Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-05
PLAN NEARLY PERFECTED
A Feature of the Annual Dinner OF
American Society.
PRAI Use FOR MR.. ROOSEVELT
Ambassador Reid Also Comes in for
Share of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Made to Grover Cleveland.

LONDON, July John Henniker Hea-
ton. who was the first to announce me
conclusion Of a penny postal arrange
ment between Great Britain and the
United States. made a significant state
ment tonight at the dinner of the Amer
lean Society with reference to penny
aword cable rate across the Atlantic.
He said:
I'VE will shortly have a penny a-word
cablegram. I am confident that with the
assistance Of great electricians whom we
have interested in the matter this soon
will be successfully accomplished
Mr.. Heaton when asked to explain the
scheme said he was hardly able to do
that yet. From other sources it was
learned that the scheme which Mr.. Hea
ton has proposed to the government ap-
parently is practical, but will take long
time to work out.
The dinner was one of the most sue
cessful in the history of the society. It
the Fourth Of July F.. c. Vanduser,
chairman of the society," presided and had
around him the most prominent business
and professional members of the Ameri-
can colony in London, besides numerous
visitors from the United States, with a
sprinklng of English guests.
Reid in Seat of Honor.
Ambassador Reid occupied the seat OF
honor at the right of the chairman, while
the British government was represented
by the solicitor general. Sir Samuel T.
Evans, and the American consulate by
Robert ]. Wynne. the consul general and
John L. Griffiths. consul at Liverpool,
and the church by a number of American
bishops who are here for the Lambeth
conference.
After the toast to the king had been
honored Lord Welby proposed The Presi-
dent Nobody. said he. is so admired
by Englishmen as President Roosevelt
Proposing the health of the American
ambassador. Sir Samuel Evans paid a
tribute to Mr.. Reid for the manner in
which he had handled the negotiations
which ended in the adoption of penny
postage. They owed credit. Sir Samuel
said. to Mr.. Heaton and other. but he had
the authority of penny postage" to say
that If it had not been for Ambassador
Reid it would not have been brought
about.
The American ambassador received a
very warm reception on arising to reply.
1.-The United States,'' he said, fully de-
serves the gracious mngling of British
and American appreciation. 1t has sur
mounted the embarrassments Of the late
panic and Is serenely facing the double
distractions of presidential campaign
and the revision of the tariff. The United
States has had thirty elections in it's short
history. and each time the result has come
out all right; and it will do so again. even
though my own preference may not be
gratified.
Tribute to Cleveland.
I'VE are learning to appreciate the
people We choose. No one aroused
sharper antagonismss during his official
career than Cleveland, and hardly one has
gone to his grave with more respectful
and general regret from the citizens rep
resenting all parties. No one forgets that
Cleveland's record embraced the Sackville
West incident and the Venezuela mes
sage. but in spite of that his death elected
nowhere more generous manifest alton
king"
Ambassador Reid concluded by express
Ing congratulations at the adoption of
Mr.. Buxton. the British postmaster gem
eral G. Won l.. Meyer, Postmaster Cen
eral of the United States; J. Henniker
Heaton and John Wanamaker. for the
part they had played in this important ar
rangement.
1.-The day we celebrate" was proposed
in an eloquent speech by John L. Griffiths.
The Belgian minister. the Bishop of Mis-
souri, and Mr.. HeatOn replied for the
guests. Mr.. Heaton said that when the
history Of penny postage was written no
incident would be more interesting than
the dramatic act which had occurred in
the parlors of Dorchester House If it,
had not been for the stand taken by Am
bassador Reid on that occasion, he said.
the new arrangement between the United
States and Great Britain would not have
been concluded.
He had worked for this for forty years.
but hoped soon to see a still greater thing
Notwithstanding less than penny-a-
word cabiegrams. not alone across the At
lantic. but to all parts Of the world He
was confident that this shortly would be
announced and the plan perfected. and he
felt sure that with the assistance of the
great electricians helping him cablegrams
Will be SO cheap within reasonable
period that people would give up writing
letters.