Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-11-07

! Hen. James Bryce, late British anpas-
sador to Washington. at the dinner
given in his honor by the Pilgrims,
! tonight The American ambassador.
! Walter Hines Page. read messages
| from the President of the United
States, Joseph II. Choate, former am
I bassaaor II London, and others. Pros
! iden. Wilson's message Wla us follows:
Few nlen have deaiir more tilan
James Bryce III sireusthsnine The ties
of Friendship ard hfalhefhood (which
unite England and America and have
been the cause OF common aspiration
and high example to- the whole WorlJi
Mr.. Bryce began his speech express
60 ing the belief that the Panama ques-
ton wogild be solved in n manner sat
/ isfactory to both eunnIies. ITRat pey
lief. ne said was based ON his convic-
ton Of the high rectitnde. and eieVat-
ed sense Of honor and international
Justice pqssesaei by President Wilson,
\ urge part of Mr. Bryce's speech
was devoted indirectly and directly To
repl,ing 10 criticisms made by the Con-
sentative papers of his work az ann
bassader.
He emphasized the idea that the
british ambassador to the United
States had to deal with problems be-
tween Canada and the United states
for Ganada's interest We're as impor-
tant To the empire as were Englands.
lie then made a direct reply to these
criticisms, saying that he would not
have noticed them except for the I'M
rortant principle involved. An am
bassaaar To a foreign country he SAID,
acted merely as the agent of his gov
eminent and carried out the ahsifee7l
lions of his government. The critics
acted, in ignorance because the only
persons who knew what the ambas-
saaor was trying to do We're his Tor
cien office and himself. The danger
was hat criticisms of an Ambassador
| ly5 the press of his own country, had
| .zzisetl az wa eni.ie his status and
! ia St. win A. oo1:1try to which Ire
7 ~ :4eel eeise.sf.s @=z-. - !.
|s.sIie himself had once been criticized
for being absent from Washington
The criticism amused him, but he
| hoped that the bad precedent would
not be set OF seriteizing servants or
the Grown when absent upon business
abroad thereby iniurins the public
service itself. raza a.
Introducing Mr.. Bryce TO the Pill
erims, the American Ambassador. MI
Page, who presided paid. a high trib-
ute to the ex-ambassador at Washing
ton as the ambassador interpreter of
the nation and it's institutions and as
the man.
Mr. Bryce served, during the time of
praci6anfS the
siding officer said. and all three had
expressed to Mr.. Page the high opin-
ion and sincere esteem in which they
held him. He said that when Mr..
Bryce came home he came with the
! sincere regrets of the President and
the people of America, a regret which
in no way conf1icted with the equally
hearty welcome accorded to his sue
cesser who SO ably represents the
British government at Washington.
Il welcome him home" Mr.. Page
said, "as the ambassador emeritus to
the American people. All his. BLUSH
ing honors have been, nobly Won.
| The American ambassador then
| spoke of Mr.. Bryce's great popularity
in every state. all of which the eX-
ambassador had visited. The only
honors America could confer, he said,
were academic and Mr. Bryce had
! more of these from American colleges
' than even THAT least quiet acad-
emician who now is harvesting a crop
of honors in South America H.,
After thanking the Pilgrims for
their welcome back to England, Mr..
Bryce said that when he resigned his
place in the cabinet, more than SIX
wears ago, and went to the United
States in order to try to settle a num-
Der of hong outstanding questions he
foresaw a laborious and difficult task.
Everybody, the speaker said, had
made him feel at home in America.
He had been treated like one of their
own citizens, indeed better. for he
had been spared the criticism, which
in all modern countries is so literally
bestowed upon public men. He had
negotiated with three Presidents and
four secretaries of state, with all of
whom his relations had been most
cordial. To one of those secretaries
of state, he ought specially TO refer
because Mr.. Root was in office when
he reached Washington, and it was
with Mr.. Root that he negotiated
most of the IL or IL treaties which
had been concluded between the two
countries in the year 1907
When Mr.. Root and l." Mr.. Bryce
continued began to make treaties,
the first thing we did was to make
friends with one another; and friend
ship is great aid to business. | found
in Mr.. Root not only a brilliant intel
lect, but what is even better. ana per-
haps more rare, an eminently FAR
mind, capable of seeing both sides to
every question and a sincere love or
peace. Mr.. Root exemplified in prae-
tice the dictum he had once delivered
that there is no International eontro-
versy that cannot be honorably set
tied If both the parties wish to settle.
Here the good Will of the two nations