The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-22
AMBASSADORS
Forced to Spend Large Sums of
Money

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Americans at home who read of the diff
ficulty of finding suitable ambassadors,
because the salaries are SO small. may
wonder why $17,500 year isn't enough
for any American family to live on,
whether at home abroad. That sum
does seem sufficient, and more, to the
everyday Partisan onloolxer until he sees
what an ambassador and his wife are
expected and really compelled to do Then
doubts may arise
The first serious thing is the house.
When the ambassador reaches his field of
work he begins to realize that his coun-
try will be judged by what ne does that
he is no longer an individual in America,
who may act as he pleases about most
things, but that his country will be mis-
judged unless he conforms, to some eX-
tent, at least, to the ways in which other
ambassadors do things. Therefore he
determines that he should occupy a house,
and not live in a flat. If he cannot afford
house in the center of the exclusive Sec
tiCn, it must at least be on the fringe of
this quarter. The house which has been
occupied in Paris by several American
ambassadors is neither large nor partic-
ularly imposing, yet the rent is $4,000
year unfurnished. The residence is about
one-quarter as large as the British, the
Russian or the German embassies.
If the new ambassador should decide to
take over the house of his predecessors
two-thirds of his salary will go in rent.
He may, by searching, find smaller
apartment. The latter would save him
an expense of about 5000, the cost OF
moving his household goods from the
United States to Paris and back again
But even a furnished apartment on the
border of the desirable districts would
cost him third of his salary.
The ambassador and his wife, upon
their arrival and continuously thereafter
are invited to other embassies, to the en-
tertainments of the high officials of gov
ernment, and to the homes of the impor-
family find exquisite dinners, flowers, nu-
the ambassador and the members of his
family find exquisite dinners, flowers nu-
mel Gus servants, beautiful costumes He
does not choose his associates. They are
made for him by his position as ambas-
sador of the United States.
He is not invited on personal grounds,
but because he is the ambassador OF one
of the great governments If he were not
invited the government OF the United
States might have just cause of COM
plaint If he did not go freely among his
colleagues and people of equal rank 1t
might have further cause of complaint,
and his work as an ambassador would be
the more difficult. The sicial life of an
ambassador is SO interviewer with his Of
fetal position that to fill the one service
ably he must give time, thought and
money to the other. Being entertained
he must entertain. Proper feeling COM
pels him to do SO, and strive as he may
he is drawn into expenses on which he
never reckoned. He is humliated, in his
own opinion, If he endeavors to avoid
them.
One American ambassador to cont.
mental state, on salary of S17500 year,
once said to a friend:
II read in the American papers that |
am saving money out of my salary. You
know 1 live at a hotel; that have a
hired carriage; that do everything about
as simply as l can. Well, I have just
gone over my books, and l find that dur
| ing the past 12 months / have spent
| S37, GEO."