The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-07-14
Representative Kahn Wants
More Pay For Diplomats.
TELLS OF OLD COMPLAINTS.
Californian Delves Into State Depart
nent Files and Finds Protests
Against Inadequate Salaries From,
U. 8. ENJOYS a Century Back.

Henry of Texas, a Democrat, con-.
rerning dollar diplomacy" or the
"scandalous way our present day am
bassadors scramble for royal favor"
Representative King of California, a
Republican, addressed the house on
the results of his researches In the
files Of the state department
In order to demonstrate that times
have not changed and that If it's true,
as Representative Henry charges, that
American diplomatic representatives
at foreign courts seek to bask in the
sunshine of kingly smiles it was even
more true in the days of old. Mr..
Kahn read number of communica-
tions received at the state department
century or more ago.
Silas Dean, Representative Kahn
said, wrote home from France to the
Continental congress requiring that
some products of the colonies be for
warded to him to be given to Queen
Marie Antoinette to secure her royal
influence. Here is his letter as read
by Mr.. Kahn:
ade and. believe. wishes for war and is
,ur friend She loves riding on horse
pack Could you send me a fine Nara
gansett horse or two? The money would
De well laid out. Rittenhouse's aviary or
Arnold's collection Of insects. phaeton
If American make and a pair of bay
,orses, few barrels of apples, walnuts,
,ranberries, butternuts. etc. would be
| great curiosities.
Representative Kahn remarked that
Mr.. Henry had dwelt on the fact that
men of large means are invariably Sc
ected to f1ll responsible diplomatic
posts abroad.
From the outset" said Mr.. Kahn,
the pay to our representatives abroad
has been entirely inadequate. and at
every period Of our country's history
the men who have represented us on
diplomatic missions have been COM
pelled to use their private means.
THUS Thomas j. Jefferson when
minister to France wrote to the Con-
tinental congress and to his own per
sonal friends that it was impossible
to live on his salary. He suggested a
more liberal appropriation. Writing to
John Jay. secretary of foreign affairs
he said:
at is the usage here. and suppose at
all courts. that minister shall establish
house in the first instance. If this Is
lone out Of his salary he will be a twelve
month absent without copper to live on.
Ny furniture, carriage and apparel are all
plain, yet they have cost me more than a
years salary.
John Adams" continued Represent
ative Kahn. complained to the con-
federation in 1855 that his salary at
Paris and The Hague was insufficient
to enable him to make a decent ap-
pearance at court and in society He
told the congress his expenses had
pinched and Strengthened him con
foundedly.'
at goes without saying" added Mr.
Kahn, "that If our representatives are
to accept courtesies they are compelled
to return courtesies. John Quincy
Adams, probably the most experienced
Of all our diplomats, wrote to the state
department in 1916 that the annua
, salary Of an American minister is In
sufficient to support a man with fam
ily-I say not In the style Of high Off
cial rank. but in the decency becoming
| private gentleman
His predecessor, William Pinckney
an exceptionally able American diplo
mat in his day, had to relinquish tn,
English mission.
81 could give innumerable instances,
said Mr.. Kahn, where our president
and our secretaries of state from tn
, beginning of the government to tn
q present day have urged upon the con
! gress the urgent necessity for increas
. ing the salaries of our representative
abroad.
Congress, however, has not seen f
? to do so, and think can truthful
5 say that our salaries to our diplomat
representatives abroad at the presen
e time are proportionately less than the
d were at the beginning of the govern
n ment."
d Replying to Representative KahI
l. Mr.. Henry said 1t was mot the polit
formality, but the vulgar extra'
agances into which this country ha
rushed In diplomatic affairs, of whic
he complained"
II have an idea," he said, that ii
secretary of state has taken no steI
10 looking to the purchase abroad of en-
!. bassy buildings because there seems
Is be no desire on the part of some pc
y pie to return to the diplomatic sir
= plicity which this country should pu
n. sue.
Ambassador Reid's viceregal sta
at in London is not typical Of the Anne
n. Lcan government"
Mr.. Henry said he would rather th
government never sent another repr
sentative to Berlin than to take orde
L. from the German government as
d what 10 to be the sine quo non OF
O. diplomat there" ksF