New-York tribune., 1909-02-28

people half forget he is accredited Official ana
come TO think Of him a distinguished national
guest whom II is a pleasure 10 honor.
The American Ambassador is the only one who
reaches the mass of the people The ordinary
Londoner, who could more tell you the name or
the italian German or French Ambassador than
a New Yorker could tell you the name of the Lieu
tenant Governor of Kansas would not only answer
correctly il YOU asked him the name OF the A1neri-
can Ambassador, but would probably rattle on MT
Reld's predecessors as far back as James Russel
Lowell. He IS the only one in whom the people
as a whole have any interest From the moment
he has presented his credentials he becomes an IN
innate part OF English social life, and still more
intimate part Of the world OF English arts ana
letters Other ambassadors may be as lavishIy en-
tertaned may be able TO show as tuIl an engage
rnent list may dispense In return an equally prill
liant hospitality But the equality OF the welcome
extended to them differs altogether from that Which
greets their American colleague. He alone gets De
hind the scenes. and is shown the best OF Whatever
England has TO offer. OF him alone Is II expected
that he will be less OF official and more OF
One hears perhaps, once in lifetime Of the Rus
sian or German Ambassador being asked to lecture
before literary philosophical society OF IN
v,ted TO a literary dinner. However great thelr
command Of English-and II Is often wonderIuIiy
,oynn1e+a-thev still stand outside all but fTac-
ton Of the national life The public knows noun
ing Of them and does not care TO know ahythihe
They are what the American Ambassador never Is
foreigners,
grnph I'm the court circular is enough TO announce
+batr advent or recall while their American cot
league on his arrival as well as his departure re-
o,,,os f,ll blown editorial salute from the entire
London press The one Is merely an lhciueh' VI
of9cfaldom: the other is national event.
Indeed even before the American AmoassauoF
lands in the country he Is given foretaste Oh
what Is to come. The Corporation OF Sou.ii"Iip-
ton boards his steamer in all the regaha OF once
and assaults him with an address OF welcome a
t,fa fpnTT1
Mayor does not you may say, after ALL amount
70 much And you would be right II It were
compliment indiscriminateiy paid to all amoassa-
doris But that is precisely what 1t Is not Han-
not recall any ambassador from any other country
avcsn+ the United States who has ever been SINH
1ar1,, bonored And directly he Is installed in the
souewhat dingy offices Of the embassy In Victoria
street everything is done to make him feel tnat
he belongs to the nation and not to Downing
street or the Court He is deluged with invita-
tions that other ambassadors may or may not be
glad to escape that are meant. Mt all events 70
convey the peculiar affection and esteem In which
the people place him. They come not only from
the aristocracy and oficialdom and the leaders
Of society but from the universities. workingmens
societies and all manner OF literary ana euuCa-
cional Institutes.
Mr. Lowell humorously complained that
england spoiled the American Ambassador. am
not sure that the American Ambassador does not
a little spoil England. He gives at least as much
as he receives, and much is expected or him. Ihe
capacity OF long line OF American Ambassadors
10 warm both hands at the cheerful fire of Eng
lish existence been palpsbe. their interests
have so manifestly stretched beyond the humdrum
game OF protocols and dispatches, they touch life
ut so many more points than the ordinary dplo-
mat that Englishmen would hardly know what
20 do II the United States sent them any bur
her best. A tongue-tied. unsociable. narrow
eauged inhexibly official ambassador from Amer
Tea has become unthinkable to us We take It as
matter of course that the representative OF the
United States, whoever he may be will not fall
below the standard of Mr.. Lowell and Mr.. Hay
that he will be first class after-dinner speaker
and able and willing at any time to read a paper
deliver address or unveil a monument. II has
become impossible for Englshmen TO conceive
American Ambassadors a immersed in the ba-
1alities of international negotiations. They
are expected TO open libraries more often than
dispatch boxes and to make speeches instead VI
representations; and OF all the freaks Of nature
an American Ambassador who could not or would
speak. who lcathed public occasions. and who
screened himself behind the ramparts Of official
dom. would be looked upon as the most incredible
and astounding.
This. il must be owned is asking a good deal
Indeed. / am sure that We English do not
overdo part. Mr.. Howells, in deathless ad-