Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-19
PAY OF DIPLOMATS
Why Increase Has Been With
held by Congress.
ALIEN ENJOYS SPENDINGS
Get Along in Washington on Com
paratively Small Compensation.
EMBASSIES MAY BE BUILT
Would Reduce Expenses and Permit
Representatives of United States
to Live on Salaries.

|
The question of increase In compehsd-
| ton for our diplomatic representatives
has become yearly more insistent. Two
| influential politicians now in Washington
declare the subject may and may not oe
taken up at the next Congress
In other words. if Mr.. Taft is elected
| salaries may be increased, or bill be IN
| troduced to that effect. and particularly
| to purchase embassy quarters, as proVloeo
| for by Senator Lodges bill. NhlIe IL
MIR. Bryan goes through-then the salary
question will not be considered, even
| through the far end of the democratic
| telescope.
| Question: How far is the present Amer
lean diplomatic service in Europe restrict
ed to men of wealth? How does it COM
pare with past American representation
abroad, or the condition of foreign dlplo-
mats at Washington?
1t is stated that no ambassador could
| live in Berlin or Paris or London upon his
salary without shaming the nation. ana
| that the imperative additional private in
come of the officeholder must needs leave
out a man of moderate means.
Views of Congress.
Confidential information from the Cap
itol however, tells a different story. Sena
tors who form the foreign relations COM
mittee have decided views of their own on
the subject The State Department. under
suggestion of President Roosevelt, who
seemed to know that there was little hope
| for higher pay, formulated arrangements
| requiring the purchase of embassy build
/ ings, and sums not exceeding S'Oo,ooo
were asked for to cover the expense IN
| each case. 1t is explained that with free
| quarters the ambassadors would save
! quite an item from their yearly eXpendl-
| ture. But the request for the approprla-
tions was ignored All of the Presidents
| influence will be directed toward their
| acceptance next winter.
| America now has ten embassies abroad,
| in the following scale of Importance: Lon
don, Paris. Berlin, Rome. Vienna, ST
Petersburg, Mexico. Toxic, Rio de Janelro
800. OF the ten embassies, only the hrst
| three however. have been generally men
| toned for increase in salary.
It is pointed out by Speaker Cannon that
If the sum is not sufficient it should not
| be exceeded by many thousands OF dol
! lars. Will a difference of $1,000 make
any difference? Granting that the differ
ence should represent the outlay for
rental, would the purchase of an embassy
building and the continuation of the pres
| ent salary be satisfactory? What would
be the course of the present ambassadors
| in official homes that would not cost over
$3.50 600, which represents the capital ON
| the estimated difference at 212 per cent!
Mr.. Reid's Expenditures.
What inquisitive Legislators want to
| know, moreover, is the value of even
| twice the present salary, when it is given
to such wealthy men as Whitelaw Reid or
Charlemagne Tower or Henry White.
Mr.. Reid. with his two homes, one of
| Which-Balmoral Castle-costs him S'iorn
year in rental, and his staff of domestlcs
which number eighty-seVen members,
| private social secretary. young hope-
| man who receives $4,000 a year for his
services and his unlimited outlay of ex-
| penses for entertainments. might ma
| 1880 in salary of use for lncidentals
He would find twice that sum just about
sufficient to cover the rental, lighting and
| heating of his city home.
| Mr.. Tower while in Berlin became
chummy with the kaiser because of his
liberality. He occupied the richest home
In the capital that cost him $1,000 for
| heating its 100 rooms one winter:
| The subject has been quite well thfesh-
ed out Comparisons have been drawn be-
tween the salaries of our diplomatists and
! the ambassadors at Washington.
| James Bryce, democratic man to the
| tip Of his fingers, who does not hesitate
| to be seen in business suit at O'Clock
| in the morning walking along the streets
! of Washington. receives larger salary
| than that of any OF his coileasues III Tue
| capital-SJO. O0J-an increase over the
| amount paid Sir Mortimer Durand, his
| predecessor, by few thousand dollars.
| The amount is divided as salary and Off
| cial entertainment fund.- while further
| reQuistion to make up any deficit in the
| latter is accepted at London. The en-
| bassy belongs to Great Britain. and some
| of the house expenses are shouldered by
| the home Office, somewhat on the voucher
| system.
| French Ambassador Economic.
| NJ. ]. Jusserand, the French ambassa-
dor, receives between $40 600 and $4,000
| year, without the embassy, although the
| ground for a building to be constructed at
| an early date is already decided in
| Frances name. His predecessor, NJ.
Jules Cambon. paid $500 for The rental
Of the embassy. This sum was increased
since the occupation OF ne" place on
18th street by nearly double. Yet either
compares we'll with the $4,000 which Mr.
White is said to be paying at Paris.
Baron des Planches of Italy gets high
salary, between entertainment fund ana
wages" totaling $40 COO, besides the Of
| fetal home.
Baron Won Sternburg of Germany re-
| ceives $50 coo yearly, with the use of the
| embassy. 1t is not known whether spec
flied amount for festivals of an official
| character is included therein.
So far as known-and the highest au-
| thorities social and otherwise, have been
! consulted-few brilliant entertainments
| have been given by foreign diplomats at
| Washington; that is to say, brilliant in
| the sense of It's money value. At no time
have they been up to the standard that
| the yearly amount laid aside for them
would warrant.
| The dinners and dances given by the
| Bryces last winter did not mean many
| thousands of dollars. Withal the Bryces
kept their place in society with all the
dignity expected of them.
| The German and French ambassadors
ners and receptions. while the Italian en-
| bassy was comparatively obscure. for
even the advent of the Duke Degli
Abruzzi, notwithstanding his incosnito.
| caused no difference in the style of enter
! tainment offered In fact the hospitality
| of the Italian embassy has been restrict
| ing itself more and more.
| Brazil perhaps. has kept an excellent
| pace in diplomatic life through Mr. Joa-
quinn Nabuco. The future season will
| witness a greater display.
| Hence there is some substantial founda-
| ton for the skepticism of our legislators
| when they question the uselessness of
| heavy funds for diplomaticts. seeing how
well the foreign diplomats do on a limited
| allowance.
| John Hays Precedent.
| 1t is pointed out that never before in
| the history of International affairs has
/ o1vrnh