New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-08
BOYC0TTEO ENJOYS
nemand on France for AmbaSsa-
doris of Social Prestige.


rcd Of late from both Russia and Austria
! must be explained that each Of these
,nnires has privately urged her. in the
,oost pressing manner. to send 10 their re-
.,oc,,ve courts an ambassador selected
,.or, the old arlstocracy. 1t has been
,.o,nted out TO Premier Poincare and his
..uoaeues that the exclusiveness of society
o., Vienna and ST.. Petersburg renders the
rosi,iop Of a French envoy OF bourgeois
a,rtb extremely awkward no matter how
,st,nable his personality. He hEds HIM
elf # great disadvantage compared
,,;,b the titled ambassadors OF most Of the
..,nAr powers. who by reason Of their noble
nth find q ready entrAe to those court cir
clos and to that grand monde in which the
leading Russian and Austrian statesmen
i've. move and have their being.
Indeed. a bourgeois French Ambassador
&, euhiected. together with his family. to
.omething very much akin To social boy
-ott. rendered sill the more marked by the
fact that any well-bOrn secretaries or at
aches that he may have are invited where
he is excluded, which. of course. cannot
hut gravely impair the prestige OF his mis-
sion and his usefulness to his country.
This Is the secret Of the extraordinary
demand made by the Russian government.
through its Minister of Foreign Affairs,
sszoroff, for the transfer from St Peters
burg Of the French envoy, NJ. Georges
Louis. message conveyed through the
Nuscovite Ambassador at Paris, Baron Is
wolsky. The baron went so far as to init
mate that the presence of Monsieur Louis
at ST Petersburg was interfering with the
syulpathetic understanding between the
TWO allies.
II seems that VI. Louis and his wife dur
ips the past season at St. Petersburg have
been invited nowhere. excepting OF course,
those Official functions al which NJ. Louss
position as ambassador rendered his pres
ence obligatory. In consequence. he never
had an opportunity Of seeing Monsieur
sazoroff and his colleagues socially and es-
tabhshing that friendly footing which is
essential to the fuldlment of his diplomatic
mission.
It follows that Ambassador Louis found
himself exposed to charges on the part of
Russia, to the effect that re had failed 10
keep the two nations in touch and had
misconstrued. and even misunderstood, the
communications made 70 him by the Rus
sian Foreign ONCE for transmission to
Paris. So unpleasant was he tone of the
Russian request for Ambassador Louis re-
call that the French government at first
ielt disposed to display resentment by re-
fusing compliance But realizing on second
thought that the Franco-Russian alliance
on which so much depends, might be endan-
ger,d and which Germany is extremely
anxious to break, Premier poincare re-
solved TO so to St Petersburg in order TO
discuss the matter personally with the
Gar, the Prime Minister and Sazonoff the
Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Whatever the outcome may he, VI. Louis
will have to go, his withdrawal being the
more unpleasant to France because his
predecessor, NJ Bcmpard, was withdrawn
for similar reasons at the instance OF the
Russian government Bompard is now dc-
credited 20 STEAMBOAT. where he does not
precisely tend to promote the interests OF
Russia, Frances ally.
oddly enough. Georges Louis was sent
10 81 Petersburg some years ago on the
strength Of a strong recommendation from
he, late King Edward VII NJ. Louis was
.or years the political director and Score
,srv General of the French Department "t
Foreign Affairs, and was indeed the head OF
ne permanent staff OF the Foreign once
IS such he had been brought 70 the atten-
ton OF Edward VII, who, when visiting
rsrls both before and after mis- accession
70 the throne, was accustomed 70 invite
min, often 10 luncheon, and found much
Measure and interest in his conversation
This favor shown by the English kine 20
louis was undoubtedly of use 10 the Eng
Ish interests. When the King urged his
.nnojntn,ent as Ambassador to Russia and
wrote SO pleasantly about him TO his
nephew. the Car. that the latter accepted
hin, as persona grata, he seems not 20 have
~u4ficientlv considered the attitude ana
-re1udices Of 81. Petersburg's great world
Of which he knew comparatively niue hAS
visits there having been few and far be-
tween. Edward VII was a good JUDGE q
men. but his advocacy of Georges LOUIS
am afraid. must be set down as one VI
fis mistakes.
With regard 10 the French Embassy ~
Vienna. lust vacated by NJ Crozier' whose
Term Of Office has aged him considerably
and who insisted on retiring, France mas
,ainlv endeavored 10 comply with Austria
messing request for an envoy, who, as d
member OF the old French aristocracy'
would have the entree 10 the inner court
circle and the inner circle at Vienna. There
are plenty OF old noble families lett IN
France. but any member thereof Is uh"lIi-
ing 10 represent the present government III
Diplomatic capacity, while those few VINO
might consent 10 do SO are open 10 such
gIspicion Of disloyalty 10 the republic as
70 render their appointment neither polite
nor possible
The republic has already had one surh
cxuerience. when the late DUO de- la liocne-
foucauId. during the decade following the
Franco German war, was envoy 10 the
Court Of ST. James's and made hasty TRIP
from London 10 Paris 10 cast hrs vote for
his seat IN the Chamber Of Deputies against
the republic aud i'm favor Of restoring the
monarchy
He was grand seigneur Of the Oh
school a man Of great wealth. but so
straight minded that he WAS overwhelmed
with surprise when the following week 'ne
republic asked him 10 resign his ambassa-
dorship
In default Of a noblcmaD the French
government has appointed 20 the embassy
Al Vienna diplomat Of the name OF pu-
maine. bourgeois but a man with thir'S
years service behind him-at Berlin Us
charge d'affaires and at Munich as minister
penipotentiary. In the latter post ne was
= general favorite. and, thanks to the lh'i-
mate Intercourse between the Austrian alo
Bsvarian courts and aristocracy, there j.
no doubt that he will be strongly recon-
mended in his new position by the royal
and noble friends whom he left at the Ola