Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-25
AIM OF DIPLOMACY
Ambassador Reid Addresses
American Society in London.
ENJOYS TWOFOLD MISSION
Seeks to Promote Country's Inter.
ests and international Amity.
KNOWS NO HIGHER SERVICE
Refers Humorously to the Many
Speeches he Has Made on SINH
lar Occasions to Same Company.
ENJOYS TW0F0LD MISSION
KNOWS NO HIGHER SERVICE

LONDON. November 3J.-The American
ambassador, Whitelaw Reid. was among
the speakers yesterday at the Thankssiv-
ing day banquet Of the American Society
Mr.. Reid was called upon to respond to a
toast to THE American Ambassador.
He began by acknowledging the cordiality
with which they received it. as we'll as
the kindness Of the terms in which it had
been prepared.
But what he specially wished. he said,
to thank them for was for yielding to
his repeated requests and for the first
time in six years leaving him to bear
only his own burdens, and not loading
him also with the duty of set hanks
giving speech. He really didn't know how
many he had made over here on such
occasions. He was only sure that tie
last was the fifth in regular annual sue
cession in the same place, before the same
audience, en- the same subject. He had
been surprised at this continued require
ment, as we'll as amazed at the patience
with which they had endured what they
had invited: and he was now grateful for
their mercy to him, as we'll as to them
selves, in giving him rest from double
duty. He then continued:
Post-Prandial Speeches.
II suppose 1 ought really to hesitate
now about any further response. I saw
last year. in a popular and extremely
clever book on England and the English,
which a great many OF you were reading
about the same time, a discouraging view
as to any after-dinner speaking whatever
by amba ssadors. The author often shows
much judiciOus appreciation and clever
insight; but OF our 1uckless appearance
~~f> l1rA I'll H. a hAt a
clawless kitten is not more harmless or
uninforming than a foreign ambassador
at a banquet 1t is not for me to dispute
this dictum or ignore It. and yet one
citizen thinks his foreign ambassador
ought to play on such an occasion. Does
he want him to appear as clawing and
scratching old cat?
MANY a people may have thought itself
isolated, and may wish to remain So But,
when it has passed the first raw stages
OF national existence. and attained some
thing of the higher civilization that
comes with age, education, and, above
all, with wider experience and interests,
it realizes more and more the inevitable
necessity of foreign relations Of some
sort, and Of business with all the world.
1t finds accordingly its interest no less
than its duty in making these relations
peaceful and pleasant If possible. Its
diplomatic corps thus becomes and must
become more and more the right arm OF
it's foreign service, while the navy and
army must be relegated to the place of
a left arm. They, In fact, are to be
called into vigorous use only on extraor-
binary occasions, II at all, and only as a
last resort But the duty Of the right
arm is constant and vital.
An Ambassadors Duty.
II suppose what an ambassador is sent
abroad for under modern and civilized
conditions is a. very simple and straight
forward work. 1t Is to look out for the
interests Of his own country, and to pro-
tect and promote them SO far as he can
by honorable and peaceful means. For
this purpose it may be that telling the
simple truth with good will may often
be quite as useful to the country that
sends him as clawing and scratching at
the country to which he is sent.
1.-THE pursuit Of honorable American
diplomacy, sir, finds it's type neither in
the clawless kitten nor in the scratching
cat. First, protect and promote the in
terests Of your own country. Next, keep
the peace. These are the two great COM
mandments. If there is q higher service
to be rendered ones country, or hui
mainly. no man has yet pointed it out II
there is a nobler profession connected
with merely human affairs, no man has
yet found It.