The San Francisco call., 1906-09-08
Late Chief Clerk of the
American Embassy
Wonderful Man.

. LONDON. Sept. Although he was
born an Englishman and remained an
Englishman all his life, the United
States had no more faithful servant
70 than Charles Hodson, chief clerk of the
American embassy here for the last
thirty years who died the other day
after a brief illness. ambassadors
came and ambassadors went, bit Hod-
son remained. He was the inolspen-
sable man, the man who knew the
ropes. the man who was needed to act
as pilot to each successive repres enta-
tive Of America at the court of st.
James. Eight OF them he thus served,
70 wit; John Welch, James Russell
Lowell. 2. J. Phelps, Robert 7. Lin
celn. Thomas F. Bayard. John Hay,
Joseph H ChOate and WhitelaW Reid.
There was more truth than jest in
the sobriquet bestowed upon him by
many English Journalists, ~the En-
bassador's Embassador." He won the
regard and esteem OF all his chiefs.
There could be no better tribute 10 his
character than the fact that the most
distinguished man of them all in some
respects, James Russell LOwellf was
until the day OF his death one of his
warmest friends Among Hodson's
most highly prized treasures were
many personal letters from Lowell
ADMIRER OF LOWELL.
once. when requesting Hodson to
Q procure for him some tins of his
favorite brand Of tobacco, Lowell wrote
that II they did not come in time
ghost shall haunt you Gay and night,
BHt whose disembo6ied bowl
Shall make pale your very soul,
Piping. Who left this unlit, soundly he shall
In another letter Lowell said that in
his passage across the pond" he had
met icebergs which were perfectly
civil though somewhat cold and dis
tant," and, again, that ''in order TO
post this letter I have trudged through
o snow in order TO keep up the delusion
of youth" Another characteristic re-
mark Of Loweips, which Hodson used
10 quote with great glee. was: I am
trying TO be philosophic over an at
tack of gout-"
He was 64 years old at the time of
his death, white-bearded and frosty
haired in his later years, and his pa
triarchal appearance, added TO the good
nature that beamed from his ruddy
face, made him the chosen father
confessOr Of hundreds of Americans
= who found themselves in trouble in
London. To their tales of woe he al
ways listened with sympathetic inter-
est and at least they could always de-
pend on getting from him the best of
advice. if he could do nothing more
for them. His geniality and unfailing
Erbanity made him a great favorite
with journalists and correspondents
who had recourse to the embassy for
news. But no man was more discreet
where state secrets were concerned.
he never gave himself away"
EXPERT on ExTRADITIoN.
His speciality was extradition mat
ters. He had the law in such cases
at his finger tips and never required
the services of a solicitor in their
preparation His memory Of prece-
dents too, was the envy of the British
Foreign Office. Americans fleeing
from justice frequently seek an asylum
In England, and hence. armed with an
extradition warrant. Hodson had often
10 appear in the London police courts
on behalf of the embassy. The magis-
trates had acquired by experience a
most wholesome respect for his
knowledge Of extradition law. With
them il was generally. What Hodson
says goes" though they didn't put il
that way. And when he had won his
case as he invariably did. his treat
ment of the fugitive was so unfailingly
kind that the latter never bore him
any grudge for sending him back to
America
Thrice he visited the United States
on behalf Of American citizens. Few
Englishmen," said an English journal
have more hOnorabiy served q for
eign power" One of his last official
acts was to hurry down to Salisbury
on that memorable 1st Of July and tend
10 the Americans who had been Sc
verely injured in the boat train wreck
At his funeral the floral tributes sent
by both English and American friends
nearly filled the reception room at the
embassy.
For the last twenty years his son
Francis Hocson, has been his assist
ant at the embassy. 1t is hoped here
that he viii succeed TO the VACANCY
caused by his fathers death. No bet
ter selection could be made for the