Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-04
REACHES AGEu LIMIT,
IS OUT OF OFFICE
Sir Arthur NicoIson. Prominent
in British Diplomacy,
Soon to Retire.
SERVED FOR MANY YEARS
IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE
American Artist to Paint Portrait
of Henry James, His Per-
sonal Friend.


LONDON. April q, 1919
Sir Arthur Nicoson who as perrna~
nent under secretary Of foreign affairs
since 1910 has practically managed tho
foreign relations of the British empire,
reaches the retiring age this year and
may be expected TO pass OFT OF the serv-
ice to which he has devoted his life. IL
England. where I'm latter years the fo-i
eign policy does not change materially
with change OF government. the perma.
nent stan or advisers TO the foreign Sec
rotary are largely responsible for all Dip
lomatic negotiations. and there are few
foreign ministers who would care TO de-
part from the advice given by him.
Sir Arthur entered the foreign office as
long ago as 1870. and he has served at az
widely separated posts as Berlin. Picking.
Constantinople, Athens. Teheran. Buda-
pest. Bulgaria and Morocco as secretary
of embassy and minister. and in Madrid
and st. Petersburg ambassador. lt
was from the latter post that he came
back 70 the foreign office as It's perma-
nent head. Lord Hardinge then Sir
Charles, who had been ambassador In St.
Petersburg during the Russo-Japanese
war and later laid the foundation for the
Anglo-Russian entente. was permanent
under secretary and he and Sir Arthur
Nicolson worked for better understand
ing between the two great empires that
for years had been the bitterest enemies.
Assisted by France.
They had the assistance of the French
government which desired her ally. Rus
STA, and her friend. England. to settle
their quarrels. which really arose more
out of a misunderstanding of each other
than any tangible differences. and they
were supported by Sir Edward Grey. The
agreements which now exist and which
prevent the former squabblngs were the
result.
The great majority of the British pub
lie are ready to applaud Sir Arthur Tor
this contamination for to him fell the
lions share of the work, but there is stu
a little coterie of anti-Russians who can
see no good In any OF the Anglo Russian
agreements, who are glad TO see him go,
and who express the hope, as voiced by
one of their papers, that the Russophilo
policy which he did so much to develop Is
coming to an end with his departure
Speculation is rife as 10 who will sue
coed Sir Arthur. Among those proini-
nently mentioned is Sir Eyre Grove who
has been assistant under secretary for
number OF years. and. In addition TO nav
ing held diplomatic appointments abroad.
was a delegate to the second peace con-
ference at The Hague in 1901.
American Painters Task.
John Sargent, the American painter,
who makes his home in London, is 10
paint the portrait of Henry James, the
distinguished American novelist, who
likewise has adopted England as his pla-e
of residence.
II has been announced several times
that Sargent had given up portrait paint
Ing but this commission is hardly one
he could refuse. He and Mr.. James are
friends Of long standing, and the writer's
admiration for the painter dates back a
good many years. In the early eighties
Mr.. James wrote a most interesting essay
for an American magazine on Sargents
work, and the two men. American exilcs
by choice, always have found much in
common.
The portrait is being painted for presen-
tation to Mr. James by his English
friends in commemorat ton of his seven
tieth birthday. which fell on April IS.
Rare Tapestries at Auction.
The collection of pictures and engrav
ings of Sir Lionel Phillips, sold at auc-
ton the latter part of April, contained
several tapestries of special interest 10
Americans. The chief feature of the col!
lection were the panels of old tapestries,
the finest of the lot being four Burgundian
pieces, dating from the end of the ff-
teenth or the beginning of the sixteenth
century, and dealing with subjects be-
lieved to represent the history OF Isabella
of CASTLE. who sent Columbus Oh his
voyage to discover-America. The panels
measure liz by 13 feet and one from
the same set was lent to the Metropolitan
Museum at New York by the late \. W.
Hoyt.
some 100000. with the possibility OF
Lar m flfffl sS
being saved to Ireland annually by the
enterprise of a famous brewery company.
which after long research has found the
barley best suited to the soil and climate
OF the Island.
The Irish breweries use tremendous
amount of barley. For many years they
have been compelled to import most OF IL
from foreign countries. A few years ago
the company in question went in search
of a seed that would reproduce the barley
Of the required quality In Ireland, and its
efforts were rewarded with success.
Curiously enough they found that barley
which originally came from England and
had been reproduced in Scandinavia was
the most suitable. II is known to the
trade as AngloDanish. Seed was obtained
and distributed among the farmers in
Ireland. The result was very satisfactory,
and now Irish farmers are raising barley
for Irish brewers.
Donation to Peace Palace.
fountain made OF porcelain and
stoneware will be donated by the
Danish government to the new Peace
Palace at The Hague. where it will be
placed in the court OF honor Tho
basin will be OF the rarest porcelain,
and its design shows striking treat
ment in which polar bears. seals and
other marine animals are used in the
decoration. ii is the work OF the
Royal Danish factory.
For Danes in America the factory Is
making a limited number of Panama
Pacific exposition souvenir plates to
be sold for the benefit of the Denmark
building which the Danish Americans