Imperial Valley press., 1913-12-16
i. S. Ambassador
Finds a House
By Karl HI, Won Wiegand

Berlin Correspondent, United Press)
Berlin, Dec. 16.-Justice James
Watson Gerard, Uncle Sans ambas-
sador to Germany, will not be "home-
less" much longer. He has found a
"home" in which the American eagle
can scream without being ashamed OF
himself and which is rapidly being put
into shape for occupation. A real
estate agent has pocketed a fat COM
mission and a landlord-or rather 3
landlady-is happy to have so profit
able tenant.
Because of the parsimonious policy
of the richest country in the world to
pay rents year after year for embas-
sizes instead of owning them, as is the
bles of an Ambassador" form mos.
interesting chapter of unwritten dip
lomatic history that repeats itself ev
cry time there is change of parties
in the United States. Uncle Sam is
known abroad as "renter," and the
term is not nicely applied. No mat
ter how democratic the ambassadors
of the United States may try to be
with kings and potentates, they are
humble slaves to the landlords ant
real estate dealers, who demand and
get obeisances and adulation, ant
what is more to thepoint, monstrousl!
exorbitant rentals which necessitate
Uncle Sans ambassadors digging
deep down into their own pockets fol-
expense money"
But that is only one of the little
troubles that makes the new ambas
sador or minister regret the contri
button he made to the campaign fund
Ambassador Gerard's demands in the
way of house were modest. Al
though he pays $4,000 of his 800
salary as rent, the new American en-
bassy would not attract even passing
notice for exterior elegance on Fifth
avenue or the principal residence
street Of other American cities. Ge-
rard's house hunting troubles have
been similar to those of Page in Lon
don, Penfield in Vienna, where the
American embassy is still in hotel
and of Minister Vopicka in Buchares
and of the new amba ssador to St.
Petersburg.
Berlin is looked upon as more OIL
less of ''hoodoo" among Uncle Sans
foreign posts. Probably more am
bassadors "fell down" or failed to
snake good" in Berlin in recent years
than in any other capital. Charlie
magne Tower was more or less ridi
culed in the American press for his
exclusiveness, the social dash he cut
and decking himself out in blue an6
gold uniform and gilt sword. Davio
Jayne Hill, scholar and statesman OF
dignity and ability, had not much
more than settled himself down be-
fore he was called upon to resign, it
was said, for successor who could
contribute more to the Republican
campaign fund. Under John G. A.
Leishman, Pittsburgh steel magnate
who was fond of claiming the late
]. Pierpont Morgan as his personal
friend, the Berlin embassy was virtu
ally ignored by the big American col
ony because of the alleged anti-Amer-
ican attitude of Leishman's wife and
two daughters. Perhaps under no am
bassador was the American embassy
as unpopular with Americans as un-
der Leishman. Suits and charges in
New York and Paris gave rise to re-
ports that he was using his official
position with advantage in speculat-
ing on the stock market. The en-
gagemeht and marriage of his daugh-
ter Nancy to Duke Karl of Croy made
much talk and incurred the displeas-
ure of the kaiser, who failed to re-
ceive Leishman in the customary fare
we'll audience and did not give him
any token of his regard, as he did Hill
and Tower.
The post of ambassador to Berlin
is one of the most difficult in the
American diplomatic service. 1t re-
quires more than mere craftsmanship
to fill it to the satisfaction of all con-
cerned-the president, the American
people, the American colony in Berlin,
the kaiser, the kaiser's court, the dip
lomatic circle and society. If he is
reserved and exclusive he is declared
"snob" and "un-American." If he is
democratic even some Americans call
him common" because he receives
those below their particular set. If
he lives in accordance with Jeffer.
sonian simplicity, he is looked down
upon by the government, court and
diplomatic circles, which affects his
standing, and that in turn his useful
ness. If he entertains as ambass1-
doris of other powers do and as is