The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-19
THEN Or. Dumba in the cours
I OF his activities as Austro-
' hungarian Ambassador to
IA I'nitp1 gtotpg suddenly

w hungarian Ambassador to
the United states suddenly
snatchcd from this country the tradi-
tional title Of the "enfant terrible of
diplomacy" and conferred it upon the
~hyphenatcd monarchy most persons
had forgotten that the United States
won its reputation for undipiomatiC
diplomacy largely in the course of a
dispute with Austria-Hungary nearly
seventy years 20
When the revolutionary movement
Of 1913 spread over Europe it was
watched In this country with sym
pathy. The Democratic national con
vcntion of that year placed in its
platform a resolution Of sympathy
with the European revolutionists and
We sen to Hungary a special agent to
observe the progress of the Hungarian
revolt against Austria. The despatch
of this agent was known at the time,
but only within the past year or so has
ii been positively known what were
his essential instructions.
He was to send fun and prompt re-
ports of the revolution and to give
the President the earliest possible
news of Hungary's successful estab-
lishment Of an Independent govern
ment in order that the United states
might he the first Power to recognize
the new nation. No such oppor-
tunity came. however. for the Car
in good time turned his arms against
the Hungarians and they were brought
again definitely under the yoke of
Austria, while Hungarian patriots
,.... 4..t .- al tNn country
Austria was thoroughly enraged
against the United States for sending
an agent To observe sympatheticaiy a
revolt against the imperial power, and
when the somewhat disturbed Foreign
Office had caught its breath II sent
a sharp note TO Washington protest
ing against the presence OF our agent,
This note happened to reach the De-
partment of state at a moment when
Daniel Webster was its head and when
domestic friction over the region re-
Gently acquired from Mexico seemed
almost TO threaten the life Of the
Union
Webster, who was n sound patriot
but an undiplomatic diplomatist
thought he saw in the incident a
| chance not only to rebuke the preten-
| sions of Austria but also 10 send a
wave Of enthusiastic patriotism a.
! over the country. Accordingly he gave
the Austrian Foreign Office a good
deal better than II sent and actually
reminded II that the possessions oi
the Hapshurgs were hut as a patcf
upon the map Of Europe as compared
with the territory Of the United
States. Probably no such cotnmunlca'
ton had ever before reached the Aus
| trkan Foreign Onice and possibly the
distinguished Austr!ins in charg
! soothcd their wounded feelings with
the reflection that ;hc undiplomatiC
Secretary OF State was merely the
son of "A New Hampshire farmer. Hac
| not MetterniCh recently declared tina
| humanity began with the baron:
Webster. however. was not yet
through with Austria, for, while moth
ing serious followed his message, he
committed a far more undip.omatiC
! act when Kossuth. fresh from active
revolution against Austrian power
came To Washington. koSSuth' a.
the most distinguished of the Hun
garian patriots and the chief enemy
OF the Austrian Emperor, was I'm
mensely popular in the United states
and at Washington was treated less
as a fleeing revolutionist than as tht
7 representative OF a new power that
might have been.
lie was received 10y the President
and bv both houses of Congress- or
which occasions Webster as Secretary
OF state was conspicuous. Further
more. when many Senators and mem
hers of the House OF Representative
gave a dinner in honor OF kossutl
Webster in a speech expressed TN
hope that Hungary might yet vii
her independence.
Webster was dead when another