New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-19
MIR. Whitelaw Reid
uls PARIS THE HIS SUCCESS IN PARIS
Copyright. 1912. by George w. srnall.y)
By George W. smauey.
Philadelphia. December il.


;s,-very much more than can be SAID
NOW even though 1 write only or main
l., q, what I had direct means Of know
ING On most topics l touch and pass
m. But I go back TO diplomacy; first
On order TO refer to his service az Min
,ster 70 France. and again in the Phil
;nnine business. His French mission
"a half forgotten in the splendor of the
Embassy in London. He had declined
missions before that. It was not easy
,or an Editor TO tear himself away
from his paper. First President Hayes
through Evarts, and then President
Garfield had offered him Germany
hut that great post he felt constrained
N decline. When President Harrison
asked him 10 go to Paris he accepted;
largely, / thought, because Mr.. Blaine
wished IL.
Once he had accepted, he sought to
make all that could be made OF the
MACE He knew Paris as other Amerl-
cans know II, but not by residence
From the first, as in London. he felt
the Importance Of good house. AS l
had been much In Paris he sent for me
from London. Mr.. ogden Mills. who
knew his Paris well. was there, and we
went about together in search or a
Legation. The days OF American En-
b,,sies had not then dawned. Mr.. Reid
wanted one Of the great houses, entire
oour ct Iordin, in the Faubours st. Ger
main. None was to be had. Then we
triad the Etoile quarter and at last the
sabstier Mansion In the Avenue Hoche
Was found to be in the market. Neither
Mr.. nor Mrs. Reid thought II quite up
% the mark. but nothing better was TO
be had and Il was taken. In the ne
sot,stions came to know Nine. oe
Grsnmont little: femme ddfotres II
svsr there we're one. She asked 12o,oo
francs Cs24. 900 a year for the house.
Ar,nts were consulted. After time
she named 10000 francs as an ulu-
matur1. Mr.. Reds business instincts
r.volted against extortion, but finally
he asked:
How much is It really WORTH
Perhaps 10000 francs"
"And she wants 100000"
yes"
"Giye her what she asks.
Diplomacy was more than business IN
this instance. for Mr.. Reid UNDERSTOOD
from the beginning that to do what he
wanted 10 do his mission must De
social success. and could not be WITH
ont q good house. SO there, In 1888 ana
in the Avenue Hoche. was the germ
Of Dorchester House in Park Lane. mr.
teen years later. IT was characteristic
Of Mr.. Reid that he should have seen
clearly what was essential 10 his pur-
pose and having seen It pay whatever
pr-Ice was necessary. / spent three or
four weeks with him in Paris at THIS
time. and knew pretty well what was
going on. Presently, from this expert
ence with him, 7 came TO think that
Journalism was almost as good a school
for diplomacy as diplomacy itself AT
any rate. it was in Mr.. Reds case. HIS
supreme aptitudes for the one in which
he had a life training were supreme In
the other for which he had no training
st all AS for the practical work OF
his mission, he earned. so far as
know. every point he made; obtained
concessions from France heretofore
steadfastly refused; became a person
age in the French capital; and laid the
sure foundation OF larger successes
elsewhere.
vital business in 1898 to negotiate the
Treaty with Spain. That is too long q
story for to-day, but as I happened 10
know the inner history Of those singu-
lar transactions, l condense IT into
paragraph. President Mckinley sent
his Five Commissioners TO Paris with
out instructions. He could not make
up bis mind whether he wanted the
Philippines or not; nor whether the
American people wanted them. After
their arrival he invited the Five to i'm
part to him each his individual opinion
on this grave matter; and the opinion
Of the Commission as a whole should
there be a unanimous or even ma
Jority opinion. In fact. they were d.
v1ded. ] avoid mentioning names. but
ultimately Mr.. Reid brought over two
others to his own view: not without
certain measure of compromise on
minor points: and that went to the
President az the considered opinion OF
the majority Of the Commission. 1t
was, as a whole, a strong Commission,
including men Of much wider expert
ence in public affairs than Mr.. Reds.
But his was the master mind. His ar
guments, the weight OF his authority,
or the force Of his individual will, pre-
vailed. The decision was his decision.
II went to President Mckinley in the
form Of recommendations. He re-
turned their recommendations to the
Commission In the form Of instructions;
in accordance with which the Treaty
was negotiated, signed. and ratified.
The Commission had made up the
Presidents mind for him, and Mr.. Reid
had made up the mind Of the Commits
sion. So much for amateur diplomacy.