Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-07-13
Ten Words or Less Ten Cents
WANT MORE PAY
FOR DIPLOMATS
Congressman Kahn Answers
Attack on DOLLAR Diplomacy.

Washington, July 10. - Represents
tive Kahn of California, in reply to tn,
speech made by Representative Henri,
Of Texas a week ago on dollar Diplo
macy" praised John Hays Hammond
Secretary Knox and Huntington VII
son.
After he had concluded, Mr.. Henri.
declared the reason DR.. David j. Hi
was to leave Berlin was so that Johi
Hays Hammond might come home an(
get his credentials and go to Berlin al
ambassador. DIR, Hill, he said, was t.
make way for Hammond because DR.
Hill is a poor man and cannot live II
great splendor."
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 1t was eve
more true In the days Of old. Mr..
Kahn read a number of commun1ca'
lions received at the state department
a 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:
Dec. 81, 1776.-The queen is fond of pa
rade and, l believe, wishes for war and is
our friend. She loves riding on horse.
back. Could you send me q fine Nara
gansett horse or two? The money would
be well laid out. R~ittenhouse's aviary OF
Arnold's collection of insects, a phaetor
Of American make and a pair Of bay
horses, a few barrels Of apples, walnuts
cranberrles, 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
lected to fill responsible diplomatic
posts abroad.
From the outset" said Mr.. Kahn
1.-THE pay to our representatives abroad
has been entirely inadequate, and al
every period of our country's history
the men who have represented us or
diplomatic missions have been com
PEELED to use their private
"Thus Thomas ]. jefferson wheI
minister to France wrote to the Con
t~tnental congress and to his own per
sonal friends that it was impossible
to live on his salary. He suggested {
more liberal appropriation. Writing tt
John Jay, secretary of foreign affairs
he said:
'It is the usage here, and I suppose a
all courts. that a minister shall establish
a house in the first instance. If this Il
.dGro eft-of his salary he will be a twelve
month absent without a copper to live on
My furniture, carriage and apparel are al
plain, yet they have cost me more han 6
years salary,
John Adams" continued Represent
alive Kahn, complained to the con
federation in 17S5 that his salary al
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.'
"His predecessor. William Pinckney
an exceptionally able American d1plo
mat in his day, had to ~relinquish the
English mission.
II could give innumerable instances
said Mr.. Kahn, where our presidents
and our secretaries Of state from the
beginning Of the government to tn.
present day have urged upon the con
gress the urgent necessity for increas
ing the salaries of our Representatives
abroad
Congress, however, has not seen fl
to do so, and I think l can %truthfully
say that our salaries to our diplomatic
representatives abroad at the present
time are proportionately less than they
were at the beginning of the govern
ment."
Replying to Representative Kahn
Mr.. Henry said 1t was mot the polit,
formality, but the vulgar extrav
agances into which this country hal
rushed in diplomatic affairs, of which
he complained"
Mr.. Henry said he would rather thii
government never sent another repre-
sentative to Berlin than to take ORDER
from the German government as t,
what is to be the sine quo non Of 8
diplomat there"