Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-29

ferent times, totaling several years OF
service, he has been at that seething
d affaires and minister.
Lord Croner. that brilliant scion Of the
house of Barring, who did such wonder
fully constructive work as British agent
in Egypt from 1883 to 1907, knew Sir
Cecil as a valued colleague. 1t was in
1901 that Sir Cecil was made British COM
missioner on the Caisse de la Dette PUB
lique of Egypt. Two years he spent on
this work with credit to himself and
profit to his government.
The nomentous years of 1903-Q4, when
Russia was at war with Japan and Brit
ish interests in the struggle were many.
Sir Cecil happened" to be secretary of
the embassy at st. Petersburg, and for
considerable periods charge dafaires
there. One day when President Roose-
velt-an old and intimate friend of Sir
Cecl-began to talk about peace be-
tween the warning nations Sir Cecil sud-
denly disappeared from his post.
lie reappeared presently at London. and
then, in the course of week. at WASH
ington. Here he remained for several
days, during which time he had several
long interviews with the prospective
peacemaker. and then returned 10 ST.
Petersburg via London.
The British government. 1t has been eX-
planned. wanted to be treasured on GER
President Roosevelts mind, and had dis
patched Sir Cecil to find out. But the
British government had an ambassador
already at Washington. Why coulcnt he
find out? That is one Of the questions In
diplomacy that remain unanswered.
Whatever the real mission, President
Roosevelt went ahead with a peace pro-
gram, Britain was plainly satisfied and
the treaty of Portsmouth resulted
These incidents are but few in the
To-,
serve to show the esteem in which he is
held by his own government They taken
in connection with his known knowledge
of and liking for America, may explain
his transfer to this capital at time when
the construction of the Panama canal,
new tariff laws, new trade treaties. affairs
in Mexico, possible new immigration laws
with the same restrictive features as TO
yellow races that certain British colonies
are demanding for themselves, and with
certain other restrictive features relat-
ing to East Indian subjects of the British
crown, make necessary to Britain the
presence of a particularly able diplomatist
in America.
That Sir Cecil has a taste for things
American is no secret. In the first place
he is an old and intimate friend of his
immediate predecessor, Kt. Hon. James
Bryce, who recently was created viscount
and whose American predictions are
famous. Sir Cecil is rather proud of
the fact that students of international
politics frequently have credited to
James Bryce broader knowledge of
American politics than is possessed by
most American public men, just as they
assert that DR.. A. l.. Lowell. president of
Harvard, knows more about English poll
tics than most Englishmen.
1t might be said that Sir Cecil, since
he was boy of fifteen at Elton, has been
a disciple of James Bryce.
Then. too. Sir Cecil is fond of saying
that he came as near being born in
America as it is possible for a native of
the United Kingdom. The home of his
family was near Brandon Head in the
southwest part OF Kerry. the southwest
ernmost county OF Ireland. whose next
door neighbor on the west is the United
States. This part of Kerry has been the
home of the Rices since the migration of