Evening star., 1914-08-16

HSSSSESEEySNSSSSSSSSSy Observation-Disclosures
there are instances in which 1t is ne
cessity.
Ex-Presidents. governors. senators. rep
resentatives, cabinet ministers. etc, at
home send many people with letters
and often come themselves. The letters
contain q request that the ambassador
show them some attention. II means
hope you are WELL" and that the ambas-
sador should exert himself to make
things agreeable for such representative
home people. II he has French friends
in government and society, he can In
vite the Americans to meet them
Such presentation of Representative
fellow citizens" says my distinguished
old friend, ARE becoming more and more
an embassy duty with the other great
powers-in the interest of good interna-
tional understanding
A similar reason why a grand embassy
is necessary Is that there are numerous ?
French societies-like the Ecole Politique
France-Ameriaue Autour du Monde etc
whom It Is becoming the duty OF the am
bassador to receive at times or course
he is accredited to the French govern
ment: and. strictly. he can confne his
activities to the government: but OF late
years-as has been shown by England
the ambassadors mission has come to
include. in a large degree. the stimuiat-
ing Of better relations and mutual un-
derstanding: and IL he can attend the
functions OF these important French So
ClcIleS, ana Invite IheII. IN MS tuEhs ~
the embassy. 1t is far reaching in its ef-
fects. ST.
In these and other ways a grand EN-
bassy gives opportunities to the ambas-
sador and his country. 1s@
Here, for example. is an extremely Inn
portant detail. which /. Sterling Hetlie,
recently heard discussed
1t IL that French people of importance
who never. ordinarily, meet each other,
can meet at the American embassy as on
neutral ground. The parties are very
distinct and our ambassador may. In a,
discreet way. give them the precious ad-
vantage of getting into touch without
committing themselves. and 1t all en-
hances the influence of America.
I can give q recent example You
know how the Paris newspapers. at the
beginning of the Mexican imbrogiio be-
gan to side against the United States?
It was very strong. And you know how
suddenly it stopped?
Well. at the residence Of an ambassa-
r dor. after dinner. there happened to be
smoking together in q corner a group
] Of men which included French cabinet
minister and one OF the most powerful
, newspaper magnates of Paris. And il
> was said there, pretty generally. that
: things were drifting toward bad feeling
! between France and the United States, on
account of these criticisms OF the Mex
ican affair. and that 1t should be checked
All right
e Out Of that conversation grew the de-
: parture, within two days, of the foreign
editor Of q great Paris daily for Wash
q ington. to gst at the exact situation and
= send back cables about 1t. At the sans
: time there resulted-always from this
embassy conversation-several pro-Amer-
I. ican articles by leading Frenchmen In
important publications Of diverse political
8 parties. and within two weeks time every
1 sign of criticism against the United
I States had died out
What will 1t cost Congress?
4 have taken careful. well advised opira-
Z, ions.
The United States should not think OF
.. buying an embassy property in Paris
y costing less than $500.ON as minimum.
: tions less important than ourselves. To
= really equal our peers Congress oughs
- to spend more; but 100000 would support
:. our dignity, without ostentation or ex-
h There is also the important item Of fur
1t niture.
: And there are fixed charges. The new
coming ambassador may not be rici
ie man. On arriving he ought to md tn
t. embassy residence all installed. with ex
ut perienced servants. flunkeys. ETC., in thef
he places.
" Entertainments diners. ETC.: cost. say
- $<V.oVo per year. IVY dusoiiootes Wl os,s ~
a wife will have to go in taxis). say. $5.Ou0
l. The ambassadors wife receives once {
m week: and .it is astonishing how she !!
criticised il she does not do it wei
se enough" say. $3.50 Charities. say
Of $1,000. Fourth of July reception to al
a. Americans, $1,000 The ambassador whi
e, omits this item, with its lavish refresh
er ments, will be subject to a buzz of CIT
y. icism..
IN So that when the ambassador gets al
r. these things done. he finds that he hai
a. monthly payroll Of 5000 or 5000 o.
W more.
Ought he pay it out of his N7,5o0 sal
to ary?
otherwise let Congress reduce our EN-
to bassies to ministries again" says my dis
m tinguished old American. IF We are =
as have embassies. let them be real ones.
III STERLING HEILIG.