Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-02
OES IL seem logical that a coun-
try which has reputation for
stupendous wealth should ask
it's representatives to foreign

try which has a reputation for
stupendous wealth should ask
it's representatives to foreign
countries to personally provide
the official home for their government In
the particular country to which they are
sent. and does il not seem incongruous
that American citizens. whose pride in
these United States is their most promi-
nent attribute. should have hitherto<
failed to resent the aspersion that their
government can only send its wealthy
men abroad to maintain its prestige with
private fortunes and display of individual
riches because national obligations have
not been assumed?
The llogic of the situation was promi-
nently illustrated recently when the diff
ficulty which President Wilson expert
enced in persuading cmncntly capable
men TO accept amba ssa dorships abroad
showed that the feeling is prevalent that
they are not looked upon solely as high
positions of trust, to be held by intcllec-
tual men of rare diplomatic power, but
mediums for their diplomacy plus>their
ability to establish AN ostentatious pri-
vate residence which shall merit dis
tinction as the American embassy
At the seat Of the trouble is the fact
that American foreign relations and meth
DDS have progressed with commercial
conditions at home and come to assume
the same size and dignity as those of
other great world powers. but that the
lawmakers have been so cnsrossed with
internal affairs and foreign relations onIy
as they related TO some exceedingly i'm
portant point the abrogation or altera-
ton of a treaty, that the provision Tor
the machinery of the embassy or lega-
ton has been totally overlooked. IL nes
with congress TO establish embassies III
foreign countries with a government
stamp.
We have fortunately heretofore sent
miliionaires abroad VINO were diplomat
lists as We'll. The future calls Tor more
oipiomat1sts. In order that 1t shall not
be necessary to stlpulate that they shall
be also men of wealth, 1t is only needed
tnat the government shoulder its own ex-
penses and not SHIFT them To those or her
citizens.
Congress has before it now a bill which
Is a step in the right direction lntro-
duced by Senator Bacon OF Georgia, in
the Senate, and Representative Henry Of
Texas, In the House, it makes three dis
tinct provisions. relating to the acquisi-
ton by the government, of official resi-
uences abroad for it's ENJOYS One pro-
vices for the leasing, furnishing and
equipping OF residences in foreign coun-
tries. with appropriations for each, com
mensurate with the Importance of the
respective countries, another for the
supervision of these buildings by the
State department. and the third and
most important for the purchase of at
least four buildings Il year until ali
OF the capitals are provided with Amer
lean embassies or legation houses
Inc ranging of the countries was made
10 accord with the salary paid to the
representatives to each as well as to
Its Importance as a world power. Great
Britain, German empire, France and
Russia head the list with a provision for
appropriation Of $4,000 for leasing and
$4,000 for furnishing suitable resi-
dence in each. The other countries are
arranged as follows: Austria Hungary,
Italy. Mexico, Japan and Brazil for leas-
Ing $500 and for furnishing $4,000
each. Spain, Belgium, Cuba, Argentina
and Netherlands and Luxembourg for
leasing $1,000. and for furnishing $4,000