Evening star., 1907-05-24
GRIsCoM APPOINTMENT
MUCH SURPRISE IN DIPLOMATIC
CIRCLES IN EUROPE.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
BERLIN. May N.-The appointment Of
Lloyd Griscom to the post Of American am
bassador to the Italian court has caused not
little astonishment in diplomatic circles
throughout Europe. The reason for this is
the extreme youth of the new excellency.
Mr.. Griscom is just thirty-nve years of age
and in all probability he is the youngest
ambassador for whom letters Of credence
have ever been made out-that is to say, g
resident ambassador. ENJOYS have fire.
Quently been sent on special missions with
ambassadorial rank. but these were gener-
ally Of temporary nature such as being
bearer Of some high decoration or bearer OF
proposal for royal marriage. But in
the matter Of a permanent ambassador the
case is probably unique.
Not even in the German diplomatic serv-
ice which since the kaiser came to the
throne has been rejuvenated from top to
bottom, can be found examples even of q
minister plenipotentiary of that youthful
age. At the same time In contrast to the
diplomatic services Of other countries, q
single German ambassador cannot be found
who has reached the age Of seventy years.
The Nestor Of the Germans is Herr Won
Radowitz, the ambassador to the Spanish
court who is sixty-eight years of age. But
Herr Won Radowitz is one Of the youngest
men for his years known to the European
courts. When he was the accredited repre-
sentative at Constantfnople he was the
youngest man accredited to the sultan's
court
Next to him comes Prince Radolin. the
ambassador in Paris. He is, however, a
great contrast to his colleague in Madrid,
as he shows very plainly the weight Of his
years. It is quite generally believed that
during the recent Morocco crisis he did not
rise to the importance Of the occasion: he
M nn &AN fNrn f,,I
Count Wedel. the German ambassador in
Vienna, and Baron Marschall Won Bieber-
stein, the ambassador accredited to the sui
tan. are both sixty-five years Of age. Baron
Wedel comes of a family which has held
high Office in the state for generations. One
OF his brothers was minister Of the royal
household and as such was minister of the
horse. To be minister of the royal house,
hold, by the way, Is no sinecure under Will
liam II.-On him fall all the arrangements
for the imperial journeys and the organizing
OF the program of court festivities. It is
true that the details Of the latter functions
are worked out by the marshal Of the
court, but the question of what they are to
cost is the most difficult part of the min
ister's duties. The kaiser is an excellent
hand at spending money and It takes all of
the minister of the households tact and
firmness to keep things in order Count
Wedel Is therefore a power in the state and
his appointment to the Vienna embassy was
proof Of the fact.
Most Experienced Diplomat.
Baron Marschall Won Bieberstein is per-
haps the most experienced diplomatist in
the German service. He was for many
years secretary Of state for foreign affairs.
He finally became the victim of the in
trigues Of Her Won Hollstein and Baron Won
Kiderlem-W -Waohter. his subordinates in the
Wilhelmstrasse. who employed commits
sary Of the secret political police named
Tausch to make such reports concerning
him to the other ministers as to make them
think that Herr Won Marschail was in
triguing against them. In this he was aided
by secondhand journalist named Baron
Won Lutzow and the mysterious Norman
Schumann, an International police spy who
has now take refuge in Switzerland. Baron
Marsohall cut the web of intrigue by hav-
ing Lutzow arrested and at the trial the
whole conspiracy was shown up. Baron
Marschall, however, was as result on
such terms that his position in Berlin was
no longer tenable and the kaiser sent him
to Constantinople, an ambassadorial post
which requires more tact and skill than any
other in Europe.
Then comes Herr Won Schoen, the German
ambassador to st. Petersburg. who counts
ffty-six summers. He was for many years
the prime minister's right-hand man in the
Paris embassy. He was certainly more
popular in the French capital than any
German dipfomatist has been since the war
Of 1870. To this his wife, ia belle Madame
de Schoen," not a little contributed She
was probably the handsomest woman in the