East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-09-14
BY WILBUR 5. FORREST.

To average Americans who may
think that an American ambassador in
London is delegated in wartime to
drink cups Of afternoon tea with It'll
nerant countrymen: TO hand out
fatherly advice when they are in
trouble: to hand them money when
they are broke" and perform myr-
lad other duties NJ a social nature.
they have got another think coming.
For the busiest American institu-
tion in Europe today is located at
No. Brosvenor Gardens-the Ameri-
can embassy.
Here the enemy alien peoples in
Great Britain. Of three warning ma
tions look for money to buy their
daily food: look for advice when they
need it and will look for protection
when protection is necessary.
From an authoritative source, the
United Press learned today that hun
dreds Of thousands OF American dol
lars have been necessary and will in
future be expended to care for the
alien charges Of Ambassador Page.
He is the sole representative in Great
Britain not only Of America, but Ger
many. Austria and Turkey Nearly
twenty buildings in London. property
OF these countries, are In direct
charge Of the ambassador and he not
only has voluminous diplomatic cor
respOndence OF his own nation to
handle but the veritable bales" Of
mail and telegraphic exchanges car
ried on with other warning powers by
the kaiser. the emperor Of Austria
and the sultan Of Turkey. To make
| this work possible the American en-
! bassy has increased its normal bust
ness ten fold Il has employed a
round dozen Of extra secretaries to
do the work that fell to three before
the war. It has engaged a corps Of
expert accountants and clerks who
respectively keep tab on the manifold
disbursements and file away hun,
dreds Of documents a day,
The money thus spent for Eng
lands enemies during the war will bt
repaid to Uncle Sam when hostilitie,
cease. but in the meantime Uncle
Sans pocket must be the source Of
a never ending supply.
In addition to being in constan
closest touch with the state depart
ment at Washington, the American
embassy in London is also in daily
communication with the embassies a
Berlin. Vienna, Constantinople. Romt
and Petrograd which causes the cost
ly interchange Of telegraphic CORES
, pondence at least ten times the vol
ume Of peace times. Occasionally
kilograms cost the government S1.0t
each
An amusing episode was the out
come Of a series Of such telegraphiC
interchanges with the American en-
bassy in Constantinople, It has ius
been learned. Ambassador Morgen
thau reported to London that tn
Turks had imprisoned many British
citizens whom they were holding fo
ransom, the sum Of $4,000 being re
lquired in each case. The American
embassy. in London, immediatel,
communicated its information to tn
British government and word wa
sent back to Morgenthau to that ef
feet. The next message from Nor
genthau, was that he had convince,
the Turks that 5000 was a far NOR
reasonable figure than $4,000 AM
the Turks had agreed. In turn. thi
fact was Immediately communicated
, to the British government and tn
. ransom was paid, though indirectly
for ransom is a word Of which tn
British government takes no cogni
Izance.
However, hard work is but a par
Of the troubles of No. 4 Grosveno
Square. The greatest are passports
! The document, bearing the great sea
Of the state. department which guar
antes safe conduct for American trav
elers in Europe, is now the most rig
idly drawn Of any nation. but before
war was the loosest. Efficient clerk
delegated to handle the passport de
partment at the embassy have be
come nervous wrecks and neg
hands" are constantly necessary
The passport clerk begins by interro
eating the applicant as to his ante
cedents and must almost require proof
that the applicant at some time ol
other had been born. After the frs
round Of questions the liberty loyinl
american begins to get mad Before
he has been warmed out Of his entire
llfe's history, he or she as the case
may be, is thoroughly mad and he
or she. leaves the embassy heapina
Goals Of fire on the head Of the mer
who are delegated to administer the
affairs Of America .n foreign cline
Time cools anger however, and In
yariably the applicant is back within
a day or two to ask some favor Of this
ambassador. Nine time out Of ten
these favors cannot be granted be
cause Of strict rules that regulate Am
erican embassies. A favorite reques
Is that valuables be put in the "em
bassy safe" One woman brought {
string Of pearls which she insisted
= should be put away for her unit
[ she returned Some want mail sen
] to America in the embassy postbal
E while others would hold prolonge'
, chats with the ambassador relatin
s to family or business affairs. Al
t these matters are impossible.
Irrespective Of the smaller triflei