New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-17
MIR. Whitelaw Reid
PORTRAIT AND PERSONAL NOTES ON Mr. REps LON
DON CAREER
Copyright, 1912. by C. W. smalley,
Nv George ". smalley.
philadelphia. December ~.

anything, 10 the "f'
,,atos of Mr.. Reds public services al
.ody nublishcd in The Tribune. Mine
oorsonal tribute. l write OF the
7 have known him during more
,ho, forty years. lie was FOR the
.o.or mart of that long period my
cbief and during all Of it my Irleh''
snmmered him and wintered hiih'
"a wbatever the circumstances OF
,,batever the differences between us
his friendship never failed. Loyalty
,ros of the essence Of his nature lie
gave # and he expected it; and one OF
,ne omen secrets Of his lifelong success
lies there.
narted from him on the railway
platform at Euston as l lett Lohuo"
Cor New York Just month ago to-day
,,rs Reid was with him; they were
Icing off a patty of friends. II is much
60 have that last memory. In tld'
h,rrvine throng Of English and Amefl-
ans the American Ambassador was
Tho most conspicuous and gracious ny
rre and by far the most distinguishes
7, WAS as if one or the Van DYKES rum
10 walls of Dorchester House hau
- down ont Of its frame and 10 NE
An the Van Dykes have diS'ih0''Vi''
ond the particular note OF disti'i' e,o''
.'hicn was his was Mr.. Reds also. Inc
Great Anglo-Dutchman couio nave
80 M man who was not
Great gentleman; or, II ne hdu' "'
lid have made him great geh''e-
10 would have painted KEN
80. oooyc. The fine features, the hsh'
o. the eyes. the pointed snort gray
- tho poise Of the body, the me
onror as the American stood theIe
or the Euston platform, were all al
nvke So was the stamp OF lnteiieo'
ord the stamp Of something winch i,
rrs,and would be called breeulhs' anu
gbich prefer to call American l"e
.,rOing crowd left little space ABOUT
him and Mrs. Reid; they were the CEN
,ral figures; the little vacant space was
.,i,,,te of the company TO the man
and woman. s,r
He had lately been i'll and wore d l III
,oat and looked white and fran pu'
rone the less had he that air oil resolu-
49,, which denoted the indomtapie
.,,r,, ,yithin him. He had said TO me
not long before at Dorchester House
,bot he felt his old passion FOR WORK
growing less. Less or more II never
,oet him. and at Euston. amid the leave
,aking and friendly farewells' you sd"
=, burning in him and looking out OF HIS
o,.es He was a man to die in harness.
no did. with a devotion to duty that
EVER failed and an unconqueraoie
courage. 1t was picture never TO LOT
cot. the picture of a living man. WHO
I'm lives: whose example and memory
u;u ALWAYS live, and always as an m
spiration. ,r,or, -
cans owe him could only be taken III
London. l mean to say you must nave
lived in London to understand Iuil1
what service he did TO his country
during his seven years as Ambassador
OF his strictly diplomatic service theIe
70 ~ course. a complete record. 90
not sneak of that. / mean the personal
innression: which often counts Ior
moro than can be found in the archives
of the State Department at Washihs-
i'm II concerns US that our Amoas-
sador should have something more than
skill in diplomacy. Mr.. Reid mad Ooth
skin and-which may at times be more
neutrality-suspicious.. We have nau
No Ambassador in England better
equipped for his duties.
But no American representative
abroad can be a useful servant TO MS
government, and still less can he ade-
ouately represent the American people.
unless he can meet all corners on equal
Terms: whether Cabinet Ministers, or
his colleagues in diplomacy or social
leaders, or Royalties; who are some
times social leaders also Mr. Reid
from the first was seen to be any
body's equal. First impressions in that
world are generally decisive, and In
his case they never had 10 be revised.
do not know whether 1 need explain
that. outside the official world, an Am
bassador has TO make or find his own
place.
The attitude of English society, and
also the whole English people, is
critical attitude. The people judge
broadly, but they judge. The doors
Of the best houses in Mayfair and Bel
gravia do not open readily 10 an Am
bassador because he is an Ambassador.
No more do the people open their
hearts to him. He mas 10 justify his
diplomatic existence to both. He must
know the people. He must know the
social shibboleths He will be APP
praised i'm society by his social and
personal qualities. MIR. Reid was so
appraised and was welcomed from his
first appearance. There never was a
moments question about his welcome
or his position. Not his riches, not his
eloquence, not his tenancy OF Dor
chester House. not the splendid hos
pitalities which Mrs Reid organized