New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-06
lrrom "rhe NaLIon.,, Of LOndOn. J

lFFOn ''Inc Nduou, VI l'"A'N"i
The post OF American Ambassador 70
the Court Of ST. James's-which MT
Wh,telaw Reds sad death leaves vacant
-is one of the pleasantest, ana AZ INC
same time one of the most eXactihs' Oh
dinIonoatic Offices Whoever holds II gets
nearer 10 English life than the repre-
sentative of any other country. lie comes
20 ms. or at any rate we insist on receiv-
ing him. as a kinsman. a nationai guest
The Mayor and the corporation Vi
Plymouth or southampton board his YES
sci i'm the bay. and even before ne lanos
convince him that the British people
have no intention Of surrendering him TO
the court. Whitehall and the West End
Nothing. indeed, could we'll be more
significant or Of better omen than the
semi-ofHcial. semi-popular greetings that
are extended to each new American AM
bassador on his arrival. They nave ne
como a custom of British public life. ana
"a custom OF which the full meaning IS 10
ne found in its singularity. Nothing IKE
A exists anywhere else. No ambassador
a. ,bis mr. any other nation is similarly
bonored For the representative OF
foreign power TO be feted on MS re0a" ~
the capital OF the state TO Whlch he
accredited is common enough. But IL -
not usual to hail him at the moment
bis arrival. before he has even presented
his credentials, before he has gwen
hint Of his personality or his policy. IL
,s Intended 10 be precisely what IL f-a
commitment a distinguishing recognition
IN our part that Great Britain anu '"0
United States stand to one announcer III !"
snccial Relationship such as unltes 10
.,hor nations on this earth, and thsl oe-
,ueon Thorn some departure from 'he
saroI,. oHiciaI attitude is Of all Things
the most natural.
7, would be against the gram Oh II"
,ional instinct II 10 discrimination "eio
made between the American ana o'io'
ambassadors. His confrtres IN the uiP'o
,oatic CORPS stand outside all bu' il"0
zion Of British life; the pubic kho"S
,,othI,g about them. and does not care 10
know anything: their arrivals ana depart
ures. so far from being national events
are mere incidents of society ana ol'iV'"'
dom they are what the American AmDas-
..aor rever is-thoy are foreigners. lie
al
object of interest to the people at large.
or him alone is it expected that ne VIII
no less an official and more OF man
Ru, while this is as il should ne
gives rise at times to certain perpieNl'ieS
and embarrassments that only an eAVeP-
tional man, one whose training mas zee"
The reverse of that of the ordinary pro
fessional diplomatist can cope WIN BIN
,sh hospitality. as a rule. escapes the
charge Of exuberance. We are, indeed
rather famous for taking our guests en-
jsyment for granted. for leaving '"eiil
cordially alone But in our treatment Oh
the American Ambassador there Is some
times n demonstrativeness that Verees on
Tho inexorable We ask almost too InucH
of him: we drive him too hard. Ihere II
no rest for an American Ambassador III
London. He only begins to know what
work is when he becomes Brush pun
lie character, and he becomes that as
soon as he is installed in the embassy
Offices.
Throughout his stay among us We pre-
s,,r,e an his knowledge OF English. There
must indeed. be times when we force
him TO wish he spoke Basque and Basque
only and did not the faith and morals
hold that Milton held. So might ne i've
among us and possess his soul IN peace
q mere man. and not an institution. But
as it is Great Britain and the American
Ambassador set TO forthwith to see whlcf
can entertain the other the best we
turn him into a lecturer TO the nation
Educational and philosophical instituted
thrust him into their presidential chairs
and exact from him an address In return
The Dante Society, the Boz Club, tn
Omar Khayyam Society the Walter Scot