The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-07-15
DIPLOMATIC WAYS
HAVE NOT ALTERED
Rep. Kahn Says Early Diplo-
mats Sought to Bask in
Royal Favor.
palladium SpeciaD

| tfalidIflm Spetldl1
Washington, July 15.-Answering
the recent speech of Representative
Henry of Texas, a Democrat, concern
ling dollar diplomacy or the scan
dalous" ways our present day ambas
sailors scramble for royal favor, Rep
resentative Kahn of California, a Re-
publican, entertained the House with
| the results of his researches in the
files of the State Department
In order to demonstrate that times
have not changed and that it is true.
as Representative Henry charges, that
American diplomatic representatives
at foreign courts seek to bask in the
sunshine of kingiy smiles it was even
more true in the days of old. Mr.. Kahn
read a number of communications re-
ceived at the State Department a cen
fury or more ago.
Silas Dean, Representative Kahn
said, wrote home from France to the
Continental Congress requesting 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:
Apples and eutternuts.
| December 81, 1776-The queen is
fond of parade and l believe wishes
for war and is our friend. Sic loves
riding on horseback. Could you send
me fine Narragansett horse or two?
The money would be we'll laid out.
Rittenhouse's aviary or Arnold's col
lection of insects, phaeton of Ameri-
can make and pair of bay horses, a
few barrels of apples, walnuts. chan
berries, butternuts, etc, would be
great curiosities.'
Representative Kahn remarked that
Mr.. Henry had decried the fact that
men of large means are invariably Sc
lected to fill responsible diplomatic
posts abroad.
| From the very outset" said Mr.
Kahn, the pay to our representatives
abroad has been entirely inadequate
and at every period of our countrys
history the men who have represent
ed us on diplomatic missions have
, been compelled to use their private
means in order to maintain the dignity
of their positions and to uphold the
honor of their country. Thus Thomas
Jefferson, when minister to France,
wrote othe Continental Congress and
to his own personal friends that it was
impossible for him to live on his sal
airy.
| John Adams Complaint.
| John Adams" continued Represen-
tative Kahn, complained to the Con-
gress of the Confederation in 1855
that his salary at Paris and The Hague
was insufficient to enable him to make
decent appearance at court and in
society.
81 could give innumerable instan-
ces," said Mr.. Kahn, where our Presi-
dents and our Secretaries of State
from the very beginning of the govern
ment to the present day have urged
upon Congress the urgent necessity
for increasing the salary of our repre-
sentatives abroad. Congress, however,
has not seen fit to do So and l think
| can truthfully say that our salaries
to our diplomatic representatives
abroad at the present time are pro-
portionately less than they We're at the
beginning of the government"
Replying to Representative Kahn
Mr.. Henry said it was mot the polite
Formally but the vulgar extravaganza
into which this country has rushed in
diplomatic affairs" of which he COM
planned.
Ambassador Reid's vice-regal state
in London is not typical of the Ameri-
can government he said
Mr.. Henry said he would rather this
government should never send another
representative to Berlin than to take
orders from the German government
as to what is to be the sine qua non of
a diplomat there"
Hammond for Berlin?
Representative Henry added that Da-
from Berlin in order to make room for
John Hays Hammond.
Mr.. Henry referred to the public re-
port that Mr.. Hammond had "nudged
the king" king George of England) in
order to attract his attention and refer
to the success of the coronation.
IF we send Mr. Hammond abroad
to another coronation said Mr.. Hen
ry, amid laughter. Il suppose he will
nudge the queen
What sort of nudge was it?" ques-
toned Representative Moore of Penn
sylvania.
Il think it must have been a Cali
fornia nudge replied Mr Henry,
with grin at Mr.. Kahn.
Mr.. Henry's statement that John
Hays Hammond is to be the next am
bassador to Berlin is to be taken with
a large grain of salt.