Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-05

bassadOr Meyer occupied the Kleinmichel
Palace. while his predecessor, Mr.. McCor-
mick. lived in the Won Berve Palace. For
his lordly London mansion, rented from
the kings equerry. Mr.. Reid pays 1924, coo a
year, or $500 more than his salary. Gen.
Porter, who recently retired from our Paris
embassy, occupied a vertable palace which,
by special electric installation, the bril-
l1anty illuminated within and without when
he gave entertainments. During some of
his notable functions the famous band Of
the Republican Guard played in the great
hallway Of his palace and when his daugh-
ter was married he engaged Bessie Abbott
and other celebrities of the Paris opera to
sing In the choir. The French government
on this occasion presented the bride with
magnificent set OF Sevres ware made at the
government potteries. Since Mr.. McCor-
mick of Chicago has been ambassador to
the same capital he has made an equally
brilliant showing in his palace, located al
most on the banks Of the Seine. =
Tower Spends $500, 900 a Year.
But the ambassador who has spent his
money most lavishly for the glory Of
America is Charlemagne Tower, now repre-
senting US at Berlin. His fortune, made
by his father in Pennsylvania anthracite
is said to be s10.OOO.OOO, and it is alleged
that he gives Mrs Tower an allowance of
100000 a year just ito keep Americas end
up While representing US in Vienna he
occupied the palace OF grand duke and
at one of his dinners there he laid plates
for 200 guests. In st. Petersburg, where he
was ambassador for time, his wealth
dazzled the Russian court, where he ap-
peared In cooked hat, court sword and gold
embroidered court uniform. This outfit, re-
quired by the court chamberlain, was re-
produced by Mr.. Mccormick his successor
the State Department permitting them both
to wear it, just as 1t allowed Mr.. Breckin-
ridge, Mr.. Cleveland's ambassador, to ap-
pear at the cars coronation in a court cos
tune, including knickerbockers. At Berlin
Mr.. Tower has kept up the same place in
the famous granite Prngheim Palace, the
first American embassy at which the kaiser
Is said to have ever dined, and for which
Mr. Tower pays $4,000 per year 1t is said
that at recent court ball Mrs. Tower wore
a gown covered with gold spangles costing
$3.50 per spangle, and lined at the neck
with golden bees with ruby eyes. 1t is said
that on THIS occasion even the empress felt
at the right of the throne, a dais in the
ball room .r
It Pays Uncle Sam.
This lavish expenditure by our ambassa-
doris in Europe has been criticised by poll
tcians, but almost always In an il-dis-
guised spirit Of demagogy. But to the
State Department, despite the party in
power, the proposition has been one of
hard and cold business enterprise, and the
same as that inspiring any great corpora
ton TO send its agents out upon the road
and instruct them to live at the best hot els
wear the best of clothes and chum with the
elite Of the land. But these corporations
guarantee all expenses, while Uncle Sam
only pays small fraction. While the fig
ure cut by the deposed Storers did not re-
vert to the credit of Uncle Sam, every
cent that such men Mr.. Reid and Mr.
Tower are spending in Europe is bread
cast upon the waters. 1t will drift back to
Uncle Sam, some day, across the Great
Pond. IF a foreign envoy succeed in
averting, just for half day, a serious war
hot ri
the expense saved would be enough to sup,
port the entire embassy of the United
States in splendid style for hundred
years said former Ambassador Andrew D.
White 1t. was realized that we lost the
Boring sea controversy at ST. Petersburg
because Great Britains social prestige at
that capital eclpsed that of our poorly
paid and poorly housed minister of that
time We then lost enough to buy a palace
for every ambassador and minister in our
service and to pay the salaries for a cen
fury.
Embassy Just Bought.
A bill to provide a suitable official resi-
dence, rent free. for each of our ambassa-
doris and ministers Is pending before Com
gress. 1t authorizes Secretary Root to
spend s.. 100000 in proper sites and build,
ings. No man of however great learning,
experience ability can rerresent this
country abroad unless he be a man of great
wealth., states the favorable report of the
House committee on foreign affairs. Our
new ambassador to Paris Mr. Lloyd Girls
com, with his bare salary of $17,5O0 will
have to cope with the British ambassador
there with salary of $4,000, the Russian
ambassador with $4,000, the German am
bassador with $4,000 and so on, all of
them provided with palaces, rent free. Mr.
Griscom. happening to be. the son OF the
millionaire shipping magnate Clement A.
Griscom, can more than afford to make up
all deficiencies from his private purse. But
Mr.. Riddle. just elevated from secretary of
the embassy at St. Petersburg to ambassa-
dor to the czar, is not a millionaire, and
how he is going to cope there with Brtain's
ambassador salaried at 500, 600 Germany's
ambassador with $37 800 and Frances am
bassador with $40,00O-all having free use
of paatial residences-it is difficult to see
Mr.. Riddle. however, is bachelor and will
have no bills from the milliner- or modesto
His promotion is based strictly upon merit
He will be the first American representa-
tive at st. Petersburg with knowledge of
the Russian language, a certificate of pro-
fciency in which he holds from the College
of France He is our first ambassador to
any court who can boast of institutional
training In international law and diplo-
macy, which he received from the School
of Political Sciences. Paris. But his brains
will not pay the butcher the baker and