The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-14
People Just Awakening to
Fact Ambassador Spoke
ut Dinner.
A COPY MAILED TO BRYAN
Former Public Utteranccs of
American Envoy Not
"Just the Thing"
Special Cable DespascA to THE suS.

LONDON, March l<.-England 10 just
awakening to the fact that Walter H.
Pare. the American Ambassador. made a
speech on Wednesday night at the Cham
Ser OF Commerce dinner which aroused a
treat stir In Washington because OF the
new aspect OF the Monroe Doctrine and
Yngiand's position in regard TO the Pan
ANA Canal which the Ambassador Is al
legged to have defined.
In fact II IL only fair to say that
10 far as the British people were con-
cerned they had not really noticed that
Mr.. Page had made a speech at all UNI
III the cables from the United States
drew their attention to the fact
The American Ambassador Is usually
regarded here as beyond all things an
after dinner speaker. Most Of the Am
bassadors from the United States have
been able to fulfil the requirements ad-
.nirably, but II must be confessed that the
present American diplomatic representa-
dive does not seem yet to have found his
bearings. His speech at the Chamber OF
Commerce dinner. OF which he sent to
washington yesterday a "reconstructed~
CODY. for he spoke extemporaneously. Is
an example Of this. II was meant. Mr..
PAGE says. to be humorous, but neither
his hearers nor the readers Of the speech
seemed to see the Joke. They took II rs
a serious pronouncement OF the Ambas-
sador's views and likewise the views Of
the United states.
Previous Speeches Criticized.
I, may be said at once that Mr.. Pages
critics on these postprandial speeches
are his own countrymen, who are per-
haps somewhat severe. forgetting that Mr..
Page has made nineteen important
speeches within about eight months which
they heard and which have been some
Tha; meagrely reported.
Mr. Pages first speech since his ap.
continent was at the welcoming banquet
given by the Pilgrims on June OF last
year before a most distinguished gather
INK. He ard Sir Edward Grey. the For
.Ixu Secretary. were the chief speakers
on that occasion. Mr.. Page disappointed
his countrymen by slowly reading his
speech from manuscript Tho speech
mildly twisted inc uoH tAh.
Sir Edward replied with very short
address, and the impression Of the Ameri-
can diners was that Mr.. Page had Sc
iected wrong line for the occasion.
In other speeches by Mr.. Page the
American listeners complained of the In
r.,ence OF the Ambassador on talks about
the great republic" saying he insists on
In, . u-. n SilVR-St that
have TO tell people that We are on tho
earth or they wouldn't know it
After his initiatory pedagogic pulling
Of the lions tail Ambassador Page be-
gan 10 smooth the lions name. and on
July IS at the Anglo-Saxon Club dinner
he SPOKE Of how Englishmsn still ruled
America, saying:
Every President of tho United states
has had English or Scottish blood with the
exception Of Cot Roosevelt. who IL no
more Dutchman than myself. There
has been no man from Washington TO
wilson whose main strain Of blood was
lot from this island"
lie used many other figures whidn were
countless correct, hut an Ambassador has
many races TO consider.
Again at Southampton at the unwilling
Of G monument to the Pilgrim Fathers
he declared that the United States with
100000 600 people was English led and
English ruled" Whatever may have beer.
meant this was not Ambassadorlal talk.
ssavages'' Slept Daring speech.
ThA, uha, ,ha Sayape Cluh psLad Mr.
Page 10 be It's guest OF honor the Am
osssador after an excellent but somewhat
lengthy and more or less humorous speech
dealing with bohemianism said:
Now we win be serious for while"
The Savagee went to sleep and the Am
bassador talked for twenty minutes on
the Monroe Doctrine. This was on a
Saturday night and the Savages were
surprieed TO see what he saId on the Mon
roe Doctrine. carefully extracted and
prlnted. on Monday. separately from an
account OF the dinner, while the STANDARD
Eliminated editorially about the Ameri-
can Ambassadors new reading Of the
Monroe Doctrine
II Is almost impossible to reflect Amer
lean opinion In London on these speeches.
but the fact that they are felt to be mot
the thing may suggest something OF the
ruth, Frankly the opinion IL that Am
bassador Pages. or indeed any one else's.
Interpretation OF the Monroe Doctrine is
not suitable subject for postprandial
Speeches before mixed company OF
Americans and Englishmen. especially
when that company has met for a purely
social purpose.
Americans here seem to think that the
Ambassadors views on high political at
G'rs would better be communicated
quietly to the Foreign Office than treated
with ponderous POPULARITY or unreasonable
e%r'ousness, AZ at the Savage Club, when
inc company has dlned together on some
tsstiys or even socially formal occasion.
U. =. Envoy EIceDtional.
In vulgar parlance an Ambassador 10
expected to be able to hold his tongue.
a. general rule he can and does. II
ne talks publicly whom he has to ne talks
PLEASANTLY and says nothing. For the
most part both In Europe and England,
public spssch ~ - Amsassador BE-
{.