Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-03-31
HILL CASE IS CLOSED
Matter Ended by Statement oi
 Washington Officials.
INCIDENT CAUSED BY GOSSIP
Governments Involved Have Never Shared Misundersta anding, Asserts tn. State Department-Berln Paper Says Envoy Is Not Rich Enough.

Washington, March 31.--With view to bring to close the gossip connect. ed with the reported disapproval in Berlin of the appointment of Dr. David Jayne Hill as ambassador and termi mating the incident, Baron Speck von Sternburg, the German ambassador called at the White House by appoint ment to see President Roosevelt and Secretary Root. At the conclusion of the conference the following state ment was given out: ~
 'In addition to the communication already made public from the German foreign office the German ambassador has also conveyed to the American government the assurance of the em- peror that there has never been any change in his attitude toward Mir. Hill and his cordial willingness to welcome Mir. Hill to Berlin. The emperors fla vorable opinion of Mir Hill was con- municated to the Washington adminis- tration last November and his atti- tude has never changed since.
 Apparently some remarks in a cas- ual conversation have been distorted by gossip and exaggerated by rumor so as to give totally erroneous inn pression of the whole matter.
 ''The two governments have never shared this misunderstanding. The design of the president and the secre- tary of state in choosing Mir. Hill was to choose the man who of all the men in the diplomatic service was best flt- ted for this particular position, a posi- tion of the very first order in honor and responsibility, and one which therefore it was deemed well to send skilled diplomat, student, speak CT, an authority on International law, learned German scholar, who had served with signal ability as assistant secretary of state under John Hay and as foreign minister in two successive posts, in the last of which he had rem dered marked service in connection with The Hague peace conference. This purpose is and has always been fully appreciated by the emperor per sonaily and in Germany at large"
 No time has been fixed for the re- tirement of Ambassador Tcwe-. but it is expected that pr. Hill win succeed him some time in May.
 It was stated that the purpose of the administration has been to make it evident that the great diplomatic pc- sitions are not to be treated as posi- tions to be held only by millionaires, but so far as possible as rewards for faithful service to the public in other positions.
 Berlin advices say that the Vossische Zeitung publishes what 1t terms an explanation from an authoritative source of the doubts" that arose in official quarters regarding the appoint ment of Dr. Hill to Berlin. ''These doubts had nothing to do with Dr. Hills personality" the paper says. ''They arose solely from the purely ex- ternal circumstance that Dr. Hill did not possess sufficient financial means to assume a position here in keeping with the rank of the United States as world power
 The opinion was that America's pres tige in Germany. the yossische Zeitung afirms, would suffer were not it's am bassador in Berlin in position to assert externally the high rank which his country holds among the nations. ''The objections which the emperor suggested against Dr. Hill were there fore prompted only by the wish 10 raise America's prestige in Germany. They were entirely in keeping with the policy which his majesty has pursued for years of improving and strengthen ing the relations between Germany and the United States