The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-10

on receipt of Secretary IansinEs reouest Baron Won Zwidenek counsellor, prob ably would be made charge d'affaires to remain as head of the embassy until the end Of the war. While ordinarily, it was explained, the failure to send a successor to an ambassador would indicate the dis- pleasure of his government over the re- quest for his recall, the difficulties which would attend the coming of a new am- bassador made distinct difference in this case.
 Not to Be Given Passports
 It is understood that Ambassador Dum- ba will not be handed his passports but will be permitted to follow his own course and await word from Vienna. If he should desire to return home 1t would be necessary for the American govern ment to secure a safe conduct for him from the allies.
 Constantin Theodor Dumba presented his credentials immediately after the in- auguration of President Wilson, succeed ing Baron Hengelmueller, then dean of the diplomatic corps. It Is significant that in an interview given out shortly after his arrival in America pr. Dumba sounded the keynote of his whole activity in the country-improvement in the conditions among Austro- Hungarian laborers in America He has been one of the most popular members of the diplomatic corps and although in his term of nearly three years in Washington there had until re- gently been no momentous matter tha. has brought him into official relations with the American government. his per- sonality and his frank manner made him a welcome visitor at the state depart ment.
 Thirty-four years In the diplomatic serv- ice, including posts in London, St. Peters burg. at the Quirinal Bucharest, Paris SRrVia dnr lad <,r,t 1,t reer. which. if 1t had not been for the present difficulty, probably would have closed here with his retirement at the end of the war. The ambassa dor has spent many years of his life in Eng lish-speaking society and even the war did not affect his warm sympathy for things and people British. Only diplo- matic propriety, which made intercourse with the representatives of his country's enemies impossible, forced a severance of his intimate friendship with Sir Cecil Spring-Rice the British amba ssador The emba ssies of the two warning countries face each other, and 1t was an almost daily occurrence to see the one or the other of the embassy automobiles bring both the ambassadors home together
 Ambassador Dumba will leave his sig nature on no important treaties or me- morials, but he will be remembered as prominent factor in helping to smooth over the rough places when the German situation was at its worst His visit to President Wilson and his request for the latter's personal intervention for the Aus trian prisoners in Servia was one of the acts which has been placed to his credit at home. His ardent activity in the in- terest of his nationals which his friends say was the thing that led him to take the unfortunate step resulting in the re- quest for his recall, was his chief interest.
 According to a recent statement to a friend, when the possibility of his recall was mentioned. the ambassadors main regret was that he would be forced to leave his post, thus destroying his only chance to serve his country in her time of need. He urged that he was unfit to take part in military activity and that his only opportunity lay in repre- senting Austria-Hungary in the capital of her greatest friend among the neu- trals.