The Washington herald., 1909-05-09

/ President Taft's Ambassador 10 Eng.
land win find his work a great deal less
I difficult than did some Of the distin-
: suished nan who represented Uncle sam
az the Court Of St James in the past
says the Washington correspondent OF
+ the Baltimore sun.
For almost the first century Of national
existence II was the most difficult posi-
tioa in the diplomatic service. IN the
years that followed the war Of the Revo-
luton the men sent there had 20 meet
trained diplomats and were compelled 10
fight for what the nation was entitled.
England gave grudgingIy, for she wanted
the experiment Of a great republic Ike
OUTS 10 fail This feeling was accentuat-
ed by the war Of 1872. and while much has
been heard Of the hands across the sea. ''
our representatives al St. James. even in
mere recent years. have found that in
many cases the hand held diplomatic
club.
So from necessity for many years the
Presidents selected the abIest statesmen
for the place. Four Of these-James Mon
roe, John Quincy Adams. Martin Van Bu-
ren, and James Buchanan-were called TO
the Presidency after their diplomatic ca
reers. and many Of the others filed high
places in the government service. With
possibly one or two exceptions. no man
ever received the place as a political re-
ward. but care has been exercised in the
selection OF men who were scholars and
In
and hold their own with statesmen from
any country.
OF the thirty men who have served their
country at the English court. nine have
been Harvard men. while Yale has given
one, Princeton two, and Miami University
two. and one Of the Ministers later be
came president Of Harvard
Thomas Pinckney. Of South Carolina.
was the first Minister sent by the United
States 10 England John Adams had rep
resented the Continental Congress there
after the Revolution. and had shown the
diplomats OF the Old World. including
Vergennes. Of France. a new kind Of di-
plomacy.
The First Ambassador.
Not until 1873 did our representative a,
that or any other court have the rank OF
ambassador. and for the first 100 years
they were known only as ministers. The
four men who have been ambassadors
are Thomas F. Bayard. John Hay, joseph
b ChOate. and Whitelaw Reid
Washington sent Pinckney, and the fact
that he had received his education in
Westminster and Oxford may have infu-
enced the selection. although he was any
thing but a royslist during the war. hay~
ing been a soldier then. and later on in
the waT Of 1872 Much Of the harder work
that would have fallen TO him he was re-
heved from BY the selection OF William
Jay as a special envoy
OF all the men who stood out prOmi-
nently in the days when this republic was
born no one had a record that excelled
that Of Jay When Washington was
elected President he offered jay his
choice Of any place in the government
service He took the place OF Chief Jus
tce Of the Supreme Court. and great as
he was a juTist. II was as a diplomat that
he rendered his country the greatest
service. When. at the urgent request OF
Washington. ne went 10 England he for
mulated what has ever been known as
Jays treaty. which was 50 advantageous
20 this country that one Of the reasons
why Great Britain was anxious 20 20 10
war in 1872 was that this treaty might be
abrogsted.
When PinckHey was sent to spain as
special envoy to solve the question OF the