The Washington herald., 1915-04-18
Ambassador Herrick "Fzat
Broke When He Quit Job
Serving United States Envoy Paris Cost Him 100000
Out of His Own Pocket-Necessary to Get Back
to Remuneratve Work Soon

to make big demands on his private
fortune.
My experience has not been I'M
usual. In fact. | have merely followed
the example of my predecessors. My
late official residence on the Rue Fran
co.'s Premier was formerly occupied by
both Mr.. White and Mr.. Bacon. While
it is handsome structure. it is very
modest in comparison with the Ger
man. English and Russian emba ssies.
which are owned outright by those
countries and for which their occu-
pants pay no rentals. The United
States owns no embassy in Paris, al
though England. Germany. Russia.
China and even Liberia own theirs.
These embassies. legations. and chan
celleries are located in the smartest
quarters in Paris. So, to maintain the
dignity of the United States. it is up
to our ambassador to domicile himself
in as imposing a mansion as he can
find.
$1,000 Month Small Rental
This necesSitates an expenditure
very nearly equal to his salary as am
bassador. Even $1,000 month is a
small rental for an official residence
for the American Ambassador. Twice
that sum would be required to COM
mand an establishment to vie with the
English and Russian embassies.
I'm addition to their residences the
amba sSadOrs of those countries receive
salaries several times larger than the
amount We pay our representatives
abroad. One hundred thousand dollars
a year is not an unusual sum for an
ambassador representing a great Euro
pean power to receive while in Paris
Such a sum is absolutely necessary for
the representative of ffrst-class
power.
There are other calls on the American
Ambassador which his diplomatic breth-
rem escape. He is Obliged to keep open
house for all his fellow-countrymen who
come to Paris. A good many Americans
who come to Paris seem to feel that be-
cause their ambassador Is paid 1880
a ycar-part of which they have contrib
uted in taxes-it is his duty to entertain
them when they arrive In France. The
entertainment they expect ranges from
luncheon and dinners to theater parties,
and even long automobile trips If the
American Ambassador isn't accessible if
he isn't ready to entertain his fellow
Americans at all times, he is regarded
as n snob and bitterly criticised. The
English. German and Russian Ambas-
sadors in Paris. for instance, would be
quite Mortified il their fellow-countrymen
on reaching Paris asserted a claim on
their time or attention. That Is reserved
for personal friends and distinguished
persons to whom high consideration is
due.
An Ambassador's Duties.
1T is not enough for the American Am
bassador to be merely the leader of the
American colony in Paris. If he Is to be
of real service to his country he must
associate with the leaders of French
thought. He must promote friendly re-
lations between his government and the
government to which he is accredited
and that can be done only by personal
contact. And in this connection 1t may
be remarked that entertaining is more
extensive and on a more lavish scale
in Paris-or was until the war broke out
than in any capital in Europe.
IF / have accomplished anything in
promoting closer and more friendly re-
lations between France and the United
States I will consider my two and
half years in Paris worth while. 1t has
been hard work: but I have been used
10 hard work all my life, and II was a
great experience. Moreover. let the pub
lie remember that the American Ambas-
sadors in several other countries have
had tasks no less arduous."