The sun., 1908-04-05
diplomatic and Other Amenities.

Diplomatic and other Amenities.
In the conditions in which we find our
sslvcs Just now it is becoming that our
svariter in modo supeIscde our more
familiar joriiicr IN re- The well regu-
lated iortuity Of a Presidential year may
have many surprises yet in store for the
country, but il is safe to assume that
none Of them includes a serious disagree
nlcnt with our European brethren. The
absence Of our navy and the somewhat
vtgue prospect Of It's return have al
ready cngendercd a ccrten nervous
~cnsibility up and dow this coast which
will in time have is due effect upon the
public al large,
4 should result in convincing large
pa-t Of thr ppon,' that we need TO double
our naval strength os soon ~ it may be
possible to do 50, and perhaps a corre-
spondingly large part Of the people that
We need no navy at all. That very def
mite and momen,ous consequences will
cnsue from, our cOpricious and arbitrary
disposition Of our fleet is, We think, be-
yoNd dispute.
The Hll-TowCr episodc is closed and
never could have. reached proportions
If international consequence. IT is
chiefly interesting in that il serves to
fix needed attention upon our diplo-
matte service and It's political vicissi-
,udes. For some years it has distinctly
refrigerated from the high standard
which had previously been mconsciously
established. Freferments have been dis
tributed with little or no regard TO char
acter or personal distinction, but with a
very keen reference to and appreciation
uf political barter and advantage. Il
would be superfiuouS TO sdduce instance
or specification, because the fact is pat
cnt and no one disputes it.
The Emperor WILLIAM. whose indis-
cretiens are often admirable, has turned
wonderful light upon the curious
regard in which an American represen-
tive is held. No one can impugn his
sentiments of amity toward us; they are
absolutely genuine; and when he deplores
the departure OF his dear TOWER and
deprecates the advent Of that gentleman's
ascetic successor il must not,for a mo-
ment be understood to imply that the
one is too congenial an Ambassador to
be really useful to his own country or
that the other is inherently and specif-
cally persona inGrdtd. Nothing Of the
kind, The true inference is that the one
realizes the ideal which has lately bCen
formed Of a satisfactory American repre-
sentative and the other does not.
Mr.. TOWER, whom we hold in pro-
found esteem, has a large house in an
appropriate neighborhood; he has an
admirable cappelmeister in his pro-
pitious kitchen, properly capST!soned
retinue, and a fine proficiency in the art
of making sdroir piure 60 hand in hand
with sdpoir tdire. His roof covers neither
a dwelling nor a palace. Il is ar estab-
lishment; at once grateful and safe The
man who administers il knows his m6tier
il is to be agreeable; to reflect lustre
and ease Of mind upon the monarch to
whom he is accredited, and never to
intrude upon him an intellectual PROPOSE
ton OF a problem in ethics which is
any less candid than a pane Of glass
MIR. TOWER has plenty Of money and
he spends it without offence or efrontery
and with the same shrewd and COM
mendable judgment that he showed be
fore he was chosen to his place.
II the Emperor WILLIAM preferred that
TOWER should remain rather than that
HILL should come, who can blame him.
The transition from the man Of agree
able and tasteful prodigalities to the
scholar and recluse was markedly abrupt
and il we may credit one-half Of the
spiritual and intellectual endowment
now ascribed to Mr.. HILL by sympa'
thetic press, his virtues attain dimensions
that are almost repugnant. We can un-
derstand perfectly, but we refuse firmly
10 partake Of, the EmperOrs mood, Hi
indiscretion, which we trust he will nevel
recall, was in giving open utterance K
his natural sentiments and in having
them conveyed to his distinguished bu
uncertain Contemporary in Washington
Speech is the frailty Of kings. ShoulC
we be misunderstood, and even held Il
be Of defective breeding il we presumed
10 intimate that it we're better that th'
frank ruler Of Germany took leaf ou
Of the book Of his illustrious Uncle
There gre things innumerable which VI
know EDWARD VII. would Ike TO 50!
about Ambassadors and things Of lessee
degree, but which his royal obligation o
reticence will never permit him TO divulge
Much rather would he perish outside {
window at Whitehall