The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-04-14

highly pleased. according to confiden-
tial reports here, with the Griscon,s as
rich and elegant Americans, who would
adorn the social set at Berlin, it will
probably be long while before they
get a promotion to a more desirable
post than that at Rome.
1t has long been urged that arrange
ments be made whereby some others
than rich Americans be sent to repre-
sent the United States at European
capitals. One step toward this would
be the purchase of embassies at Lon
don, Paris, Berlin, Rome, and st. Pc
tersburg for the residences of our am
bassadors. That would eliminate
large item of expense and bring the
offices nearer within the reach of per-
sons of moderate means. The salary
of 81, 500 year for an ambassador may
look munifcent and yet it does not
suffice to pay the rent for a suitable
house in any of the cities mentioned
The Hills are rich people, but not in
the same class of rich with American
ambassadors now at European capitals.
Furthermore they are in no sense in
the class of idle rich, both DR.. Hill and
his wife being interested in many ac-
tivities. President Roosevelt had ii in
mind as wholesome precedent to pro-
mote a man of this kind who had
proven a good official in lesser places,
to one of the best places within his
gift. He did not want to be baked
in that purpose and apparently the
German Emperor is unwilling that he
should be, now understanding the cir
cumstances.
The incident, whether DR.. Hill gets
the German enthusiastically or not, f.
likely to discourage the scheming which
socially ambitious families lend them
selves to in every presidential cam
paign to land a fine ambassadOrship by
large political contributions. For once
public sentiment is aroused so that the
ultra rich will not be allowed to buy
an ambassadorship virtually, there will
be no disposition to make campaign
contributions with that end in view,
Under the reorganization of the con-
sular and diplomatic service, which
President Roosevelt has brought about
to a considerable extent, there are
number Ct capa bic and We'll trained
men, who are entirely ft for promotions
to the big posts and there is no longer
excuse for going outside the diplomatic
service for good talent II may be
y
post of ambassador and minister from
the ranks of eminent citizens but none
the less the President would like to
fill most of those places by promotion.
The foreign ambassadors to Washing
ton do not live in such magnificent
state as do our rich ambassadors
abroad. Their governments furnish en-
bassies here, which are permanently
owned. AT present the English and
French ambassadors, Mr.. Bryce and M.
Jusserand respectively, are by no
means men of great wealth but both
are well known as men of literary at
tainments. Probably there is not
among all the representa-
tves of European governments now in
The American ambassadors in Eu-
rope, of late years, have been rivaling
kings and emperors in the magnifi-
cence of their private establishments
and social entertainments. London is
said never to have seen such entertain
ments as Ambassador Whitelaw Reid
gives. Mr. Tower, the ambassador at
Berlin. as already indicated, is a multi
Henry White, the ambas-
sador at Paris, is also very rich but he
is also a capa bic man who served long
at London and was promoted for his
So many rich Americans
have been sent over to Europe. how
ever, that the foreign courts have come
to expect that sort of a thing and to
like it. as seems to have been the case
with Emperor William.
ERNEST G.. WALKER.