fact, the President said that
| IL must -be prime object" to bring the two
article ~the' for "a" before the word prime"
meant much. 1t appeared to be a declara-
| ton that the policy of the United States
was to cultivate the friendship Of Germany
| regardless Of other nations. The statesmen
in 6ondon could very we'll be apprehensive
| II the President had declared that the most
| important duty Of American stateemanship
| was to get closer TO Germany.
Lady Susan Townley 8 enmity to the Du-
| rands was well known, and those who know
| ha mott a MT nj
| to England Lady Susan carried on the same
sort Of propaganda against Sir Mortimer
| and his family as she did in Washington.
| This idle chatter ordinarily would have no
| effect with a Government, but IL fell upon
| have said would tend to confirm opinions
formulated previously that Baron Won
| Sternburg and his horseback riding with the
President and M Jusserand with his tennis
! racket were getting ahead OF the British
Ambassador in the race for American friend-
| ship and favor. Then there was a political
| end to be considered. Sir Mortimer was sent
here by Lord Lansdowne and a Conserv-
! alive Government. The Liberals are now
| in control and had no particular interest In
Sir Mortimer, as had the previous Govern
ment.
All these things contributed to the decision
that there should be a change. Sir Nor
timer went to England last spring, and when
! there learned that his Government intended
| be done, however, was not known until
| November, when through the Ambassador
the British Government informed the State
| arfK anf ~