Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09
WEST IS A MAGNET
Diplomats Attracted by Coun-
try's Beautiful Scenery.
SIX PARTIES ON TOURS
Foreign Governments Also Interested
in Reclamation Engineer
ing Works.
TX PARTIES ON TOURS

European governments are officially in
vestigating the western country and
learning more about it than they ever
knew before, and owing to some pictures
Of the west that have been shown to the
members of the diplomatic corps here
and the interest that Ambassador Jusse-
rand has aroused among his colleagues
the picturesque west promises to de-
velop into the summer playground OF the
embassies and legations. Six foreign
governments now have official parties on
tours Of investigation In the west-Ar-
gentina, Germany, Russia, Austria.
France and South Africa. Within the
past week two official parties sent by
France and Germany have arrived and
after seeing what there was to see In
Washington of the administrative end OF
the work of developing the west have
started toward the setting sun. There is
third party from Russia now preparing
to leave.
The French government Is represented
by NJ. Debat. director general of waters
in forests, and NJ. Macivet, his assistant
Fischer, d. Hildebrand, Walrab Frieherr
Won Wagenheim- Wake. and Herr Reich
ter, all expert engineers or agricultural
lists.
Itineraries Arranged.
These visitors all were sent to the De-
partment Of Agriculture and to the
reclamation service At the latter place
itineraries were arranged for them and
they are now on tours of general inspec-
ton that may take months.
The foreign governments have been in
tereSted in the engineering works OF the
reclamation service for the past five
years and have repeatedly sent experts
to visit the big irrigation projects. But
cred something unusual and decidedly
complimentary to this country.
The interests of the embassies and le-
cations started last year when c. ].
Blanchard Of the reclamation service ar
ranged an itinerary for Ambassador JUS
serand and Nine. Jusserand. They had
known, In a general way. of the scenic
possibilities of the west, for Ambassador
Jusserand really knows almost as much
about this country from study as ne does
other hand has had to travel all over
the west every summer for years and is
personally acquainted not only with all
the sights worth seeing, but with the
best way of getting to them.
When the French ambassador and his
wife returned to Washington they de-
clared. to quote a former President of
the United States, that America had Eu-
IOpc DcdtcH " d ITdZZle -OT something
to that effect-for scenery. The ambas-
sador said he would not be satisfied until
some of the other ambassadors and min
listers had seen what he had. The yell
lowstone, the Yosemite, the Grand Can
yon, Crater lake and even stretches of
the Mojave desert, he declared are
worth a trip across the continent to see
Much Interest Aroused.
The outcome of the trip was that the
ambassador gave a dinner at his home
during the week the Red Cross was here
There were present representatives from
practically every legation and embassy in
Washington. Mr.. Blanchard was asked
to bring some of his western lantern
slides and show the other guests what the
west really had to oftr. 1t was a re-
markable gathering and a remarkable ex-
hibition. The reclamation service has
been accommodating for years what is
probably the most beautiful series of
colored landscape slides in the world.
The visitors were taken by surprise to
find what they had been overlooking. The
talk lasted about twenty minutes and
the guests spent the next two hours ask
ing questions. One result has been that
Mr. Blanchard. at the request Of Senior
Pezet, the Peruvian minister, has ar
ranged an itinerary for him and his wife.
The minister from Sweden and his wife
also are talking of taking a similar trip
and the rest Of the diplomats have said
they want to go as soon as the political
situation STILES down g. little. 1t is rath-
er new departure to have experienced
Europeans touring this country for seem
cry.