New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-19


not say so. That is, in outline, the true
history Of the absorption of the Philip
pines.
Well, since l am once more dealing
on with them to the end of letter
which was meant TO concern itself with
quite other things. In the first Of these
sketches l considered chiefly the social
side of the London Embassy under Mr.
| Reid; perhaps because the contrast be-
| tween this and former Embassies was
in that respect sharper than in any
other, and because other sides were
more fully touched on by others. But
| you published on Monday what the
/ King said. and on Tuesday what the
Prime Minister and Mr.. Balfour said.
| Those declarations cover the serious
side OF Mr.. Reds mission. / do not
know whether any American was dis
posed to think Of them as words Of
compliment. They might have been
had England and the foremost men in
| England been other than they are.
But l hope none of us fails TO see with
what sincerity and depth Of true feel
ing they were uttered. Such things are
.. not lightly said by such men. They
would not be said at all II they were
not meant. The Prime Minister is a
master Of eloquent speech, and Mr.. Bal
four is another master. and the King is
the telephone through which you hear
the voice OF the people Of England;
with which his own mingles. The ac
cent Of sincerity Is unmistakable; and
of emotion, which in England IL much
more rare.
I have heard during the last seven
| years innumerable testimonies from
Englishmen whose testimony is best
worth having: OF which those following
Mr.. Reds death were but a more
solemn expression. I will quote one
! from a great man who is dead, Mr..
Gladstone. They met first at Lord
Roseberys place. near EPSON, The
| Durdans: long before Mr.. Reid became
Ambassador. They met afterward. 1t
was from Mr.. Gladstone that had an
account of his impressions. He asked
many questions:
| Your countryman seemed to me n
man so exceptional that wish TO know
| more about him. When you have men
| like that why do you not put them in
! positions OF high public trust. where
| their abilities can be of most use to
you?"
When I answered that Mr. Reid had
| chosen journalism for his career and
| that he so edited The Tribune as to
make ii a great power for good politics
and good morals. he said:
yes, but here we should not leave
a man like that in private life. Mr..
Reid talks 10 me like one who under
stands affairs of state and has dealt
with them"
Gle could not be the journalist he is
If he did not"
you answer me as a Journalist. and
| don't question your view of journal
ism. We have great journals here.
| too. and sometimes great editors. But
your Mr.. Reid is Of type on which
| the State has a claim as the State"
| / heard something of the other side
Of this first meeting from Reid, who
felt. as every man felt with Mr.. Glad
stone. that he was in presence OF an
Low tra nr1f will 70
only one sentence as to their CONVERSE
/ ton. Said Mr.. Reid, with perhaps a
certain sense of humor:
MIR. Gladstone asked me many ques-
tons about America. and talked to me
much about America"
Dorchester House, / ought to add,
was a rendezvous for men whose claims
to attention were something more than
social. Mr.. Reids conception Of dplo-
macy and Of his duty as the repre-
sentative OF his Government was never
narrow one. ! don't think he ever
used the phrase but | am certain he
| thought of himself as the Ambassador
Of the people Of the United States TO
the people Of Great Britain. II you
met Royalties and Dukes one day, you
met widely different classes Of men on
many other days, or met them all to-
gether Among all the twenty-one
| Cabinet ministers now in office the one
whose constituency is largest among
what Lincoln called the plain people Is
Mr.. John Burns. President OF the Local
Government Board; man Of character
and independence who could tell you
what the plain people were really
thinking Of at that moment He was
often a guest at Dorchester House, and
Mr.. Reid found him a most competent
witness in respect Of public opinion.
The two had sympathies in common;
and l should think a real friendship.
MIR. Burns once said:
when Mr.. Reid speaks know what
the right people in America are think
ing"
With his love of literature and art,
with his catholic tastes. with his wide
knowledge of what was best In these
| and in science, Mr.. Reid could not but
surround himself with those most COM
petent in all these intellectual activi-
ties. He never, so far as 1 know, made